Once a year, all of us at SecureLayer7 step away from the terminals, the client calls, and the report deadlines, and get in one room to celebrate each other. Annual Event 2026 was that room. And this year, when they called the name for the biggest recognition we give, Employee of the Year, it was mine.
I am Pranav Khune, and I work on the offensive security team here. SecureLayer7 has been doing penetration testing and original security research since 2012, with teams in Austin and Pune. I want to use this post to say thank you, and to give you an honest look at life at SecureLayer7 from the inside, in case you are wondering what it is actually like to work here.
The moment I did not see coming
At most companies, Employee of the Year is a framed certificate and a round of applause. At SecureLayer7 it is a championship belt. I walked away with a custom heavyweight belt stamped “Apex Hacker” and “L337 Haxor SL7er Champion,” alongside the official Employee of the Year certificate. I am still not sure I have stopped grinning.
The belt is a bit of fun, but the reason behind it is not. It goes to the person who best combined technical depth, consistency, and the kind of teammate energy that lifts everyone around them. I spend my days leading penetration testing engagements, and if I did any of that well this year, it is because of the people I get to do it with.
A win the whole team owns
Recognition at SecureLayer7 is loud on purpose. When my name was announced, the belt did not stay in my hands for long. It went up over the whole leadership line, then into a room full of engineers, consultants, and the wider team who cheered like it was their own win. Honestly, it was.
Great security work is never a solo act. Behind this one belt is a bench of people who reviewed my findings, covered me on tight engagements, and pushed me to go one layer deeper. My name is on it, but the credit belongs to everyone in that room.
Recognition that made room for family
One of the most SecureLayer7 things about the evening: my award was presented by the parents of our Founder and CTO, Sandeep Kamble. It is a small gesture that says a lot. The people who shaped the person who built this company handed the belt to one of the people carrying its work forward. I will not forget that.
We spend our days thinking about attack surface and threat models. Nights like this remind me that the humans doing that work have families cheering for them, and that a good workplace makes space for both.
What life at SecureLayer7 means to me
The Annual Event stage carried the eight values we try to live by all year, the ones we call FIREWALL: Follow your passion, Integrity that is non negotiable, Reach for glory, Encourage innovation, We work and win in teams, Act decisively, Live for customer delight, and Lead with example. They are not wall decorations. They are how an award like this gets decided, and how our day to day actually runs.
If you are trying to picture what it is like working at SecureLayer7, here is my honest version:
- Real work from day one. We run offensive security engagements across penetration testing, red teaming, cloud security, and AI red teaming. As our careers page puts it, the goal is proof, not pitch decks.
- Protected research time. We block out quarterly time for original CVE work. The best offensive security comes from people who get to dig, not just deliver, and I have felt that first hand.
- Conferences, funded. Black Hat, DEF CON, and OWASP are covered. Our team was at Black Hat USA 2025, and every year more of the bench gets to go.
- Trust over attendance. We are not measured by attendance. Roles are hybrid across our Austin and Pune offices, with the freedom to do the deep work where it happens best.
- Recognition you can feel. From day to day peer feedback to a heavyweight belt handed out in front of the whole company, strong work does not go unseen here. I am living proof.
That mix, hard technical problems, real ownership, and a team that celebrates each other out loud, is why so many of us stay, and why we rate the company highly on Glassdoor. You can read more about all of it on our careers page.
Off the stage
I am not one for big speeches, so I will keep it short. Thank you to everyone who trusted me with hard problems this year, and to the teammates who made the wins feel shared. This belt is as much yours as it is mine. Now back to work, because next year’s target is already on the board.
Thinking about joining us?
If reading this makes you want to be in next year’s team photo, that is the point. SecureLayer7 hires curious, hands-on security people and gives them real work from day one. See everything our teams do, get to know us on our about page, and when you are ready, our careers page is open.
Frequently asked questions
It is SecureLayer7’s top annual recognition, given at the company Annual Event to the team member who best combines technical excellence, consistency, and teamwork. Alongside a certificate, the winner receives a custom “Apex Hacker” championship belt. Pranav Khune won it in 2026.
Life at SecureLayer7 means hands-on offensive security work across penetration testing, red teaming, cloud security, and AI red teaming, paired with protected research time, funded conferences like Black Hat and DEF CON, and a culture that recognizes strong work in public.
SecureLayer7 operates from Austin and Pune with hybrid roles, and the company is explicit that it does not measure people by attendance. Local hires generally work local hours, with freedom to do deep work where it happens best.
SecureLayer7 is a research-driven offensive security company founded in 2012, known for original pentesting work, protected CVE research time, and consistently strong Glassdoor ratings. You can see current openings and culture details on the SecureLayer7 careers page.
SecureLayer7 regularly hires curious, hands-on pentesters and security consultants. Visit the SecureLayer7 careers page to see current openings across the offensive security and product teams.
