A 17-year-old from a remote village in Bihar has taken the global tech community by surprise with an extraordinary cybersecurity achievement. Ram Jee Raj, a self-taught ethical hacker from Pahepur, near Samastipur, has been inducted into NASA’s Cyber Security Hall of Fame after identifying a critical vulnerability on NASA’s official website.
Without any formal training in technology, Raj taught himself coding, ethical hacking, and game development through online resources. What started as a childhood fascination with video games soon grew into a deep interest in systems, security, and software. His determination and curiosity led him to independently explore the complex world of ethical hacking.
Raj recently discovered a significant flaw in NASA’s website architecture and reported it directly to the agency, providing detailed technical documentation and a proposed solution. Just five days later, NASA responded, confirming the vulnerability and thanking him for his responsible disclosure. The agency not only fixed the issue but also honored Raj by adding his name to its Cyber Security Hall of Fame.
What makes Raj’s achievement even more remarkable is his humble background. He is the son of Rinkesh Kumar, a resident of Pahepur, and has had limited access to advanced educational infrastructure. Despite these limitations, his self-motivated learning and perseverance have helped him gain international recognition.
Beyond cybersecurity, Raj is also working on a tech startup aimed at improving Indian agriculture using artificial intelligence. His goal is to create innovative solutions for farmers and help uplift rural communities across the country.
“I consider myself a white-hat hacker,” Raj said in a recent interview, using the term that describes ethical hackers who help organizations secure their systems. His success story is resonating widely, especially with young people in rural India, proving that talent and innovation know no boundaries.
Ram Jee Raj’s journey from a village in Bihar to NASA’s Hall of Fame is more than just a personal triumph—it’s a powerful testament to what can be achieved with passion, purpose, and access to digital learning tools.
