A Trusting Name

Yashas Vishwas (MSIT ‘23) likes to joke that he was destined for a career in cybersecurity. His last name, after all, means “trust” in Sanskrit.

But for this solutions engineer at AI data security firm Borneo, it’s more than just a linguistic coincidence. It's a calling.

“I've always been drawn to understanding what makes systems trustworthy,” Vishwas said. “Cybersecurity is what ensures that trust isn’t broken.”

In his role at Borneo, Vishwas is at the forefront of a shift in data-security practices. He helps organizations protect their most sensitive information through AI-driven automation, a far cry from traditional security measures that often struggle with evolving threats.

“What excites me most is the intersection of AI, security, and automation,” Vishwas said. “We're shifting the paradigm by creating security workflows that not only detect risks but remediate them in real time.”

This innovative approach is transforming how security teams operate, allowing AI to act as extra sets of hands and eyes, while dropping the time it takes to conduct a security exercise from months to minutes.

But despite his name and calling, Vishwas's journey to the cutting edge of AI security wasn't a straight line. It was his time in Northwestern Engineering's Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program that helped shape his understanding of the field's complexities.

“The MSIT program stood out because of its interdisciplinary approach, combining technical expertise with business strategy,” Vishwas said. “I wanted to bridge the gap between engineering and executive decision-making.”

The program's emphasis on the business side of security has proven invaluable in his current role. Vishwas now sees security not just as an IT issue, but as a critical business concern that requires clear communication with stakeholders at all levels.

When working with customers, Vishwas helps translate technical security risks into business impact. The goal is to ensure decision-makers understand why proactive data security is an investment with a definitive return, not just an expense.

That “Why?” is a threat landscape growing in sophistication and severity.

Cyberstrike's 2025 Global Threat Report revealed that on average, it took just 48 minutes in 2024 for a breach to spread across a network. That is an all-time low. The fastest breakout time observed was a mere 51 seconds.

A separate report by IBM stated the global average cost of a data breach in 2024 jumped 10 percent to an all-time high of nearly $5 million.

Vishwas’ holistic approach to security is something born from his time in the MSIT program. He still remembers a key lesson learned from Todd Fitzgerald, who teaches about risk management and cybersecurity: Companies look at compliance, frameworks, and tools as security, but it’s never one-size-fits-all.

Vishwas took that lesson to heart, viewing security as an art form that requires a deep understanding of each organization’s unique needs and challenges. It is this nuanced approach, combined with AI technology, that he believes will shape the future of data protection.

As AI continues to evolve and integrate into more aspects of business and personal lives, Vishwas sees his role — and the role of security professionals like him — as more crucial than ever. His job is to live up to the meaning of his last name by not just protecting data but also enabling innovation through trustworthy, ethical AI.

“I’d encourage anyone interested in cybersecurity, AI, and data governance to think beyond just compliance and detection,” Vishwas said. “The future of security is autonomous, proactive, and with heavy lifting done by AI. We're just getting started.”