Juraj Bednar 
partner, strategy | DIGMIA s.r.o.
Bratislava, SLOVAKIA
mapping unconventional corners of real and imaginary worlds
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Biography
My name is Juraj Bednár. I am an entrepreneur, hacker and explorer. It is difficult to write something “about me”, because life is so complex and I try to do as many interesting things as possible.
I wrote my first program when I was 6 years old. Later I have become involved with open-source, Linux (as a user, then administrator and system architect) and redundant server solutions. It all goes hand in hand with security and cryptography. I am very interested in wider implication of technologies. I studied artificial intelligence and try to figure out what’s the real difference between computer programs and people :).
I am currently mainly responsible for strategy at DIGMIA, which I started with Vladislav Konečný in 2006 to deliver our vision in server computing. We are responsible for server farms at some of the largest web sites in Slovakia and several interesting server farms around Europe.
We also have a team of hackers (called penetration testers) under a brand Citadelo, which we started with Vladislav and Tomáš Zaťko. Our main security service is web application penetration testing using OWASP Testing Guide. We have tested several financial applications for insurance companies and banks and e-commerce solutions (credit card processor, e-shops, …).
I am always looking for new opportunities, friendships and ventures. I wanted to work in a company where a majority of people are technical, not managers … so I started it.
Entrepreneurship is key to creating abundance in this world. Creativity and productivity solve poverty and improve people’s lives in a way that no state agency can. I am involved with Bitcoin - an alternative currency that will probably make sending and receiving money easier for entrepreneurs and people around the world, not only in the “western countries”. This brought me to Austrian school of economics, which I study.
Travel; that’s how I learn about the world. I like hacking travel too.
I am a co-founder and active member of Bratislava’s hackerspace Progressbar.
Industry Expertise (3)
Computer Networking
Computer Software
Computer/Network Security
Areas of Expertise (3)
Bitcoin
It Security
Server Architecture
Accomplishments (2)
Founded a well-functioning company (professional)
2012-07-31
This may sound trivial, but as you may know, almost all startups fail. DIGMIA just had 6th "birthday" and is profitable and relevant in the market. When I walk around the office and our datacenters, I proudly look around and see problems being fixed, new projects getting launched, people having an interesting work and pay, servers blinking and our entrance monitor showing actual real users using our services.
Co-founded first hackerspace in Bratislava (professional)
2009-12-31
Progressbar is a place for hackers, for curious people, for artists and for makers. We thought this would be impossible in Bratislava, but after a while, we grew from few friends to a group of more than 20 interested people who became founders. Since then, Progressbar blooms and has a lot of activity each day. People either stop for club mate and geek talk, or actually build projects or do workshops.
Education (1)
Fakulta Matematiky, Fyziky a Informatiky Univerzity Komenského: master, informatics (artificial intelligence) 2009
Affiliations (2)
- Society of Open Information Technologies (soit.sk)
- Progressbar Hackerspace (progressbar.sk)
Links (4)
Event Appearances (10)
About Hacktivism
TEDx Bratislava Bratislava, Slovakia
2013-07-04
Bitcoin: alternative cryptocurrency of the future(?)
Progressbar Birthday conference Progressbar Hackerspace, Bratislava, Slovakia
2011-02-17
Practical security around us
Bezadis Košice, Slovakia
2010-10-19
Bitcoin vs. Slovakia
Bitcoin conference Progressbar Hackerspace, Bratislava, Slovakia
2012-05-08
Bitcoin vs. fiat money
How-Know UPeCe, Bratislava, Slovakia
2012-01-17
Travel Hacking
Travel Hacking Progressbar Hackerspace, Bratislava, Slovakia
2011-09-26
Processing.org workshop
Processing: Programming for artists Progressbar Hackerspace, Bratislava, Slovakia
2011-04-08
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
AI series Progressbar Hackerspace, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
2010-09-05
Freedom and cryptocurrency
Bitcoin Conference 2012 London, UK
2012-09-15
Zimbra: technical background
Asbis Academy Bratislava, Slovakia
2012-09-05
Sample Talks (1)
Bitcoin: Revolution in payment technology?
In this talk, I show Bitcoin from technological and economical perspective and show you how capitalism is being born on the Internet -- without involvement of government or regulatory bodies, on purely voluntarist basis, exchanges and markets bloom and stock markets are being born. Is this the revolution and conclusion of development of peer to peer networks? How can something so sensitive as money be decentralized and still safe?
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