Hacker Conversations: Kunal Agarwal and the DNA of a Hacker

Hacker Conversations: Kunal Agarwal and the DNA of a Hacker profiles Kunal Agarwal, founder and CEO of dope[.]security, whose mission is shaped by a lifelong hacker mindset that he says is “in my DNA.” The piece traces his path from childhood curiosity and minor hacking incidents in California to roles at UC Berkeley, Symantec, and Forcepoint before founding Dope[.]Security, a cloud-native secure web gateway designed to stop hackers from exploiting websites.

It recounts how a jail-time scare during his school days led to a probation route rather than jail, and how mentors at Symantec helped him mature into a customer‑focussed leader who “never lie to a customer” and avoids pressuring users. Agarwal describes hacking as a mindset that constantly seeks vulnerabilities, a view he says remains part of him as he protects users today.

The interview also discusses the debate over whether hacking is innate or nurtured, with Agarwal arguing that both nature and nurture shape the hacker’s path.