{"690180":{"#nid":"690180","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Industry to Impact: A Ph.D. Journey in Cybersecurity","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter earning a master\u2019s degree in 2016, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.cc.gatech.edu\/grads\/a\/abhaskar9\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbhishek Bhaskar\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u2019s plan was straightforward: build a career in industry and stay close to research without committing to a doctoral program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat plan lasted about three years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI initially thought I\u2019d just continue in research without a Ph.D.,\u201d Bhaskar said. \u201cMy advisor encouraged me to stay, but I wanted to experience industry first.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to perspective, working outside academia offered Bhaskar clarity. Over time, he found himself drawn back to the kind of deeper, more impactful research he had glimpsed during his graduate studies. Watching colleagues with doctoral degrees tackle complex problems reinforced his decision.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI realized I missed research,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd seeing the kind of work Ph.D. graduates were doing motivated me to apply.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat decision led him to Georgia Tech, where the strength of its cybersecurity and network security research stood out. The program\u2019s interdisciplinary approach was a major draw.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSome schools are strong in one area,\u201d he said. \u201cHere, there\u2019s collaboration across domains. That was important to me.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen Bhaskar arrived, the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy had not yet fully taken shape. Research groups, including the Institute for Information Security and Privacy, were already active, but the school\u0027s formal structure emerged during his second year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWorking with his advisor, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pearce.prof\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPaul Pearce\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Bhaskar shifted his research focus from binary and static analysis to network security, a transition that required both adjustment and curiosity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI wanted to move into something with more direct real-world impact,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis led him to work on censorship measurement, internet security and privacy, areas where technical findings can have global implications. With guidance from Pearce and support from other faculty working in similar areas, he quickly found his footing.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHis favorite research project however, was in fact \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.usenix.org\/conference\/usenixsecurity22\/presentation\/bhaskar\u0022\u003Ehis first\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn earlier research, unexplained anomalies had appeared in measurement data. At first, the assumption was that they stemmed from geolocation issues. However, after digging deeper, Bhaskar uncovered a different cause: routing changes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat discovery showed that routing can significantly affect measurement results,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat began as a narrow investigation turned into a broader insight. One that reshaped how those measurements could be interpreted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlong the way, other milestones followed, including his first paper accepted to a top conference.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThat was a big moment,\u201d Bhaskar said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut beyond publications and research breakthroughs, it\u2019s the day-to-day experience of doctoral life that made the strongest impression.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe camaraderie stands out the most,\u201d he said. \u201cEspecially during deadlines. Everyone is working hard, but you still take time to step away, talk, and support each other.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat sense of community extended beyond his own lab. Interactions with neighboring groups and researchers in fields like cryptography broadened his perspective and shaped his approach to problems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe way different groups think about problems is really valuable,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOutside the lab, Atlanta played its own role in the experience. From sporting events to concerts, the city offered a balance to the intensity of research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s a lot to do,\u201d Bhaskar said. \u201cI tried to take advantage of that.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, as he prepares to graduate, the next chapter is already in motion. Bhaskar will move to the West Coast for a post-doctorate security research role at Stanford University, following a summer internship that offers time to reset before the transition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAbhi\u0027s work is excellent,\u201d said Pearce. \u201cDuring the course of his Ph.D. he discovered important underlying phenomena that influence how we measure and understand internet censorship and end-to-end network behaviors broadly.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHe\u0027s an outstanding researcher and community leader, and while his contribution as a student to my group and SCP will be missed, we\u0027re excited about what he accomplished and his next steps!\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAbhishek Bhaskar, who earned his master\u2019s in 2016, returned to academia after several years in industry to pursue a Ph.D. in cybersecurity at Georgia Tech. Drawn by the program\u2019s collaborative research environment, he shifted his focus to network security and conducted impactful work on internet measurement and routing. Along the way, he built strong research collaborations and published widely, while valuing the community and experiences both inside and outside the lab. After graduating, Bhaskar will transition to a security research role at Stanford University, marking the next step in a journey shaped by curiosity, impact and collaboration.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Abhishek Bhaskar\u0027s story from industry to Ph.D."}],"uid":"36253","created_gmt":"2026-05-06 18:13:56","changed_gmt":"2026-05-06 18:15:39","author":"John Popham","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680201":{"id":"680201","type":"image","title":"Abhishek-Bhaskar-web-copy.jpg","body":null,"created":"1778091256","gmt_created":"2026-05-06 18:14:16","changed":"1778091256","gmt_changed":"2026-05-06 18:14:16","alt":"A man wearing glasses and a suit","file":{"fid":"264444","name":"Abhishek-Bhaskar-web-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/06\/Abhishek-Bhaskar-web-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/06\/Abhishek-Bhaskar-web-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1765354,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/06\/Abhishek-Bhaskar-web-copy.jpg?itok=Xr9IZ72D"}}},"media_ids":["680201"],"groups":[{"id":"47223","name":"College of Computing"},{"id":"660367","name":"School of Cybersecurity and Privacy"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJohn Popham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer II for the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jpopham3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}