IST cybersecurity graduate named RSA Conference Security Scholar

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Aviral Srivastava, a recent graduate of the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), was selected as a 2025 RSA Conference (RSAC) Security Scholar. The program, held annually as part of RSAC in San Francisco, connects select graduate students with cybersecurity experts, government leaders and fellow scholars from across the globe.

“Cybersecurity isn’t just a field — it’s a culture, a movement,” said Srivastava, who earned his master’s degree in cybersecurity analytics and operations in May. “You don’t just work in it; you dedicate, obsess and create. And you don’t just attend conferences; you belong to a global community.”

At RSAC, Srivastava engaged in conversations about the future of cybersecurity, especially those at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity. Srivastava’s research focuses on proactively identifying vulnerabilities and building robust defenses, as AI-driven tools and adversarial machine learning become increasingly embedded in digital infrastructure.

As part of the Security Scholar experience, Srivastava participated in a private Q&A with a government cybersecurity official and a formal dinner with leading experts in the field. Among the attendees was Whitfield Diffie, co-inventor of the Diffie-Hellman key exchange algorithm and recipient of the Turing Award, a prestigious honor in the field of computing.

“Everyone in cybersecurity learns about Diffie–Hellman,” Srivastava said. “But meeting Dr. Diffie in person, hearing about his 80+ years of experience and sharing a dinner table with him was surreal. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

During his time in IST, Srivastava maintained a 4.0 GPA, served as a teaching assistant in several advanced cybersecurity courses and contributed to the University's research mission with more than 20 peer-reviewed publications. He also co-authored two books — on internet of things security and on machine learning for cybersecurity professionals — with the aim of simplifying complex security concepts for students and practitioners alike.

“My time at Penn State, both in the classroom and the lab, helped me grow not just technically, but also as a researcher and mentor,” Srivastava said. “In fact, my academic experiences here were even more valuable than many of my internships.”

Now, following graduation, Srivastava is preparing for his next chapter. He has accepted a position as a security engineering at Amazon in Sunnyvale, California. He credits his education and his experience at RSA with helping shape this opportunity.

“Attending RSAC opened my eyes to what the industry is truly focusing on,” he said. “Whether it was learning from pioneers, understanding what hiring managers look for, or simply being part of that energy — it gave me clarity and confidence as I begin my career.”