Rupa Parameswaran
About Rupa Parameswaran
Rupa Parameswaran serves as the VP of Security & IT at Handshake, where she has transformed the security mindset of engineering teams by emphasizing proactive security measures. With extensive experience across various tech companies, she has a strong focus on creating secure environments and providing relevant training to engineers and DevOps teams.
Current Role at Handshake
Rupa Parameswaran serves as the VP of Security & IT at Handshake, a position she has held since 2022. In this role, she focuses on enhancing the security posture of the organization by transforming the security mindset of engineering teams. She emphasizes shifting security left, providing relevant training to Engineers and DevOps teams, and ensuring timely alerting and recommendations for remediating security misconfigurations. Rupa collaborates with her team to create a secure environment for students using the Handshake platform.
Previous Experience in Security and Privacy
Rupa has extensive experience in security and privacy across various organizations. She worked at Demandbase as Security Architect and CISO from 2019 to 2021. Prior to that, she served as Security & Privacy Architect at Pinterest from 2016 to 2018. Her tenure at Microsoft from 2012 to 2016 as Senior Program Manager focused on Privacy & Security in Personalization and Social Search. Earlier, she was a Principal Technical Program Manager for Security at Greenplum, a division of EMC, from 2011 to 2012.
Educational Background
Rupa Parameswaran holds a PhD in Computer Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, where she studied from 2001 to 2006. She also earned a Master of Science in Computer Engineering from the same institution from 2001 to 2002. Her undergraduate degree is a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science and Engineering from RV College of Engineering, which she completed from 1996 to 2000. Additionally, she studied at FAPS from 1994 to 1996.
Career Development and Research
Rupa began her career as a Graduate Research Assistant at Georgia Institute of Technology from 2001 to 2006. This role allowed her to delve into research while pursuing her advanced degrees. She also gained early experience as a Program Manager Intern at Microsoft Corporation for one month in 2001. Throughout her career, Rupa has focused on solving complex problems in data security and privacy, demonstrating a commitment to continuous learning and professional growth.
Focus on Security Controls
Rupa Parameswaran has a strong focus on creating secure-by-design and default controls within organizations. Her approach enables businesses to operate efficiently while maintaining robust security measures. She advocates for integrating security practices into the development lifecycle, ensuring that security is a foundational aspect of technology solutions.