Joas Antonio Santos

About

I am the Founder and CEO of Red Team Leaders and a Principal AI Researcher focused on building autonomous AI agents for penetration testing and Red Team operations. My work is centered on researching and developing solutions that turn AI models into practical offensive security capabilities. This has contributed to the creation of products and projects such as NeuroSploit, Yaga, and other autonomous AI agents designed for penetration testing. I began studying cybersecurity between the ages of 9 and 10, initially focusing on cheat development, reverse engineering, low-level programming, and the internal workings of systems. I started my professional career between the ages of 15 and 16, which allowed me to build a strong technical foundation from an early age. Throughout my career, I have worked across several areas of information security, including: • Red Team Operations • Application Security • DevSecOps • Cloud Security • AI Security • Cyber Threat Intelligence • Incident Response • Governance, Risk, and Compliance • Security Consulting and vCISO projects I have held roles such as Red Team Lead, Software Security Engineer, DevSecOps Engineer, Blue Team Leader, Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst, GRC Analyst, and Security Consultant. I also contribute to the MITRE ATT&CK knowledge base by researching the tactics, techniques, and procedures used by modern threat groups. My technical work includes the development of security tools, automation frameworks, AI agents, and research prototypes using Python, C, C++, Golang, Rust, and x86/x64 Assembly. In addition to my work in the industry, I am actively involved in academic research and technology education. I am the author of: • More than 20 publications with DOI • More than 300 technical articles • More than 300 educational materials on cybersecurity I also work as a University Professor of Programming and Cybersecurity, as well as a mentor, researcher, and instructor in technology education programs. I was previously recognized as a Microsoft Educator and Innovator and have contributed to initiatives focused on training the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. 🏆 Nominated for the iBest Award in 2025 and 2026 in the Technology and Innovation Influencers category 🏆 LinkedIn Top Voice from 2024 to 2026 My goal is to help advance offensive security by making AI agents more effective, reliable, and applicable to real-world penetration testing and Red Team operations. YouTube: https://youtube.com/@JoasAntonioSecurity Website: https://joasantonio.com/