Alex Larsen
About Alex Larsen
Alex Larsen is an Application Security Engineer at Podium, where he develops custom security tools and secures GraphQL APIs. He has a background in computer engineering and has held various internships and engineering roles in the software industry.
Work at Podium
Alex Larsen currently serves as an Application Security Engineer at Podium, a position he has held since 2021. In this role, he focuses on securing GraphQL APIs and the interactions between microservices. He plays a key role in triaging and reproducing security reports from Podium's Bug Bounty program. Additionally, he has designed and implemented Continuous Integration pipelines with a focus on security. Alex has developed custom security tools using Elixir, Python, and Ruby that are currently in production at Podium. His contributions enhance the overall security posture of the organization.
Education and Expertise
Alex Larsen studied Computer Engineering at Utah Valley University, where he is expected to achieve his Bachelor's degree in 2024. His academic background provides a solid foundation in software development and security practices. He has a strong interest in optimization problems, category theory, and logic-oriented programming paradigms, which informs his approach to application security. His expertise is further demonstrated through his development of custom security tools and modifications to open source Static Application Security Testing (SAST) tools to meet specific platform needs.
Background
Before his current role at Podium, Alex Larsen gained diverse experience through various internships and positions. He worked as a Security Engineering Intern at Podium for two months in 2020. He also held web development internships at BetterLinux in 2012 and Morinda in 2013. His experience includes a position as a Quality Engineer at Bluehost from 2017 to 2018 and a Software Engineering Intern role at Legrand, North America from 2019 to 2020. Additionally, he volunteered full-time with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2014 to 2016.
Achievements
Throughout his career, Alex Larsen has made significant contributions to application security. At Podium, he has developed custom security tools that are actively used in production environments. His work in modifying open source SAST tools demonstrates his commitment to enhancing security practices. Alex's focus on securing GraphQL APIs and his involvement in the Bug Bounty program highlight his proactive approach to identifying and addressing security vulnerabilities. His experience across multiple organizations showcases his dedication to the field of application security.