about

I like finding the part of a system nobody has explained yet.

I’m Sean McQuilling. I work on cybersecurity and AI tools, especially agents that run on your own computer.

This site is where I keep useful notes from that work. I write down the patterns I reuse, the security problems I run into, and the lessons that are easy to miss in a polished demo.

I keep coming back to practical questions. What can the agent read? What can it change? When should it stop and ask? What record does it leave behind? How do we know the job was done correctly?

Local agents are interesting because they can use the same files and tools you do. That makes them useful, but it also means they can get access to things they do not need. I want that access to be clear and limited.

computing history / sean.exe

The tools that got me here.

I grew up in the DOS era. Computers made sense to me because you could see the files, type a command, and watch the machine respond. That directness still shapes how I think about security and agents.

early days
C:\> DOS
Commands, directories, configuration files, and the useful habit of knowing where things live.
command line
finding files
XTree Gold
A better view of the machine. The directory tree made a complicated filesystem feel understandable.
local tools
getting online
CompuServe + Prodigy
News, messages, services, and people arriving through a modem. The computer stopped being an island.
connected
the web
Open internet
Publishing became something anyone could do. Finding good information became as important as getting online.
view source
security work
Trust and access
Every useful system has a boundary. I became interested in who can cross it, what they can do, and what record they leave.
verify
now
Local AI agents
Agents bring the command line, local files, outside services, and security questions together in one place.
trace lab

a useful test

“Can someone tell what this agent was allowed to do, what it actually did, and how we checked the result?”

transparency note

AI helped me build this site.

I used AI tools to help design and build this site, including work on the code, interface, and wording. I made the calls about what belongs here, reviewed the result, and remain responsible for everything I publish.