Founder of Previdian - vulnerability intelligence researcher
Creator of the Damn Vulnerable Web Application (DVWA) and founder of WPScan.
I research how attackers exploit vulnerabilities in the real world. Today that work is focused on Previdian, sensor-led early exploitation intelligence - early warning when vulnerabilities move into active exploitation so defenders can act sooner.
Selected coverage quoting my research and work.
Sensor-led early exploitation intelligence: early warning when vulnerabilities move into active exploitation. Previdian uses proprietary sensors and private honeypots to observe exploitation attempts, corroborated with vendor advisories and public evidence so teams can act with confidence.
Ryan Dewhurst is a vulnerability intelligence researcher based in Malaga, Spain. He is the founder of Previdian, the creator of the Damn Vulnerable Web Application (DVWA), and the founder of WPScan, the WordPress vulnerability scanner acquired by Automattic in 2021. His work spans offensive security, vulnerability research and threat intelligence.
Previdian (previdian.com) is a sensor-led early exploitation intelligence service founded by Ryan Dewhurst. It uses proprietary sensors and private honeypots to observe exploitation attempts, corroborates those signals with vendor advisories and relevant public evidence, and gives security teams the confidence and defensive context needed to act sooner.
WPScan is a WordPress security scanner and vulnerability database founded by Ryan Dewhurst in 2011. It catalogues tens of thousands of WordPress core, plugin and theme vulnerabilities and was acquired by Automattic in 2021, where it was integrated into Jetpack.
DVWA (Damn Vulnerable Web Application) is a deliberately insecure PHP/MySQL web application created by Ryan Dewhurst. It is one of the world's most widely used security training platforms, helping people learn and teach web application security legally and safely.
You can reach Ryan via the contact page, or connect on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and GitHub. Links are in the site footer and on the contact page.