DEV Community: Tahami AK SERVICES

Your AI Agent Doesn't Need the Keys: A Beginner's Guide to Least Privilege

Tahami AK SERVICES — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 17:02:41 +0000

Imagine building an AI coding assistant that can:

Read your project
Modify files
Run commands
Call APIs
Access Git
Interact with external tools

That's ...Read More

But from a security perspective, I immediately have another question:

What happens if the agent is manipulated?

This is where one of the oldest cybersecurity principles becomes extremely relevant:

Least privilege

Give a system only the permissions it ...Read More

Capability isn't authorization

An AI agent might be capable of deleting a file.

That doesn't mean it should have permission to delete every file.

It might be capable of calling an API.

That doesn't mean it needs administrator-level API access.

It might be capable of accessing a database.

That doesn't mean it ...Read More

This distinction is simple but important:

Capability ≠ authorization.

Why prompt injection makes this important

AI systems can process information from external sources.

That information might contain instructions that attempt to ...Read More

OWASP identifies prompt injection as a major AI security concern and recommends least-privilege access, human approval for high-risk operations and independent enforcement of...Read More

Consider two agents.

Agent A

Read-only access to one project.

Agent B

Read/write access to the entire machine + cloud credential ...Read More

If both encounter malicious instructions, the second architecture has a much larger potential blast radius.

That's why limiting permissions matters.

A simple security checklist

Before giving an AI agent a tool, ask:

Does it actually need this tool?

If not, don't connect it.

Does it need write access?

Maybe read-only access is enough.

Does it need access to the whole system?

Probably not.

Does the action require human approval?

If it can cause serious damage, consider ...Read More

Are the actions logged?

If something goes wrong, you need visibility.

Can the agent be isolated?

For coding agents and command execution, sandboxing can reduce the blast radius.

OWASP's current guidance for AI-agent security recommends least privilege, sandboxing/isolation where appropriate, monitoring, human oversight and ...Read More

The security mindset

When we talk about AI security, it's tempting to focus entirely on the model.

But secure AI is also about the architecture ...Read More

Model

↓

Application

↓

Authorization

↓

Tools

↓

Data

↓

External systems

Every connection creates another security boundary.

The model shouldn't be trusted with security decisions that the application can ...Read More

Final lesson

AI agents are becoming more capable.

That doesn't mean they should become more privileged.

In fact, the opposite may be true:

The more powerful the agent becomes, the more carefully we should control ...Read More

Build powerful agents.

Give them useful tools.

But don't give them every key.

What would you restrict first in an AI coding agent: file access, shell commands, API credentials, or network access?

ai #security #programming #devops #cybersecurity

Build a File Integrity Checker in Python: Detect Modified, Missing, and Unchanged Files

Tahami AK SERVICES — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 18:15:13 +0000

Introduction

Have you ever wondered how you can detect whether an important file has been changed without ...Read More

A simple and powerful answer is file hashing.

In this project, we'll build a small File Integrity Checker in Python that can:

🔐 Generate SHA-256 and MD5 hashes
💾 Save a trusted baseline
🔎 Compare files against that baseline
⚠️ Detect modified files
❌ Detect missing files
✅ Identify unchanged files
📁 Monitor multiple files
💾 Keep the baseline between program runs

This is a simple project, but it introduces an important cybersecurity concept used in real ...Read More

** First: What Is File Integrity?**

A file can look normal while its contents have been changed.

For example:

config.txt

Before modification:

username=admin

After modification:

username=attacker

The filename is still the same.

But the content is different.

This is where a hash ...Read More

** What Is a Hash?**

A hash function takes data and produces a fixed-length value.

For example:

File
↓
SHA-256
↓
e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb924...

If the file changes, its hash normally ...Read More

So we can compare:

Original Hash
↓
Current Hash
↓
Same? → Unchanged
Different? → Modified

** Step 1 Import Python Libraries**

We'll use Python's built-in libraries:

import hashlib
import json
from pathlib import Path

No external package is required.

** Step 2 Create a Hash Function**

def calculate_hash(file_path, algorithm="sha256"):
hash_function = hashlib.new(algorithm)

with open(file_path, "rb") as file:
    while chunk := file.read(4096):
        hash_function.update(chunk)

return hash_function.hexdigest()

Here we're reading the file in small chunks instead of loading the entire file ...Read More

That's useful when working with larger files.

** Step 3 Create a Baseline**

The baseline represents the files in their trusted state.

def create_baseline(files):
baseline = {}

for file_path in files:
    path = Path(file_path)

    if path.exists():
        baseline[str(path)] = {
            "sha256": calculate_hash(path, "sha256"),
            "md5": calculate_hash(path, "md5")
        }

return baseline

We can then save this information as JSON.

def save_baseline(baseline, filename="baseline.json"):
with open(filename, "w") as file:
json.dump(baseline, file, indent=4)

Now our program has a record of what the trusted files ...Read More

Step 4 Compare the Current Files

Now we need to check whether anything has changed.

def check_integrity(baseline):
for file_path, hashes in baseline.items():

    path = Path(file_path)

    if not path.exists():
        print(f"[MISSING] {file_path}")
        continue

    current_hash = calculate_hash(path, "sha256")

    if current_hash == hashes["sha256"]:
        print(f"[UNCHANGED] {file_path}")
    else:
        print(f"[MODIFIED] {file_path}")

Now we have three useful results:

[UNCHANGED]
[MODIFIED]
[MISSING]
What Happens When a File Changes?

Imagine our baseline contains:

config.txt
SHA-256:
ABC123...

Someone modifies the file.

We calculate the hash again:

config.txt
SHA-256:
XYZ789...

The values don't match.

Our program reports:

[MODIFIED] config.txt

That's the basic idea behind file ...Read More

What About Deleted Files?

Suppose the baseline contains:

config.txt
database.conf
users.csv

But someone deletes:

users.csv

The program checks whether the path exists.

It doesn't.

So we get:

[MISSING] users.csv

This makes the tool useful for detecting both ...Read More

** Complete Basic Version**

Here is a simple complete version:

import hashlib
import json
from pathlib import Path

BASELINE_FILE = "baseline.json"

def calculate_hash(file_path, algorithm="sha256"):
hash_function = hashlib.new(algorithm)

with open(file_path, "rb") as file:
    while chunk := file.read(4096):
        hash_function.update(chunk)

return hash_function.hexdigest()

def create_baseline(files):
baseline = {}

for file_path in files:
    path = Path(file_path)

    if path.exists():
        baseline[str(path)] = {
            "sha256": calculate_hash(path, "sha256"),
            "md5": calculate_hash(path, "md5")
        }

return baseline

def save_baseline(baseline):
with open(BASELINE_FILE, "w") as file:
json.dump(baseline, file, indent=4)

def load_baseline():
with open(BASELINE_FILE, "r") as file:
return json.load(file)

def check_integrity(baseline):
for file_path, hashes in baseline.items():

    path = Path(file_path)

    if not path.exists():
        print(f"[MISSING] {file_path}")
        continue

    current_sha256 = calculate_hash(path, "sha256")

    if current_sha256 == hashes["sha256"]:
        print(f"[UNCHANGED] {file_path}")
    else:
        print(f"[MODIFIED] {file_path}")

files_to_monitor = [
"example.txt",
"config.txt"
]

baseline = create_baseline(files_to_monitor)

save_baseline(baseline)

print("Baseline created.\n")

baseline = load_baseline()

print("Checking file integrity...\n")

check_integrity(baseline)

Why SHA-256?

The project uses both MD5 and SHA-256 for learning and comparison.

For actual integrity/security decisions, SHA-256 is the better choice.

MD5 is considered cryptographically broken and should not be relied upon for modern ...Read More

The important concept here isn't simply memorizing algorithms.

It's understanding:

File → Hash → Baseline → Comparison → Detection

** What I Learned From This Project**

This project helped me understand that cybersecurity doesn't always require complicated tools.

A relatively small Python program can demonstrate an important security concept:

If we can establish a trusted state, we can compare future states against it and ...Read More

It also helped me practice:

Python file handling
Hashing
JSON storage
Exception/error thinking
Security monitoring
Baseline creation
Change detection
Ideas to Improve the Project

There are many ways to make this project more advanced.

For example:

Version 2

Add:

Timestamp logging
Multiple directories
Configuration files
Better error handling
Detailed modification reports

Version 3

Add:

Real-time monitoring
Email alerts
Log files
Dashboard
Scheduled scans
Windows/Linux support

Version 4

Turn it into a proper File Integrity Monitoring (FIM) tool.

That would make it much closer to a real security ...Read More

** Final Thoughts**

This project started with a simple question:

"How can I know if a file has been changed?"

The answer led to hashing, baselines, and integrity monitoring.

That's what I enjoy about cybersecurity projects.

A simple programming concept can become a practical ...Read More

Build → Test → Break → Improve → Learn.

If you're learning Python and cybersecurity, try building your own version instead of simply ...Read More

🐍 One of my biggest Python lessons: input() gives you text, even when you type a number. Don't blame your logic immediately read the error, check the type, make one change, and try again. My experience 👇 https://dev.to/tahami_akservices_cb075e

Tahami AK SERVICES — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 11:47:47 +0000

Tahami AK SERVICES - DEV Community

dev.to

🐍 One of my biggest Python lessons: input() gives you text, even when you type a number. Don't blame your logic immediately read the error, check the type, make one change, and try again. My experience 👇 https://dev.to/tahami_akservices_cb075e

Tahami AK SERVICES — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 10:41:20 +0000

Tahami AK SERVICES - DEV Community

dev.to

Python Gave Me an Error Because I Forgot One Small Thing

Tahami AK SERVICES — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 10:28:37 +0000

A beginner Python mistake that taught me to stop blaming the code and start reading the error

When I started learning Python, I thought small programs would be easy.

I decided to make a simple program that checks a student's marks.

My first attempt...Read More

marks = input("Enter your marks: ")

if marks >= 50:
print("You passed!")
else:
print("You failed!")

It looked completely normal to me.

I entered:

Enter your marks: 70

And then Python complained. 😅

At first, I was confused.

"But 70 is greater than 50. Why isn't this working?"

Then I looked at my code again.

The problem was this:

marks = input()
The mistake

When we use input(), Python receives the...Read More

So even though I typed:

Python was treating it like:

"70"

I was trying to compare text with a number:

"70" >= 50

That's where my mistake was.

The fix

I needed to convert the input into an integer:

marks = int(input("Enter your marks: "))

if marks >= 50:
print("You passed!")
else:
print("You failed!")

Now when I enter:

Python understands it as the number:

And the program works.

What did I actually learn?

The important lesson wasn't just "use int()."

I learned something more important:

Don't immediately assume...Read More

When a program gives an error:

Read the error.
Look at the line causing the problem.
Check what type of data you're working with.
Make one change.
Run the program again.

As a beginner, I sometimes want to fix everything immediately.

But I'm learning that debugging is a process.

You don't need to understand everything at once.

Sometimes one small error can teach you more than a...Read More

My Python learning lesson

I'm still learning Python step by step.

I don't want to memorize code and simply copy someone else's solution.

I want to understand why my code works—and why it doesn't work when I...Read More

And honestly, these small errors are becoming part of my learning journey.

What about you?

What was one small Python mistake that taught...Read More

I'd love to hear from other beginners. 👇

I Thought My Python Logic Was Broken. It Wasn't.

Tahami AK SERVICES — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 11:59:36 +0000

My first real debugging lesson came from a tiny Python program.

When you're learning programming, there's a strange...Read More

You write the code.

You read it again.

The logic makes sense.

You run it.

And Python basically says:

No. 😐

That happened to me while building a simple...Read More

And surprisingly, the error taught me more than the working program did.

What I Was Building

I was working on a basic Caesar cipher.

The idea is simple:

Take a letter and shift it through the alphabet.

For example, with a shift of 3:

A → D
B → E
C → F

So a message like:

hello

could become something like:

khoor

It's obviously not strong encryption for modern security, but it is a great beginner project for understanding how text, loops,...Read More

I wanted my program to do three basic things:

Take text from the user.
Encrypt the text.
Decrypt it back.

I also wanted the user to choose the shift value instead of hardcoding it.

Simple enough.

Right?

Well... almost.

🐛Then The Bug Appeared

I ran the program.

Something wasn't working correctly.

My first thought was:

"My logic must be wrong."

So I started looking through the algorithm.

I checked the loop.

I checked the conditions.

I checked the shift calculation.

I checked it again.

And again.

But the problem wasn't where I...Read More

One of the issues was related to case handling.

I was dealing with uppercase and lowercase characters differently than I had intended.

The code looked reasonable when I read it quickly.

But computers don't care what the code looks like.

They care about what the code actually says.

That was an important lesson.

🔍The Second Problem Was Even Simpler

Then I hit a syntax error.

At that moment, it felt like the entire program...Read More

But the solution wasn't some advanced cybersecurity technique.

It was simply finding the mistake in the Python syntax.

That sounds almost embarrassing when you say it out loud.

But that's exactly what beginner programming looks like.

Sometimes you spend 20 minutes thinking:

"There must be something seriously...Read More"

And then you discover:

"Oh... I wrote that wrong." 😂

*🧠 Debugging Changed How I Look at Errors
*
Before this project, I sometimes looked at errors as something that meant:

"My code failed."

Now I'm starting to see them differently.

An error is often telling you:

"Something specific happened. Go find out why."

That changes the whole mindset.

Instead of immediately rewriting everything, I...Read More

What exactly is Python complaining about?
Which line caused the problem?
What did I expect to happen?
What actually happened?
What changed between those two things?

Those questions are much more useful than randomly changing code and...Read More

🔧 I Also Learned Not To Change Everything At Once

This was probably one of my biggest lessons.

When something doesn't work, it's tempting to...Read More

But then you don't know which change fixed the problem.

So I started making smaller changes.

Change one thing.

Run the program.

Check the result.

Understand what happened.

Then continue.

It's slower at first.

But I think it's teaching me how to actually understand my code instead of simply...Read More

🐍 A Small Example

Suppose I have:

name = "Tahami"

print(Name)

Python won't understand that Name and name are...Read More

They are different variable names.

The fix is simple:

name = "Tahami"

print(name)

But the important lesson isn't the fix.

It's understanding why the first version failed.

Python follows the instructions we give it not the ...Read More

🚀 From Local Code To GitHub

After building and debugging the project, I also pushed the code from my...Read More

That part felt surprisingly exciting.

It was no longer just:

"I wrote some Python code on my computer."

It became:

"I built something, tested it, debugged it and published it."

That's a small step.

But for someone learning programming,...Read More

❤️ The Biggest Lesson

The biggest thing I learned wasn't how to write a Caesar cipher.

It was this:

Debugging is part of learning to code.

You don't become better at programming by...Read More

You become better by:

Writing → Breaking → Reading the error → Investigating → Fixing → Understanding

And then doing it again.

I'm still learning Python.

I'm still making mistakes.

And honestly, I expect there...Read More

But now I don't see every error as a failure.

Sometimes the error is the teacher.

💬 What Was Your First “Stupid” Bug?

If you're learning to code, I'm curious:

What was the first bug that made you think your entire program was broken—only to discover that the actual problem...Read More

Share it below.

I think beginner programmers need to hear more stories about the mistakes behind the working code.

Because sometimes the best lesson isn't:

"Look what I built."

It's:

"Look what broke and what it taught me." 🐛➡️💻

I Built a Tiny Python Password Checker Then Found a Security Bug

Tahami AK SERVICES — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 17:41:23 +0000

While practicing Python, I decided to build a small password checker.

The idea was simple:

If the user enters the correct password, allow access. Otherwise, deny it.

Sounds easy, right?

Well… I managed...Read More

The Bug

My first logic looked something like this:

password = input("Enter password: ")

if password == "admin123" or "password":
print("Access Granted")
else:
print("Access Denied")

I tested a completely different...Read More

Access Denied

But Python still gave me:

Access Granted

😐

What Went Wrong?

The problem was this part:

password == "admin123" or "password"

I was thinking:

"Check whether the password is admin123 OR password."

But Python doesn't interpret it that way.

The string "password" is a non-empty string, and non-empty strings are considered True in a Boolean context.

So the condition...Read More

The Fix

I changed the condition to explicitly compare the variable with both values:

if password == "admin123" or password == "password":
print("Access Granted")
else:
print("Access Denied")

Now the logic...Read More

What I Learned

This tiny bug taught me something important:

Knowing Python syntax isn't enough. You also need to understand how Python evaluates your logic.

A small mistake in a condition can completely change the...Read More

And when we're talking about authentication, logic mistakes can become security problems.

My Takeaway

I'm still learning Python, so I actually like finding these kinds of bugs.

Instead of feeling that an error means I failed, I'm trying to treat every...Read More

One bug at a time.
One concept at a time.
One step closer to becoming a better developer, InshaAllah.

Have you ever written a simple condition that behaved completely differently from what you expected?

I'd love to hear about it. 👇

#Python #Programming #Debugging #CyberSecurity #LearningToCode #PythonBeginner #ProgrammingJourney

I Built My Own Mini Cryptocurrency Using Solidity 🚀 | My Web3 Journey Begins

Tahami AK SERVICES — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 05:36:38 +0000

✍️ Story Content:

Assalamuallikum 🌿

Bismillah today I’m excited to share something special from my learning journey…

💡 I built my very first mini cryptocurrency project using Solidity...Read More

⚡ The Idea

As a beginner in Web3, I always wondered:

👉 How do cryptocurrencies actually work behind the scenes?

So instead of just watching tutorials…
I decided...Read More

🛠️ What I Built

I created a simple crypto token with:

✔ Token name & symbol
✔ Total supply control
✔ Balance tracking
✔ Transfer functionality

Basically, a mini version...Read More

🔍 Key Learnings

This project helped me understand:

How smart contracts work
Gas fees & transactions
Blockchain immutability
Writing secure code...Read More

💻 Tech Stack
Solidity
Remix IDE
MetaMask
Ethereum...Read More

😅 Challenges I Faced

Debugging smart contracts
Understanding gas optimization
Fixing small logic mistakes

But every error...Read More

🎯 Why This Matters

This is just a small step…
But it’s the beginning of my journey into:

👉 Web3
👉 Blockchain Development
👉 Cybersecurity...Read More

🔐 Final Thoughts

Learning by building is the best way.

If you’re starting out don’t wait.
👉 Build small
👉 Break things
👉 Learn fast

💬 Let’s Connect

If you’re also learning Blockchain Technology or Web3,
let’s...Read More

💻🔥“I Built a Simple Calculator… But It Taught Me More Than Expected”

Tahami AK SERVICES — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 06:51:58 +0000

I thought building a calculator in Python would be easy.

Just add, subtract… done, right?

But when I actually started coding it, I realized something:

👉 Writing code is easy.
👉 Writing clean and structured logic is not.

💡 What I Learned
Functions make code reusable
Handling edge cases (like division by zero) matters
Small projects build...Read More

🔥 The Twist

I didn’t just stop at basic operations.

I added:

Number analysis (positive/negative, even/odd)
Average calculation
Clean function-...Read More

🧠 Why This Matters

This small project helped me understand:

👉 Programming is not about typing code
👉 It’s about thinking logically

💻 Code 👇

def add(a, b):
return a + b

def subtract(a, b):
return a - b

def multiply(a, b):
return a * b

def divide(a, b):
if b == 0:
return "Error: Division by zero"
return a / b

def average(a, b):
return (a + b) / 2

def check_number(n):
if n > 0:
sign = "Positive"
elif n < 0:
sign = "Negative"
else:
sign = "Zero"

if n % 2 == 0:
    parity = "Even"
else:
    parity = "Odd"

return f"{sign} & {parity}"

print("🔥 Smart Calculator 🔥")

num1 = int(input("Enter first number: "))
num2 = int(input("Enter second number: "))

print("\ n Operations:")
print("1. Add")
print("2. Subtract")
print("3. Multiply")
print("4...Read More

choice = int(input("Choose option (1-6): "))

if choice == 1:
print("Result:", add(num1, num2))

elif choice == 2:
print("Result:", subtract(num1, num2))

elif choice == 3:
print("Result:", multiply(num1, num2))

elif choice == 4:
print("Result:", divide(num1, num2))

elif choice == 5:
print("Result:",...Read More

🚀 Open for Improvements

Feel free to:

Improve UI
Add more features
Optimize logic

Let’s build together 🔥

🧠 “I Tried Debugging a ‘Mini Operating System’ in Python… It Broke Me 😅”

Tahami AK SERVICES — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 10:10:07 +0000

Hey devs👨‍💻,

Yesterday I thought:
👉 “Why not simulate a tiny operating system in Python?”

Simple idea, right?

Yeah… that’s what I...Read More

💻 The Idea

I wanted to build a basic OS simulation that could:

Manage processes
Allocate CPU time
Handle simple commands

So I wrote this:

def run_process(processes):
for p in processes:
if p["status"] == "ready":
print(f"Running {p['name']}")
p["status"] == "running"
elif p["status"] == "running":
print(f"Finishing {p['name']}")
p["status"] = "done"

processes = [
{"name": "Process1", "status": "ready"},
{"name": "...Read More

run_process(processes)
🚨 The Bug That Wasted My Time

At first glance, everything looked fine…
But the output was strange:

Running Process1
Running Process2

👉 Wait… why are they not finishing?

🔍 Debugging Time

I checked:

Logic ✅
Loop ✅
Conditions ✅

Then I saw it… 👀

p["status"] == "running"

💥 That’s not assignment. That’s a comparison.

🛠️ The Fix
p["status"] = "running"

Now the output:

Running Process1
Finishing Process1
Running Process2
Finishing Process2
🤯 What I Learned

Sometimes the smallest bugs:

Don’t crash your program ❌
Don’t show errors ❌
But completely...Read More

🔥 Real Talk

Debugging feels like:

“I am 100% sure this should work… but it doesn’t.”

And that’s where real developers are made.

💬 Your Turn

Have you ever spent hours on a tiny bug like this? 😭
Drop your story below 👇

🚀 Final Thought

You don’t need to build a real OS to feel like one broke on you.

Sometimes…
👉 One == is enough.

🚀 “Can You Solve This? World Cup Score Analyzer (Beginner Friendly)”

Tahami AK SERVICES — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 10:21:58 +0000

Hey developers 👨‍💻,

Let’s connect coding with football ⚽

🧠 Problem:

Write a Python function that:

Takes goals scored by Team A...Read More
Prints:
“Team A Wins”
“Team B Wins”
“Draw Match”
🧾 Example:
Input: A = 2, B = 1

Output: Team A Wins
🔥 Challenge Level:

Beginner (No loops required)

💡 Bonus:

Add a feature:

If goals > 5 → print “High Scoring..Read More!”

👉 Drop your solution in the comments!

Now I’m curious… are they from your past or your present?

Tahami AK SERVICES — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:20:23 +0000

🧾 Content:

Hey everyone,

I’m currently learning Python and practicing basic functions + if/else logic. I tried to build a simple login system, but I’m stuck on a small issue that’s confusing me.

Here’s what’s happening:
Even when I enter the wrong username, the program still asks for the password.

But logically, I want it to stop right there if the username is incorrect.

Here’s my code:

def login(username, password):
if username == "Admin" and password == 1234:
print("Login Successful")
return True
else:
print("Invalid Credentials")
username = input("Enter the username: ")
password = int(input("Enter the password: "))
if username == "Admin" and password == 1234:
print("Login Successful")
return True
else:
print("Invalid Credentials")
return False

My question is:
👉 How can I structure this so that the program only asks for the password after confirming the username is correct?

I feel like I’m mixing the logic somewhere, but I want to understand the correct approach instead of just copying a solution.

Would really appreciate a simple explanation 🙌

Also curious how did you guys structure your first...Read More