EN.MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, YOGYAKARTA – Technological advancement requires more than digital infrastructure. It also depends on young talent capable of recognizing opportunities and tackling emerging challenges. Muhammad Nur Ibnu Hubab, a new student at Muhammadiyah Cyber University (SIBERMU), exemplifies this potential through an achievement on the international stage.
Ibnu has earned a place in NASA’s (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Hall of Fame after the agency validated his report of a security vulnerability through its Vulnerability Disclosure Program (VDP).
He achieved this milestone shortly before beginning his first semester in SIBERMU’s Information Systems Study Program in Late September 2026.
From Automotive Studies to Web Development and Cybersecurity
In an interview with the editorial team on Wednesday afternoon (7/10), Ibnu recounted the long journey that led him to cybersecurity. He explained that his educational background at State Vocational Highschool of Pengasih 2, a high school in Kulon Progo, was actually in automotive engineering.
However, after graduating, he realized that the automotive field was not where he wanted to build his career. He decided to take a different path by studying information technology at Pondok Teknologi in Yogyakarta.
For about a year, he focused on web development. In his second year, however, he began to feel restless and sought a new field that would offer greater challenges.
“In my second year, I started getting bored with web development. That was when I began exploring cybersecurity,” Ibnu said.
The decision became a turning point in his learning journey. He began deepening his cybersecurity knowledge through bootcamps, articles, and active participation in online communities. Rather than stopping at theory, he put what he learned into practice through bug bounty programs as an ethical hacker.
Through these programs, Ibnu sought to identify and responsibly report security vulnerabilities in various systems. Before discovering the vulnerability in NASA’s systems, he had already identified weaknesses across several global platforms, including Perplexity and the WordPress ecosystem, as well as websites belonging to government agencies, universities, and small and medium-sized enterprises.
“That was when I decided to start hunting for vulnerabilities at NASA, but the process took quite a long time. I was rejected about four times because my findings were considered to have insufficient impact,” Ibnu said.
The four rejections did not deter him. Instead of giving up, he continued exploring NASA’s systems and searching for vulnerabilities with more significant potential impact.
On his fifth attempt, his efforts finally paid off. NASA validated his report, and his name was subsequently added to its Hall of Fame in recognition of his contribution to identifying a security vulnerability.
A New Chapter at SIBERMU
Not long after this achievement, Ibnu began a new chapter in his educational journey. He officially joined the 11th cohort of SIBERMU’s Information Systems Study Program. For him, pursuing higher education at SIBERMU is part of his ongoing effort to develop skills he has largely acquired through independent learning.
Ibnu’s arrival also illustrates how technology-focused education can bring together people with diverse backgrounds and experiences. His journey from a vocational student specializing in automotive engineering to a web developer and, eventually, a cybersecurity enthusiast shows that an educational background need not limit someone’s pursuit of a new field.
As a Muhammadiyah-affiliated university focused on information technology, SIBERMU offers opportunities to connect formal education with the rapidly evolving technology landscape.
“What matters is having the willingness to learn and explore. God willing, those efforts will eventually bear fruit. The key is to stay consistent and patient throughout the process,” Ibnu concluded. (Bhisma)
