What our students say

Hello - I've been working as a Software Development Engineer at Amazon for about 4 years. I currently work for the Stores Security organization in Seattle. During my undergrad at PES, I took up all the security-related courses as part of my electives. Attending information and network security courses profoundly impacted my role as a software developer. This has helped me design and implement secure software solutions. Understanding vulnerabilities and implementing preventive measures plays a critical role in the software development lifecycle. These courses have transformed my approach, enabling me to proactively address potential threats and contribute to a more secure digital environment.

I am incredibly grateful for my journey into cybersecurity, which began at the Centre for Information Security, Forensics and Cyber Resilience (C-ISFCR), PES University. From the moment I enrolled in courses such as Cryptography, Network Security, and Information Security, I knew I had found my passion.

​

The faculty at the center delivered the concepts with remarkable clarity and effectiveness, always emphasizing their practical applications. Engaging case studies and hands-on labs further enhanced my understanding and allowed me to apply what I learned in class. Thanks to these activities, I developed a solid foundation in security concepts and fell head over heels in love with the field.

​

When I pursued my Masters in Computer Science at Purdue University, I had the opportunity to delve deeper into cybersecurity through courses like Computer Security and Security Analytics. The strong foundation I had built during my time at ISFCR gave me a significant advantage in these courses and even during job interviews. The practical nature of these courses enabled

me to excel in various security engineer interviews, ultimately leading me to my current role as a Security Engineer at Goldman Sachs. I owe a great deal of my success to the invaluable support provided by the center and PES University.

​

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Prof. Prasad Honnavalli and his team for their unwavering dedication and mentorship. Their guidance and expertise shaped me into the cybersecurity professional I am today. I am profoundly thankful for the exceptional education, practical experiences, and career opportunities that ISFCR and PES University have provided me. My journey into cybersecurity has been truly transformative, and I am excited to continue making a positive impact in this dynamic field.

The curriculum of the cyber security courses was highly relevant and up to date with current affairs. The case studies were extremely interesting and the hands on exercises were very beneficial. The multiple discussions we had in class allowed us to think not from the point of view of a student but from an attackers view. This allowed us to capture the depth of the problem easily. Taking this course has helped me immensely at my workplace. 

I want to express my sincere gratitude to Prof. Prasad Honnavalli for giving me the opportunity to work in the Centre for Information Security, Forensics and Cyber Resilience (C-ISFCR), PES University. The experience fostered here by Prof. Honnavalli and the faculty of C-ISFCR has been invaluable to me, both academically and professionally. 

I crossed paths with Prof. Honnavalli in my final year of engineering while I was looking for a mentor for my project. He not only took me in as a mentee, but also eventually became a pillar of support in my academic journey. After a stint at Deloitte, I decided to study further and pursue my master's degree. When I shared this decision with Prof. Honnavalli and expressed my interest towards cybersecurity research, he welcomed me into his research center and offered me a position of a Junior Research Fellow; which I believe was a personal turning point in my life. This opportunity broadened my horizons, allowing me to delve into diverse subjects like Malware Analysis, Threat Modeling, Incident Response, and Machine Learning. During my research, I focused on exploring how a particular feature set could impact the outcome of an ML algorithm. This effort inspired me to develop a library that was capable of identifying phishing websites from their URLs using machine learning. I am particularly fond of this project because this was the largest codebase that I had ever authored thus far. Naturally, this brought its fair share of challenges, but I believe this ultimately helped me develop a creative problem-solving approach. 

The accomplishments and knowledge I gained here played a pivotal role in securing admission to the Master's program in Cybersecurity at UMD. The emphasis on publishing quality research papers and the support I received to develop open source libraries not only expanded my technical skills but also provided me with a platform to engage with the global cybersecurity community. The valuable interactions and experience I gained at the center were instrumental for my growth in the domain. I believe that this experience played a major role in both my coursework and interviews during my master's degree, all of which factored into me securing a position at Google as a Security Engineer.

I am immensely grateful for the support, guidance and opportunities provided by Prof. Prasad Honnavalli and the faculty of C-ISFCR. Their dedication to nurturing talent and pushing the boundaries of cybersecurity research has left a lasting mark on my career. The constant support from both Prof. Honnavalli and the faculty, along with the diverse range of projects and research areas they are working on, is truly remarkable. The exposure that the students receive is nothing short of commendable, and I am deeply appreciative of the invaluable opportunities provided.