The story of Liviu Arsene
Learning language and technology by taking them apart
Liviu grew up in northern Romania near the Ukrainian border with parents who did not speak English. He learned spoken English from subtitled films, cartoons, music, and games, focusing on sound, rhythm, visual cues, and repeated context before he could read the language. Curiosity also shaped his approach to machines.
After receiving his first computer, he disassembled it across the living room, damaged a processor, worked to replace the part, and eventually rebuilt the system. He connects that impulse to his grandfather, who pursued each new generation of consumer technology, and to parents who kept books throughout the house. Before university, Liviu's world was geographically narrow, but the habits of observation, imitation, reading, and mechanical experimentation gave him a foundation for later technical work.
A practical job choice and a startup that could not sell
Liviu discovered a computer science university only shortly before applications closed and submitted his original documents to that one school. He was accepted, moved to a different city, and formed relationships that continued into his professional life. His first job choice came down to two offers, and he selected Windows application testing because the compensation and meal vouchers were better. That practical decision opened his route into cybersecurity.
At 21, he and friends tried to build a testing service around Microsoft's mobile platform. They worked 16 to 18 hour days and produced quality work but did not validate demand, learn sales, or build a viable business model. The attempt ended after about a year and taught him to start with the problem, build a small demonstration, speak with intended users, and stop quickly when evidence does not support the idea.
Cybersecurity at machine speed
After roughly two decades in cybersecurity, Liviu sees a field that has moved from isolated viruses toward organized criminal groups, nation state operations, and rapidly changing AI capabilities. He argues that critical thinking is the central skill for both individuals and security teams because polished phishing, synthetic media, and automated exploits can look legitimate. For organizations, he recommends using AI to augment defenders rather than simply remove headcount.
Faster vulnerability discovery can create more remediation work, not less, especially when patching systems and approval processes still move at human speed. During a career pause, Liviu is exploring what comes next, including the personal goal of earning a pilot's license. He remains cautiously optimistic about AI while emphasizing evidence, multiple points of view, and practical safety systems.