Zac, AKA Zachary Cannan, is the author of our infamous CS420 game hacking course. He is also the creator of the game Squally, which helps you learn game hacking, including assembly. Another significant contribution of his is Squalr, a memory scanner similar to Cheat Engine. Zac has earned a degree in Computer Science and Engineering and has alot of experience in software engineering, given he worked in top firms. During our first episode of the GuidedHacking Show, we learn about Zach's life, exploring the experiences that shaped his journey and what the future has in store.

What is the GuidedHacking Podcast?​
The Guided Hacking Show is a podcast mainly focused on reverse engineering and game hacking, we will be interviewing prominent reverse engineers and game hackers and finding out what makes them tick. Passionate reverse engineers are an interesting group of people and it's always fun to learn their story. You'll hear about how they got into reverse engineering, how it affected their lives, what kind of cool projects they've done & where the future will take them.

We'll start by interviewing some of Guided Hacking's beloved content creators, learning how they got involved with GH and where their careers are taking them.

The GuidedHacking Show - Episode 1 - Zachary Canaan​
In the first episode of our game hacking podcast, we will interviewing the amazing Zachary Canann, who you might know simply as Zac. Zac's first big move in game hacking and software development was Squalr, a C# alternative to Cheat Engine. After Squalr, Zachary Canann started developing an educational game which teaches memory editing and game hacking, this is the game that everyone now knows as Squally. Squally is a 2D side scroller with fun assembly puzzles, which teach you the basics of assembly, binary, hexadecimal and memory editing.

As a way to promote Squally, Zac started a YouTube series called CS420 which teaches you the fundamentals of Cheat Engine, using Squally as a basis for some of the lessons. This became the foundation of our Game Hacking Bible as it's the absolute perfect introduction to the topic, focusing on foundational computer science topics.

Zachary Canann is one of Guided Hacking's most loved content creators and we're so happy to have him be a part of GH.

Early Tech Influences and Technical Background​
Zac grew up surrounded by technology. With a father who was a software engineer and a mother who pioneered early digital content for The Sims, Zac's home life was steeped in creativity & engineering. His exposure to the tech world was further enriched by his stepfathers, one of whom was involved in early social networking platforms that preceded LinkedIn. This environment not only fostered his curiosity but also positioned him uniquely at the intersection of gaming and software development.

The Creation of Squalr and Squally​
Zac's journey into game hacking began with his creation of Squalr, an open-source C# alternative to Cheat Engine. Designed to be a fast and comprehensive memory editor, Squalr addressed the needs of users who sought the functionality of Cheat Engine with enhanced speed and capabilities.

Following Squalr, Zac developed Squally, an educational game aimed at teaching the principles of game hacking through interactive gameplay. Squally, a 2D side scroller that incorporates puzzles teaching assembly language, binary, hexadecimal, and memory editing, became a popular tool for learning the fundamentals of game hacking.

Educational Content Creation​
To further the reach of Squally and educate a broader audience, Zac launched the CS420 game hacking series. This series was designed to teach the fundamentals of using Cheat Engine, leveraging Squally as a practical example. His efforts cemented his status as a beloved content creator within the Guided Hacking community, contributing significantly to what many members consider the "Game Hacking Bible."

From CS420 to Squally & Squalr: Zac’s Journey to Hacking Mastery

GuidedHacking is the best resource to learn reverse engineering, game hacking, malware analysis, exploit development and ethical hacking. We sell 11 courses, we have 440+ video tutorials, thousands of text tutorials, thousands of source codes & more.

We provide tutorials in text and video format teaching all forms of game modding including the basic programming in C++, Usage of applications such as Cheat Engine, IDA Pro, x64dbg etc..., Basic disassembly of portable executable files, General reverse engineering practices, Graphic APIs such as OpenGL and Direct3D and anything else you might need to learn.

Guided Hacking has been the #1 Source for Learning Game Hacking Since 2011, but we have recently moved into the information security space, adding malware analysis, ethical hacking, exploit development and much more to our catalog of content.

New tracks tagged #cs420