About
Launched in April 2020, Hier Thinking follows the journey of programmer Matthew Hier (pronounced as Higher) as he learns new skills. From programming to penetration testing to reverse engineering, Matthew seeks to tackle a broad range of new material and share his learning and experience with like-minded individuals.
Matthew Hier
Matthew Hier joined the US Navy in 2005 and spent the next 8 years serving as an Electronics Technician working on Radar and Radio Systems. As part of his training, he was able to attend the Electronic Test Equipment Calibration school and serve as a Calibration Technician.
After getting out of the military, Matthew took a job with a CNC manufacturer as a Service Technician, traveling around the US every week, fixing CNC machines. He took it upon himself to learn how to program and began automating parts of his job. After a couple of years, a position was created for him as a Software Developer within the company.
Matthew worked on many projects and learned Fanuc Focas API and the Osai CNDEX API. Using these APIs to communicate with the machines, Matthew created applications that monitored and controlled various machine functions.
Matthew attended college in the spring of 2018 and graduated with a B.S. in Cybersecurity in the summer of 2020. It was at this point that he started working towards a career change and began working on getting Cybersecurity industry certifications. He was successful in moving to a cyber role in late 2021 and is still pursuing certifications.
Education:
- Graduate Certificate – SANS Technology Institute 2020 – Present
- Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking
- B.S. Cybersecurity – Bellevue University 2018 – 2020
- Fall 2019 National Cyber League Individual Game
- Fall 2019 National Cyber League Team Game
Certifications:
- SANS GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)
- SANS GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN)
- SANS GIAC Web Application Penetration Tester (GWAPT)
- SANS GIAC Mobile Device Security (GMOB)
Experience:
- Hier Thinking, LLC – July 2022 – Present
- Software Developer – April 2016 to October 2021
- Software development – C# .Net, C++, Javascript, Java
- Computer hardware troubleshooting
- Network troubleshooting
- Training on basic networking
- Network design – Small networks
- CNC Router Service Technician – January 2013 to April 2016
- CNC Electrical / Mechanical troubleshooting
- Network troubleshooting
- CNC Operator training
- Electronic Technician – July 2005 to January 2013
- Test Equipment Calibration
- AIMS MK XII Identification Friend or Foe
- AN/UPX-29 Identification Friend Or Foe
- AN/SPS-55 Surface Search Radar
- AN/SRC-55 Hydra Portable Radio
Alex Free
Alex has worked in the CNC and automation industry for over ten years as an engineer. Starting in service and applications, and later transitioning into software and controls, Alex has a wide range of experience in the industry. He has a degree in Electrical Engineering, which aids in providing a practical view of writing software that is directly correlated with machinery and automation. His mathematics background adds to his skills and capabilities with big data acquisition and processing.
Spending most of his career with a CNC machine tool builder, Alex helped with the initial integration of FANUC CNC controllers and has worked on a variety of FANUC FOCAS projects. These include entire HMI solutions, data collection and analytics, cloud integrations, and software to interface to third-party automation equipment and robots.
Alex now works as an independent automation and CNC software developer and consultant. He uses his unique skill set to provide services ranging from training to consulting, to full software development. Contact him via email or phone to discuss your project today and see how he can help your company achieve its goals.
Email: afree.cnc@gmail.com
Phone: +1 704-787-1715
Education:
- B.S. Electrical Engineering – University of North Carolina at Charlotte 2007 – 2011
- Minor in Mathematics
Experience:
- Consultant/Contractor – November 2021 to Present
- Controls/Software Engineerr – July 2011 to November 2021
- Developed and implemented new components into machinery to meet customer needs. Created and maintained all HMI and process monitoring systems for full range of machinery. Researched and developed AI driven systems to pro-actively determine system failures and recommend improvements. Direct supervisor and technical lead over the software department, overseeing multiple concurrent projects with lengths ranging from days to years
- Lead PCS Technical Assistant – August 2010 to July 2011
- Managed computer support technicians and provided direct technology support to the students and staff of the College of Engineering
- Mosaic Technical Assistant – August 2008 to July 2011
- Provided support and maintenance to the College of Engineering computer network and its’ supporting applications.