About

Hey, I’m Michael — known online as Mickhat.

I’m a Senior Training Associate at Hack The Box, part of the Academy team since July 2020.

Outside of work, I run a homelab and tinker with whatever catches my attention. This blog is part of that.

What I write about

  • Selfhosting — homelab setups, self-hosted alternatives to cloud services
  • Local AI — running models on consumer hardware, privacy-first AI tooling
  • Gear reviews — 3D printers, tools, gadgets that actually earn their place on my desk

Certifications

CRTO badgeCRTO BTL1 badgeBTL1
  • eJPT — eLearnSecurity Junior Penetration Tester

Current focus

Building and reviewing the Olares One ecosystem — local AI, self-hosting, and what a genuinely private personal cloud looks like in practice. Outside of that: running local LLMs, getting stomped in Hunt: Showdown, and the usual Academy work at HTB.

Find me