Vectra AI Celebrates Innovators in the AI Scholars Program

Vectra AI's Groundbreaking Scholars Program

On June 25, 2025, Vectra AI, the cybersecurity firm recognized for its innovative use of artificial intelligence to protect networks, unveiled the recipients of its first-ever AI Scholars Program. This initiative, launched in January 2025, is designed to nurture and uplift emerging talents in the field of cybersecurity and AI, focusing on the future leaders who will tackle pressing challenges in these domains.

The program received an impressive 74 applications from students spanning five countries, showcasing the vast interest and talent in the fusion of AI and cybersecurity. After a rigorous evaluation process, Vectra AI selected three outstanding scholars whose visionary ideas not only showed technological prowess but also indicated a keen awareness of ethical considerations and real-world applicability.

Recognized Innovators

1. Anagha Ananth, First Place
Anagha, currently pursuing her Master’s degree at the University of California, Berkeley, impressed the panel with her proposal titled SentinelMesh, aimed at enhancing security operations centers (SOCs). Her project focuses on integrating Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) with federated learning to enable secure AI agent collaboration for threat detection, all while prioritizing privacy. Anagha, who also interns as a Security Engineer at Google, aspires to create technologies that foster safety in digital spaces.

"AI agents are revolutionizing security operations, but they also introduce new risks," Anagha remarked. "Through SentinelMesh, I aim to design intelligent systems that are scalable, secure, and trustworthy."

2. Abdullateef Almohamad, Second Place
Abdullateef, a PhD candidate at Texas A&M University, proposed an AI-Driven Deception Framework for Proactive Cyber Threat Mitigation. His work dives into the concept of deception-based defenses, utilizing artificial intelligence to create dynamic strategies that mislead attackers while gathering crucial threat intelligence. By merging techniques from anomaly detection and reinforcement learning, his project elevates the capabilities of cyber defense.

"The future of cybersecurity is about staying one step ahead," he asserted. "I believe intelligent deception is a critical piece of that puzzle."

3. Waasif Faruquee, Third Place
A junior at Michigan State University, Waasif is working on a project named TraceFence. This initiative employs Graph Neural Networks to map interactions among users, devices, and processes, with an aim to identify intricate threats such as insider attacks. His focus on explainability and self-supervised learning aims to provide analysts with robust support in recognizing emerging attacks with minimal available data. Waasif's commitment is directed towards constructing ethical and adaptive systems that advance digital security.

"This program helped me connect my research with real-world applications," Waasif shared. "I'm excited to be part of a community advancing AI for good."

The Future of Cybersecurity

The Vectra AI Scholars Program not only awarded its winners scholarships but also paired each of them with mentors from Vectra AI. This mentorship is designed to refine their projects and immerse them in practical applications within the cybersecurity sector, effectively bridging the gap between academic research and industry practice.

Hitesh Sheth, CEO and Founder of Vectra AI, expressed his admiration for the young innovators.

"We were inspired by the vision, creativity, and technical excellence of the applicants. These scholars represent the future of cybersecurity—one that is ethical, proactive, and powered by AI."

As Vectra AI continues to push boundaries in cybersecurity through AI-driven Network Detection and Response, the success of the Scholars Program sets a strong precedent for nurturing talent in this critical field. To know more about the AI Scholars Program and stay updated on Vectra AI’s advancements in cybersecurity, visit Vectra AI’s official website.