MacBook Pro
- Model year
- 2024
- Chip
- Apple M4
- Memory
- 24 GB
Apple's refurbished selection changes. Check the year, chip, and memory to match mine.
Steven Hainley.
Come look around.
I'm a cybersecurity student at WPI. This is where I keep the projects I'm working on, things I'm learning, and a few interests that have nothing to do with computers.
There's more belowThe person behind the projects
Steven Hainley.
Second-year cybersecurity student at WPI
I'm in my second year at WPI, studying cybersecurity with a minor in Law and Technology. My homelab is where I try things out; hardware projects give me another way to learn.
Looking for cybersecurity internships
Things I've worked on
Work
Things I've worked on
WorkMy BadUSB projectHardware security · October 2026 – present
Watch it run on my Mac00:32 · macOSI programmed a Raspberry Pi Pico W to act like a keyboard. When I plug it into a computer with the owner's permission, it types the commands to open my LinkedIn profile or resume.
Here it is running on my Mac: the device sends keystrokes, opens Terminal, and brings up my resume.
- Hardware
- Raspberry Pi Pico W
- Built with
- CircuitPython + Adafruit HID
- Platforms
- Windows & macOS
How it works
Windows and Mac versions
The Windows payload opens LinkedIn. On macOS, one payload opens my resume and another opens LinkedIn in the default browser.
Keeping it switched off
A file-based lock keeps the payload off until I enable it. That lets me plug the device in to edit the code without running the payload.
What a computer trusts
The computer sees a keyboard, even though it's a Pico running my code. Seeing that in practice made device trust and physical access much easier to understand.
My homelabInfrastructure · May 2026 – present
This is my place to try out Linux, networking, and self-hosting. I run services with Proxmox and Docker, set things up, and figure out what went wrong when something breaks.
Proxmox & DockerVirtualization and self-hosted services
Pi-hole & TailscaleDNS filtering and remote access
Homarr & Uptime KumaA dashboard and service monitoring
More about the lab
Keeping track of things
Homarr brings my services together in one dashboard. Uptime Kuma lets me check which ones are up.
DNS and remote access
Pi-hole handles DNS filtering, and Tailscale gives me remote access to the lab. I set them up myself as part of learning how the systems fit together.
My custom PS5 controllerController rebuild · August 2026
I took apart my PS5 controller and installed an eXtremeRate SPARK kit. It adds back paddles, an OLED display, clicky trigger stops, and ergonomic grips. I also changed the front plate and buttons to custom colors.
- Kit
- eXtremeRate SPARK · Rubberized New Hope Gray & Classic Gray
- Display & grip
- OLED display & ergonomic grips
- Controls
- Back paddles & trigger stops
- Appearance
- Custom-colored front plate & buttons
- Work I did
- Disassembly, kit installation, and reassembly
Climate Lessons: Volume 2Research & publication · August – December 2025
I helped write a book about climate change.
In WPI's Great Problems Seminar, I co-wrote three chapters for Climate Lessons: Volume 2. They cover atmospheric science, climate impacts in cities, and public perception.
I worked with three other students and led our research into how people in the U.S. see climate policy. We interviewed experts and ran a campus survey.
We also put our research into a poster presentation. The book is free to read below.
Read the bookWhat we looked at
We looked at how people's perceptions of climate conditions shape their attitudes toward climate policy.
About
A bit more about me.
I like learning by doing: setting up a service, taking hardware apart, or working through a problem until I understand it. That's a big part of why I'm studying cybersecurity.
I'm also interested in politics. My Law and Technology minor, including classes like Cyberlaw, gives me a chance to look at the legal and policy questions around security.
At WPI, I'm involved in Club Golf, Green Team, and Women in Cyber Security.
Find me on LinkedInWhat I've been using
- Programming
- C, Java, Python / CircuitPython, HTML
- Systems
- Linux CLI, Windows, macOS, Proxmox, Docker
- Security & hardware
- Raspberry Pi Pico W, Flipper Zero, HID injection, hardware teardown
- Infrastructure
- Pi-hole, Tailscale, Homarr, Uptime Kuma
Off the clock
Golf &
video games.
Golf and video games are my two main hobbies outside cybersecurity. Golf has been a part of my life since high school, and I'm involved in Club Golf at WPI.
When I'm gaming, it's usually Call of Duty or Skate. I also like hiking, basketball, cars, and Star Wars. And I'm a cat person.
My tech
What I'm using.
Computers, tools, and things I've built.
Hardware tool
Flipper Zero
My Flipper Zero has a Slim Shady IR extender attached.
- Device
- Flipper Zero
- Accessory
- Slim Shady IR extender
Something I built
My BadUSB
A Pico W programmed to act like a keyboard and open my LinkedIn profile or resume. I wrote the payloads with CircuitPython and Adafruit HID.
The link is for the board. The finished device runs my own code.
Something I rebuilt
Custom PS5 controller
I rebuilt my PS5 controller with the eXtremeRate SPARK kit, then added a custom front plate and buttons.
- Kit
- eXtremeRate SPARK · New Hope Gray & Classic Gray
- Controls
- Back paddles & clicky trigger stops
- Extras
- OLED display & ergonomic grips
- Kit fits
- PS5 controller revisions BDM-030/040/050
- Finish
- Custom front plate & buttons
The SPARK link is for the back-paddle kit. My custom front plate and buttons are separate parts.
Desktop PC
I built this PC myself in eighth grade. It's still part of my setup, but the GTX 1660 is due for an upgrade soon.
- CPU
- Intel Core i5-10400 · 2.90 GHz base
- Graphics
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 · 6 GB
- Memory
- 32 GB RAM
- Storage
- Micron 2300 NVMe SSD · 512 GB
The link shows cards with the same GPU. Board brands and configurations vary.
Education
Worcester
Polytechnic Institute
B.S. Cybersecurity
Minor in Law and Technology
- Dean's List, Fall 2025
- WPI Presidential Scholarship
HVAC Field Assistant
Hurley Mechanical
I worked alongside a senior technician on residential and commercial HVAC systems, helping with installation, maintenance, and repairs, including rooftop units and attic ductwork.
Retail Sales Associate
Plimoth Patuxet Museums
I helped visitors in the museum's retail shops and handled checkout during busy shifts.
Contact
Want to
get in touch?
I'm looking for a cybersecurity internship. If you have an opportunity, a question about a project, or just want to say hi, send me an email.