Juan Mathews Rebello Santos
First Cybersecurity Professional with Visual Impairment in Brazil
Inclusive cybersecurity expert, ethical hacker and IT accessibility advocate. Transforming challenges into opportunities and inspiring digital inclusion in Brazil.
Lattes CV
Access my full CV on the Lattes Platform for details about my education, experience and publications.
View Lattes CVCybersecurity Inclusion Mission
My mission is to promote digital inclusion and demonstrate that people with visual impairments can be excellent professionals in the field of cybersecurity. Through education, consultancy and development of accessible solutions, I work to create a more inclusive and safe environment in the digital world.
Life Story
A journey of overcoming, determination and pioneering in the area of cybersecurity. Discover how visual impairment became a driving force to break down barriers and inspire a new generation of inclusive professionals.
The Beginning: Premature Birth
I wasn't always blind, at least not completely. I was born premature, just six months pregnant. My mother's placenta detached prematurely, and she ended up being "born" before me. My birth was considered a miracle, as I managed to survive despite so many complications.
Progressive Vision Loss
Two days after birth, I was diagnosed with a heart murmur and needed urgent surgery. I was diagnosed with blindness in my left eye - the vision tunnel between the brain and the eye was completely closed. With my right eye, I could see about 80% to 90%, but I developed cataracts and at the age of nine I lost my vision completely.
Discovering Technology
I started reading when I was three years old and little by little I was integrated into the school's resource room, where I discovered DOSVOX. Even without seeing, he played video games just for the sound and even won championships! At the age of 10 I started using a computer, creating websites and programs. At 14, I delved deeper into programming, and at 17, I fell in love with cybersecurity.
About Screen Reader
Screen reader is essential software for blind people. It turns everything we do on the computer or cell phone into audio. On Windows, we use NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access), which is free and open source. I have already contributed two add-ons to the community, improving the experience with programs such as Word, Excel and Teams.
Autonomy and Inclusion
Today, we have much more autonomy than in the past. At the company where I work, I use my screen reader normally, and the team was very receptive to my needs. I never wanted people to feel sorry for me — I want people to understand that a person with a disability can have a full life, start a family, work, achieve dreams. I'm married!
Professional History
Discover the professional trajectory that made Juan Mathews the first visually impaired cybersecurity specialist in Brazil.
National Pioneering
First visually impaired person in Brazil to graduate in Cyber Defense and Information Security. First blind person to publish a vulnerability in the NVD (National Vulnerability Database), maintained by the United States government.
Author and Educator
Author of the book \"Digital Scams: how to protect yourself in the internet era\", published in Portuguese and English. First cyber security book in Brazil written by a visually impaired person, helping thousands of people.
Technical Expertise
50+ professional certifications including Oxford diploma, Fortinet NSE, ISO 27001, LGPD and more! Specialist in various offensive and defensive security skills.
Acting in Crises
Acted directly during the CrowdStrike cyber blackout, offering technical support and mitigation strategies. Identified and reported vulnerabilities in large companies such as Nubank, Smiles, Google and Microsoft.
Assistive Technology
Masters assistive technologies such as the NVDA screen reader and develops accessible solutions for desktop, web and mobile. It created adapted tools and promotes accessibility as a central axis of digital transformation.
Technical Skills
Cyber Security
- Cyber Defense and Blue Team
- Vulnerability Analysis
- Reverse Engineering
- Malware Analysis
- SIEM, SOC, IDS/IPS
- Pentest and Threat Modeling
Networks and Infrastructure
- Windows Server, Linux, Active Directory
- IPv4/IPv6 Network Administration
- Hardening and Wireless Security
- Azure, AWS, Google Cloud
Governance and Compliance
- ISO/IEC 27001, LGPD, GDPR
- Zero Trust Architecture
- DevSecOps and Risk Management
- Business Continuity
Assistive Technology
- NVDA and Custom Add-ons
- TalkBack (Android)
- Accessible Design and Inclusive Web
- Resources for the visually impaired
Lectures
Inspirational speaker sharing his unique experience promoting inclusion, accessibility, and digital security awareness.
Inclusive Cybersecurity
How to make digital security accessible to people with disabilities, exploring assistive tools and inclusive practices.
Protection against Digital Scams
Educational lecture on how to identify and protect yourself against online fraud, based on the book "Digital Scams".
Motivation and Leadership
Motivational talk on how to transform challenges into opportunities and lead with purpose and inclusion.
Lecture: Digital Scams and How to Protect Yourself — 11/24/2025
Watch on YouTubeBooks
Book "Digital Scams
First cybersecurity book in Brazil written by a visually impaired person, published in Portuguese and English, helping thousands of people protect themselves from online fraud.
Illuminati: The New World Order the book of truth
Emphasis
He was the first visually impaired person in the country to graduate in Cyber Defense and Information Security and also the first blind person to publish a vulnerability in the NVD (National Vulnerability Database).
Interviews and Reports
Check out interviews and articles that highlight Juan Mathews' inspiring trajectory and his impact on Brazilian cybersecurity.
How Blindness Led Me to Cybersecurity and to Securing Accessibility Itself
Article on HackerNoon about how blindness led Juan Mathews to cybersecurity and protecting his own accessibility.
Read ReportAbner interviews Juan Matheus - Digital Security Specialist
Interview with Abner about Juan Matheus' career as a digital security specialist.
Watch on YouTubeInterview with the first blind hacker in Brazil! Juan Mathews Rebello Santos
Watch the interview with Juan Mathews, the first blind hacker in Brazil, where he shares his trajectory, challenges and achievements in the world of cybersecurity.
Watch on YouTubeExposing secrets in arXiv LaTeX source
Participation in a Help Net Security report on the leak of secrets in LaTeX files on arXiv, highlighting the responsibility of platforms and authors.
Read ReportCybersecurity beyond vision
A technical interview about me, the practice of someone who adapts and delivers.
Read InterviewApple's artificial intelligence could be hijacked
Article on how Apple's AI can be hijacked through prompt injection.
Read Article\"Fraud Exposed\" - UEPG
Interview about safety in public transport and protection against fraud, highlighting expertise in cybersecurity and vulnerabilities in payment systems.
Read Interview\"Inclusion: Inspiring Journey\" - Mafra Security
Article about the inspiring journey of overcoming and inclusion in the world of cybersecurity, showing how to transform challenges into opportunities.
Read ArticleBrazilian Creates National Vulnerabilities Database
Report on the creation of the National Vulnerability Bank (BNVD) by a Brazilian, facilitating the consultation of CVEs in Portuguese.
Read ReportTechnological Blind Young Man - Without Barriers
Read InterviewAnthropic Claude Mythos Raises Security Concerns
Report on Anthropic's new Claude Mythos model, capable of identifying thousands of zero-day vulnerabilities and creating exploits, which I worked on and helped directly.
Read ReportAI is Making Cybersecurity Business-Critical
Reporting on how AI is making cybersecurity critical for business and how accountants should respond.
Read ReportBrazilian creates BNVD, CVEs database in PT-BR
Report on the creation of the National Vulnerability Bank (BNVD), a database of CVEs in Portuguese.
Read ReportTribute to Juan Mathews by Alcyon Junior
An emotional tribute from Alcyon Junior, highlighting Juan Mathews' trajectory and impact on the cybersecurity and inclusion community.
View on LinkedInAcademic Articles and Research
Academic Production by Juan Mathews Rebello Santos
Explore my scientific production and articles published on various academic platforms.
View on Zenodo.orgResources and Projects
Accessible Tools
Cyber Security Tools for Visually Impaired - Cybersecurity tools adapted for people with visual impairments.
View on GitHubVulnerabilities
CVE-2025-26326 - Vulnerability discovered and officially reported, marking history in Brazilian cybersecurity.
View DetailsList of Digital Scams
Comprehensive compilation of known digital scams to help identify and prevent online fraud.
View List