ABOUT KENNETH GILLIAM

Self-Taught Since 2004

Kenneth Gilliam is a 40-year-old self-taught cybersecurity specialist and hardware maker from New York, now based in Aurora, Colorado. He's been working with networks and systems since 2004 — back when he didn't even know the proper terms for what he was doing. He learned TCP/IP 20+ years ago by clicking around, breaking things, fixing them, and figuring it out.

Kenneth founded Gilliam Trades Enterprises LLC in 2004 as a one-man operation focused on IT services, graphic design, and commercial photography. Over the years, he's worked as a PC Tech at Insight Global/Deutsche Bank, done stints at Home Depot and Top Shelf Electric, and worked in investor relations at DF King/Fidelity. He attended City Tech CUNY studying architecture and graduated from High School of Art & Design in New York.

Life Has Been a Roller Coaster

Kenneth's life hasn't been easy. The last 34 years have been rough. He's faced homelessness, financial struggles, anger, and gaps in life that most people can't imagine. He's been broke, frustrated, and at times, completely defeated.

In 2022, Kenneth was in a car accident that caused a severe back injury. In 2023, he re-aggravated the injury in Oklahoma. Then, while working at King Soopers in Colorado, he suffered another back injury that left him temporarily paralyzed. He was never compensated for that injury. To this day, he lives with chronic back pain.

To make income, Kenneth donates plasma — a process that takes him out physically but provides just enough to survive. He's also been part of the Amazon Vine program, which helped him get parts for his builds, though he's no longer in the program. Now, he sources parts from AliExpress and wherever he can find deals.

Building for Mental Health

Kenneth builds cybersecurity tools, ethical hacking devices, cyberdecks, antennas, and electronics projects because it keeps him going. It's not just a hobby or a side hustle — it's therapy. It's proof that even when the world is crashing down, he can create something functional, something valuable, something real.

He's built cantennas (Wi-Fi antennas made from soup cans and car exhaust pipes), ESP32 signal survey kits, cyberdecks (portable hacking stations with Raspberry Pi, Kali Linux, SDR-RTL, and wireless adapters), and even a complete FPV drone (though he can't afford the goggles to fly it yet).

Kenneth documents his builds on TikTok at @KGTheTech, where he shares the raw process — no hand-holding, no fancy editing, just the journey.

From New York, Grew Up in Poverty

Kenneth is from New York. He grew up in poverty. He's Black. He represents hip-hop culture and the streets. This isn't a curated brand identity — this is who he is. His entire brand, "Hacking on a Budget," is real. He can't afford a 3D printer, so he makes materials himself from ABS plastic. He can't afford professional photography equipment for every project, but he's a trained commercial photographer, so he makes it work.

This is about building from nothing, creating something, and making it work — no matter what.

The Goal: Professional Cybersecurity

Kenneth wants to break into professional cybersecurity. He's working toward CompTIA Network+, Security+, and CySA+ certifications. He's active on TryHackMe, constantly learning and practicing ethical hacking techniques. He's built a portfolio of projects that demonstrate real-world skills — signal analysis, RF development, network security, and hardware hacking.

Every dollar from product sales, subscriptions, and donations goes directly toward this goal: parts, certifications, equipment, and survival.

The Message

Kenneth's message is simple: You don't need money to be great. You don't need perfect circumstances. You don't need to come from privilege. You need hustle, skill, and the refusal to quit. That's hacking on a budget. That's the culture. That's Kenneth Gilliam.

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