About
About Cognisn
Cognisn is my side project — born from a genuine passion for building software that solves real problems. The name draws from cognition, the process of understanding through thought and experience, and reflects how I approach every project: think deeply, build practically, share openly.
I focus on creating open-source tools and libraries that developers can rely on — from application configuration and secrets management to AI-powered research platforms. If something is worth building, it's worth building well and making available to the community.
The Developer
Matthew Westwood-Hill
By day, I'm a cybersecurity executive based in Sydney, Australia. My career spans digital forensics, incident response, risk management, and information security leadership. I'm a GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst with deep expertise in DFIR and digital investigations.
By night (and weekend), I channel that same rigour into Cognisn — building open-source Python tools and experimenting with AI, application frameworks, and developer tooling. It's the creative counterpart to the structured world of cybersecurity: a space to explore ideas, ship useful code, and write about what I learn along the way.
I've presented on computer forensics to legal and judicial audiences and regularly share technical insights on LinkedIn.