Understanding Your Online Exposure Starts Here

Mad Hat Recon helps small businesses and individuals understand their real digital exposure—without scare tactics, jargon, or unnecessary upsells. We focus on reconnaissance and OSINT to reveal what attackers can already see, giving you the insight you need to make smart, confident security decisions.

What We Do

Mad Hat Recon specializes in ethical reconnaissance and open‑source intelligence assessments designed to uncover your public attack surface. We identify exposed data, misconfigurations, leaked credentials, and other real‑world risks that threat actors routinely exploit. Our reports are clear, actionable, and built to help you prioritize what matters most—whether that’s tightening your defenses, preparing for a full penetration test, or simply understanding your online footprint. Everything we do is grounded in accuracy, transparency, and practical guidance.

Our Vision

Cybersecurity shouldn’t be confusing, intimidating, or reserved for large organizations with big budgets. Our vision is to make high‑quality reconnaissance accessible to the people who need it most: small businesses, entrepreneurs, and everyday individuals whose digital lives are more exposed than ever. By shining a light on what’s already visible to attackers, we empower you to take control of your security before problems arise. Long‑term, Mad Hat Recon is built on a mission of protection—both digital and personal—as we work toward creating the flexibility and resources to build a dog rescue that reflects the same values of care, safety, and responsibility.

About

I’m Brandon, the founder of Mad Hat Recon. My background comes from years in IT support, cybersecurity fundamentals, OSINT, and hands‑on problem solving for people who needed clear answers—not jargon or scare tactics. Over time, I saw a gap: individuals and small businesses were being pushed toward expensive cybersecurity services without ever being shown what their real exposure looked like. Most didn’t need a full penetration test. They needed someone to map out what attackers could already see and explain it in a way that actually made sense. That’s the niche I’m building—ethical reconnaissance and practical intelligence for people who deserve clarity before committing to bigger security investments.
Mad Hat Recon is also part of a larger personal mission. My long‑term goal is to create the flexibility and resources to build a dog rescue—something rooted in the same values that guide my work: protection, care, and doing right by others. Working for myself allows me to grow a cybersecurity practice that helps people stay safe online while building toward a future where I can provide safety and care for animals as well. It’s all connected by a simple belief: protection matters, whether it’s digital or personal.

Education & Training

I came into cybersecurity later in life, without the traditional university route, and that pushed me to build my skills through hands‑on, practical learning instead of theory alone. I trained through platforms like TCM Security Academy, invested in the full OSCP course materials, and committed to continuous self‑directed study to master OSINT, reconnaissance, and real‑world attack techniques. I’ve earned multiple certificates of completion along the way and currently rank in the top 5% on TryHackMe; proof of the time, discipline, and passion I’ve put into developing this craft. My path wasn’t conventional, but it’s made me resourceful, adaptable, and deeply committed to staying sharp in a field that never stops evolving.

Certifications

Try Hack Me

Practical Help Desk Associate (PHDA)

Palo Alto Entry Level Cyber Security Technician (PCCET)

TCM Security Academy

Practical Ethical Hacking

Practical Security Fundamentals

External Penetration Testing Playbook

Practical Phishing Assessment

OSINT

Kali Linux 101

Practical Helpdesk

Programming Fundamentals

Python 101

Pre Security Learning Path

Introduction to Cyber Security

Jnr Penetration Tester Learning Path

Comptia+ Learning Path