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Martin Fürholz

Senior Penetration Tester · Security SME · Test Team Lead · IT Trainer

Rostock, Germany · Full-Spectrum Offensive Security, AI Red-Teaming & Technical Training

10+ Years of Hands-On Offensive Security, AI Red-Teaming & IT Training.
Security SME & Exclusive Test Team Lead (2018-2026; Security Practice since 2016) with 1,544 approved vulnerabilities (99.7% approval), sole 4x Gold-Tier status, and ~10,000 triaged reports across enterprise pentesting, Agentic AI tooling, and full-time instruction.

Recent Roles:

IT & Security Lecturer (alfatraining): Full-time Python, SQL & AWS (since 07/2026); PenTest+ & ISTQB (2021-2022).

Security SME & TTL (2018-2026): ~5 pentests/week, escalation lead (28 bank subnet vulns, 12/2025) & Agentic AI R&D.

Core Focus:

Offensive Security: Web, REST/SOAP APIs, Mobile (Frida/MobSF), AWS Cloud, OSCP Host/AD & White-Box code reviews.

AI & Specialized: LLM/MCP Red-Teaming (60+ page Guide), Autonomous OSINT/DRM Agents, IoT & Desktop/UWP.

Certs & Languages: PenTest+, AWS CLF-C02, PCEP, ISTQB (in prep: SecurityX, OSWE) · German, English, French (B1).

ABOUT ME

Personal Details

NAME:

Martin Fürholz

Residence:

Rostock, Germany (since 2012)

Born:

July 18, 1980 in Vienna, Austria

Occupation:

Senior Penetration Tester, Security SME,
Test Team Lead & IT Trainer

Languages:

German (Native), English (Fluent), French (B1)

Driver's License:

European Type B (own vehicle available)

Professional Competencies

Security SME & Team Leadership: Security Subject Matter Expert and Exclusive Test Team Lead for the Security Practice of the world's largest crowdtesting provider (11/2018-05/2026, ~5 pentests/week); designed smoke-testing, triage, and fix-verification workflows across ~10,000 reports.

Proven Track Record: 1,544 verified vulnerabilities personally reported at a 99.7% approval rate across 4,050 total test cycles; sole tester platform-wide with simultaneous Gold-Tier status across all four active practices (2017-2018); author of the official Academy curricula for API Testing and Security Testing.

Full-Spectrum Offensive Security: Manual exploitation and PoC validation across Web & REST/SOAP APIs (OWASP Top 10, OAuth 2.0/OIDC, SAML, JWT), Mobile (Android/iOS, Frida, MobSF), AWS Cloud, Host & Active Directory (OSCP scope), White-Box code reviews, IoT hardware, Windows/macOS/UWP desktop apps, browser extensions, DRM & automated Fiddler forensics, and AI Red-Teaming (LLM/MCP audits).

Development, Agentic AI & Scripting: Deep proficiency in Python (PCEP), SQL, Bash, PowerShell, C++, C#, Java, Docker, Git, and Wolfram Language; developer of autonomous, privacy-preserving AI agents for live OSINT, Dark Web DRM intelligence, and automated vulnerability validation.

Verified Certifications: AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02, 2026), PCEP Python Programmer (2026), PMI GenAI (2025), ISTQB CTFL (2021), CompTIA PenTest+ ce (2021), and ECDL Advanced Expert (2007).

Interests and Hobbies

Sport:

Wakeboarding enthusiast at Cable Park Rostock, named 'Rider of the Year' in 2023 and most active customer ever since; plus trail running, skiing, and snowboarding.

Music & Arts:

Music production. Past collaborations with international artists (e.g., London Community Gospel Choir). Early education in Photography (Die Graphische, Vienna).

Broadcasting & Media:

Operator of a professional in-house content studio (set up late 2025) featuring 4K camera gear, teleprompter, studio lighting, and sound isolation. Already producing security workshop videos and music recordings; building toward dedicated channels on Security and Digital Business.

Science & Mind:

Astronomy (observatory access via iTelescope.net), drone photography, and daily chess.

Short Biography

Martin Fürholz is a Senior Penetration Tester, Security SME, and IT Trainer with over a decade of dedicated offensive security experience (since 03/2016), including 7.5 years (11/2018-05/2026) as the exclusive Test Team Lead for the Security Practice at the world's largest crowdtesting provider. Across ~5 pentests per week, he served as the technical gatekeeper and escalation specialist for complex scopes spanning Web/API/Mobile, AWS Cloud, Active Directory, White-Box code reviews, IoT, DRM forensics, and AI Red-Teaming. Alongside reproducing, triaging, and fix-verifying ~10,000 vulnerability reports, Martin personally reported 1,544 approved security flaws at a 99.7% approval rate, held a unique simultaneous Gold-Tier record across all four active testing practices (2017-2018), and builds on software engineering roots (Python, C++, C#, SQL) dating back to 2000.

He pairs this field experience with structured teaching: he authored the official Academy courses for API Testing and Security Testing as well as a hand-written 60+ page AI Red-Teaming Field Guide, delivered intensive Web App Security bootcamps in Manhattan/NYC (2018), and teaches four-week full-time courses at alfatraining GmbH, covering CompTIA PenTest+ and ISTQB CTFL in 2021-2022 and Python, SQL, and AWS Cloud since July 2026. Having completed his Abitur with a focus on Physics and Mathematics (2021-2024), he is currently pursuing an English-language B.A. in Digital Business (AI Economics focus) at IU International University of Applied Sciences.

Continuing Education & Recent Certifications

B.A. Digital Business (English)
IU International University of Applied Sciences (since 08/2024, focus on AI Economics, expected 2027)

In Preparation: CompTIA SecurityX & OffSec OSWE (WEB-200)
Ongoing advanced enterprise security architecture and white-box web exploitation certification tracks

2025-2026 Certifications
• 07/2026: Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer, PCEP (ID: 6f62916b-ed3c-49d5-862f-86d664488d5f)
• 06/2026: AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, CLF-C02 (Validation: 071ced4ec29c4624b0e3e4a30596f52f)
• 03/2025: Practical Application of Gen AI for Project Managers (PMI)

NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS & PROJECTS

from

2025

TO

Present

(1+ Year)

Critical Infrastructure

eID AI Security Scan: Agentic AI for the EUDI Wallet

Bridging Offensive AI and Government-Grade Secrecy: To secure Android-based eID implementations and the European EUDI Wallet reference architecture, I engineered a fully automated, agentic AI pentesting scanner from scratch. This system eliminates the friction between rigid public sector compliance and cutting-edge offensive AI capabilities.

Hybrid Methodology & Technical Execution: The system merges deep Static Application Security Testing (SAST) with dynamic runtime analysis (DAST) via Frida. It autonomously performs AI threat modeling (TARA-AI aligned), evaluates hardware-backed cryptographic operations (Secure Enclave, Keystore), complex authentication flows (OIDC4VP, SIOPv2), and certificate pinning bypasses, concluding with fully actionable Proof of Concept (PoC) validation.

NDA Compliance & Privacy-by-Design (Public Sector Foundation): Cloud-based AI traditionally hits a hard wall in government environments due to data privacy concerns. My architecture solves this at its core: Operating as a strict Data Sovereignty Engine, all sensitive eID infrastructure data and backend communications remain entirely local. External LLM APIs are strictly flag-gated, subjected to automated secret redaction, and utilized exclusively for sanitized, atomic decision trees. Architectural data leakage is impossible.

Government-Compliant Audit Mapping: Every identified attack vector is deterministically mapped against the eIDAS 2.0 Architecture and Reference Framework (ARF), BSI TR-03124 (eID-Client), BSI TR-03110, and ISO/IEC 18013-5 (Proximity/mDL). The output provides tangible, immediately auditable reports tailored for both technical decision-makers and project managers.

from

2023

TO

Present

(3+ Years)

Agentic AI Development

GoingLLM: The Autonomous Intelligence Backbone

Visionary Timing: I architected in Python and deployed GoingLLM in early 2023, ahead of mainstream agentic AI. Recognizing the limitations of static models early on, I built an autonomous agent capable of intelligent live reconnaissance, OSINT, and complex vulnerability correlation.

100% Autonomous Dark Web & OpSec Architecture: While basic web search is now a commodity, GoingLLM remains my proprietary engine for deep-dive threat intelligence. Since 2024, a specialized Dark Web analysis variant built for a major global film and entertainment studio has operated 100% autonomously via AI for operational security (eliminating manual Dark Web browsing altogether).

Enterprise Impact: This autonomous pipeline delivers critical intelligence reports on piracy and DRM circumvention trends directly for enterprise security stakeholders, answering investigative questions that commercial AI tools cannot handle and serving as the blueprint for subsequent autonomous DRM-security and AI Red-Teaming engagements.

Today, GoingLLM acts as the neural backbone for my suite of custom agentic testing tools, continuously updated to leverage GPT-6, custom Search APIs, and advanced crawling logic.

Visit Project Website: goingllm.com

GoingLLM Architecture

from

2016

TO

05/2026

(10 Years)

Security SME & TTL

Global Security Operations, Triage & AI Red-Teaming

Exclusive Test Team Lead & Security SME (11/2018-05/2026; Security Practice since 03/2016): Across roughly five penetration tests per week at the world's largest crowdtesting provider, I served as the technical lead, gatekeeper, and escalation specialist for teams of up to 30 pentesters across hundreds of products, ranging from small online shops to global tech leaders, financial institutions, major film studios, telecommunications providers, and international publishers. I designed the practice's smoke-testing, bug triage, and fix-verification workflows, advised leadership on project effort scoping, and personally reproduced, triaged, and manually fix-verified roughly 10,000 vulnerability reports (every report passing through my hands twice, including direct developer ticket and technical escalation communications).

Hands-On Escalation Specialist, Full-Spectrum Pentesting & DRM Forensics: Alongside leading triage, I remained one of the practice's most active hands-on pentesters across Web and REST/SOAP APIs (OWASP Top 10, OAuth 2.0/OIDC, SAML, JWT) as well as Mobile (Android/iOS via Frida and MobSF), and served as the go-to specialist for single-VPN and high-complexity scopes. Key assignments included multi-week manual white-box security code reviews and accompanying internal/AWS subnet pentests for a financial-sector client (identifying 28 vulnerabilities in a single subnet in December 2025), OSCP-scope host and Active Directory assessments, IoT hardware, Windows/macOS/UWP desktop suites and browser extensions, Web/Mobile/Desktop DRM circumvention testing, custom-automated Fiddler-log DRM compliance forensics for streaming providers, and security audits of LLM-integrated MCP tools.

Core Tooling & Engineering Stack: Daily mastery of Burp Suite, Frida, MobSF, Nmap, Wireshark, sqlmap, ffuf, and Postman, backed by custom exploit, triage, and autonomous AI tool development in Python, C#, C++, Java, SQL, Bash, PowerShell, and Docker.

AI Red-Teaming Foundation & Academy Curricula (2021-2026): Starting in 2024, I co-planned AI security engagements with project management and developed the initial end-to-end LLM testing blueprints, effort estimates, client pitch decks, and test suites (from an enterprise HR AI chatbot to unreleased frontier models from leading AI labs). I hand-wrote a comprehensive 60+ page internal "AI Red-Teaming Field Guide" aligned with MITRE ATLAS, NIST AI RMF, and OWASP LLM Top 10, trained both management and testers on how to execute AI Red-Teaming, and built custom agentic automation for complex engagements. Earlier, I authored the official Academy courses for API Testing and Security Testing (backed by a custom REST/Postman API sandbox) and delivered three two-day Web Application Security Training sessions in Manhattan/NYC (10/2018) for 70 IT and development staff of a major international publisher.

Verified Track Record (1,544 Approved Security Vulnerabilities & Sole 4x Gold-Tier Record): In 2017-2018, I became the sole tester platform-wide to simultaneously hold Gold-Tier ratings across all four active testing practices (Security, Functional, Usability, and Localization) for over a year.

General Testing Statistics Security Testing Rating

(Click images to verify: Official platform metrics [2026] showing Gold-Tier Security Rating, 4,050 total test cycles & 1,544 approved security issues at a 99.7% approval rate)

from

2025

TO

Present

(1+ Year)

On-Device AI R&D

IMMER & IMMER Mobile: Offline Neural Memory & Agentic Engineering

The Project (Evolving into IMMER Mobile): I am expanding "IMMER" (Intelligent Multi-scale Memory via Emergent Resonance) into IMMER Mobile, an ultra-efficient, 100% offline mobile architecture designed to solve the static nature of LLMs. Unlike conventional RAG, IMMER implements Hebbian learning, Test-Time Neurogenesis, and Metabolic Aging/Crystallization so memory structures dynamically adapt and consolidate knowledge during interaction without catastrophic forgetting.

The Innovation: Efficient On-Device Plasticity: Inspired by Google's Titans/MIRAS concepts and originally prototyped on desktop consumer GPUs (RTX 4080), IMMER Mobile brings dynamic memory states to local mobile and edge hardware by feeding lightweight "Soft Tokens" into a frozen core model rather than retraining heavy attention layers.
(Expanded research scope; paper scheduled for 2027)

The Engine: Agentic Training (MAKER): To train and validate this system reliably, I leverage the Cognizant Labs/UT Austin MAKER framework, decomposing workflows into micro-tasks with multi-agent voting and strict JSON schema validation to achieve near-zero error rates even on compact local models.

from

2018

TO

Present

(8+ Years)

Education & Execution

Mastery Through Teaching, Certifications & Academic Studies

Full-Time IT & Security Lecturer (alfatraining GmbH, 06/2021-07/2022 & since 07/2026): True mastery is proven when you can teach it. Since July 2026, I lead full-time, four-week intensive courses (160+ instruction hours per cohort) in Python Essentials (PCEP preparation), SQL Relational Databases, and AWS Cloud Administration & Management (CLF-C02 preparation).
Previously at alfatraining (06/2021-07/2022), I taught full-time, four-week CompTIA PenTest+ and ISTQB CTFL certification courses for IT administrators, managers, forensics specialists, and researchers (5-18 participants per cohort), covering Active Directory attacks, privilege escalation, DLL hijacking, pivoting, Nmap strategies, web/API exploitation, threat modeling, and compliance (BSI, NIST), building on intensive corporate Web Application Security bootcamps delivered in Manhattan/NYC (2018).

Verified Certifications & Academic Studies: Active credentials include Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer (PCEP, 07/2026), AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02, 06/2026), PMI GenAI for Project Managers (03/2025), ISTQB CTFL (09/2021), CompTIA PenTest+ ce (07/2021), and ECDL Advanced Expert (2007), with CompTIA SecurityX and OffSec OSWE (WEB-200) currently in preparation. Alongside teaching, I am pursuing an English-language B.A. in Digital Business (AI Economics focus) at IU International University of Applied Sciences (since 08/2024, expected 2027), following my Abitur with a specialization in Physics and Mathematics (2021-2024).

Field-Grounded Pedagogy: Every module I teach is anchored in active offensive security and engineering practice, from securing banking cloud infrastructures and auditing enterprise APIs to reversing IoT protocols and dissecting DRM systems.

from

2008

TO

Present

(18 Years)

Community Impact

Open Source & Community Leadership

Guest Mentor at University of Rostock (2021-2024): Invited by the Rostocker Hackspace, I regularly conducted voluntary workshops during the "Fachschaftswoche" for computer science students. Topics ranged from practical IT security to hands-on ethical hacking, bridging the gap between academic theory and industry reality.

Open Source Contributions (since 2008):
• Security Tooling: Active contributor to MobSF and ongoing collaboration with PortSwigger (Burp Suite bug reports and feature requests via their third-level support).
• Desktop & Browser Engineering: Created widely used Firefox extensions and contributed C++ code to Second Life Viewers (desktop client development and official JIRA bug triage from 2009-2013, with active C++ viewer development resumed in 2026).

Whether mentoring students or contributing code upstream, my goal remains the same: sharing practical engineering knowledge to build a more secure and open digital ecosystem.