Pooja Kiran
Security Engineer · Application Security · AI & Agent Security · Cloud IAM
Professional Summary
Security engineer with an M.S. in Information Technology who combines hands-on security engineering, technical leadership, and business strategy to solve practical security challenges. Built an AI security gateway validated by 782 passing tests, collaborated directly with a cybersecurity startup founder on identity-security integration, and led a four-member team during the Honeywell Aerospace × Arizona State University Technology Innovation Lab externship. Brings experience in AI security, cloud IAM, threat detection, cross-functional team coordination, and security risk management.
Technical Skills
Security Reviews & RiskSecurity design review, threat modeling, risk analysis, risk assessment, API authorization, web-services security, software testing, CI security checks
Cloud, Network & Operating SystemsAWS IAM, DNS, HTTP, TLS, Zeek/Suricata-style telemetry, Linux /proc TCP, HMAC-SHA256, Ed25519
Engineering & LeadershipPython, C++, FastAPI, Docker, pytest, GitHub Actions, CodeQL, SARIF, Elastic SIEM, remote peer coordination, compliance research, budgeting
Video Content Protection (Concepts)DRM license flows, encrypted HLS/DASH, CloudFront signed URLs, AWS MediaPackage/SPEKE
Professional & Applied Experience
Independent AI Security Researcher & Engineer
Aug 2024 – Present
Self-Directed Research · Tempe, AZ
- Built the MCP Agent Security Gateway with Python, FastAPI, and MCP/JSON-RPC to guard against unauthorized AI-agent actions, prompt injection, and sensitive-data exposure; implemented 69 detection signatures, default-deny authorization, and 9 Elastic Security rules, supported by 782 passing tests and 81.93% statement coverage in a documented CI run.
- Worked directly with an early-stage security startup founder to integrate privacy-preserving identity telemetry into the MCP gateway; delivered authenticated client paths for 3 identities and secured independent verification of event attribution, helping clarify customer-onboarding requirements and deployment limitations.
- Developed open-source security tools to identify excessive AWS IAM permissions, assess AI model supply-chain risks, and investigate security events; implemented 25 IAM analysis rules and validated 244 identity-security tests and 296 attack-detection tests, delivering reproducible findings and documented controls for developers and security teams.
Business & Compliance Lead
Aug 2025 – Dec 2025
Honeywell Aerospace × Arizona State University · Technology Innovation Lab Externship · Tempe, AZ
- Assigned responsibilities to three remote peer project leads during designated AEROSEC lab phases; reviewed technical, customer-research, and prototype work, tracked deliverables, and reported to mentors to keep the four-member team aligned on project decisions.
- Interviewed 4 of 12 industry participants and coordinated findings with research and technical teammates; translated aviation security risks into proposed requirements for API authorization, encryption, audit logging, and vendor-risk management.
- Led business and financial planning, compared 4 commercial security solutions, and developed a proposed $120,000 first-year budget with a 12-month operating plan; presented market, security-risk, and financial assumptions across 3 pitches to Honeywell evaluators to support feasibility decisions.
Graduate Teaching Assistant | IT Grader
Jan 2025 – Oct 2025
Arizona State University · Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering · Tempe, AZ
- Reviewed code, milestones, and final projects for approximately 85 undergraduate students per semester; provided rubric-based technical feedback to help students correct web application defects and meet project requirements.
- Evaluated 52 graduate cybersecurity assignments covering risk assessment, security compliance, infrastructure security, and configuration management; identified gaps in technical reasoning and explained corrections against course criteria.
- Coordinated grading and student communication with instructors, addressed technical questions and grading disputes, and escalated exceptions to maintain consistent assessment and timely feedback across courses.
Selected Security Engineering Projects
MCP Agent Security Gateway
Oct 2025 – Oct 2026
Python · FastAPI · MCP/JSON-RPC · Elastic SIEM
- Built a default-deny MCP/JSON-RPC gateway with capability checks, anti-SSRF rules, 69 named prompt-injection signatures, hash-chained audit records, and nine Elastic Security detection rules.
- Verified agent-to-tool enforcement and failure paths using Python 3.12 CI; recorded 782 passing tests and 81.93% statement coverage in the cited run.
AWS Agent Identity Guard
Apr 2025 – Oct 2026
Python · AWS IAM · SARIF 2.1.0
- Developed 25 AWS IAM static-analysis rules for broad grants, iam:PassRole, sts:AssumeRole, and trust-policy risks; exported findings in SARIF 2.1.0 for CI review.
- Validated the rule suite in cited CI: 244 tests passed and three credential-dependent tests were skipped; did not claim live AWS effective-permission results.
HF Model Provenance Scanner
Nov 2024 – Oct 2026
Python · SafeTensors · GGUF · ONNX · Keras
- Built non-executing checks for unsafe serialization, embedded code, model provenance, and dependencies across SafeTensors, GGUF, ONNX, and Keras inputs.
- Detected suspicious content in 33/33 curated adversarial fixtures; confirmed 260 passing CI tests and 75.67% statement coverage without describing fixtures as real-world detection rates.
Attack Detection Engine / Aegis HealthSec
Aug – Oct 2026
Python · FastAPI · PostgreSQL · ARM/CAN
- Extended MITRE ATT&CK v19 detection with offline CAN, C/C++ firmware, and ARM ELF32 analysis using synthetic lab inputs and reproducible tests.
- Integrated clinical-access detection and a FHIR R4 AuditEvent parser with event normalization, deterministic correlation, and PostgreSQL incident persistence on unmerged development branches.
- Tested an authenticated FastAPI investigation workflow with analyst actions and audit history; Milestone E reported 296 local tests passing with real PostgreSQL, while hosted CI remained blocked.
Education
M.S., Information Technology (Security) — Arizona State University
May 2026 · GPA: 3.87/4.00
B.Tech., Computer Science & Engineering — M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences
Aug 2023
Certifications & Training
AWS Academy Graduate — Cloud Architecting
Apr 2025
AWS Academy Graduate — Cloud Security Foundations
Nov 2025