Interview: Naveen Garg, Cybersecurity Reliability Engineer at Akamai Technologies, California

An interview with Naveen Garg, Cybersecurity Reliability Engineer at Akamai Technologies, California

We are excited to welcome Mr. Naveen Garg, a Cybersecurity Reliability Engineer at Akamai Technologies, California. With extensive expertise in safeguarding digital infrastructures, Mr. Garg plays a crucial role in enhancing cybersecurity measures and ensuring system resilience.

Join us as we delve into his strategies for tackling cyber threats and his insights on maintaining robust security in an increasingly complex digital world.

Can you tell us about your career path and what led you to become a Cybersecurity Reliability Engineer at Akamai Technologies?

Naveen Garg: I began my journey as a System Engineer at HCL, where I was allowed to tackle a complex challenge: improving the performance analysis of production releases for a major U.S. financial client’s trading platform.

Initially, I was tasked with achieving a 5x improvement, but I exceeded expectations by delivering a 10x efficiency boost, reducing the performance results release time from 40 to just 4 hours.

This accomplishment was particularly challenging due to the complexity of the platform, which required meticulously orchestrating load-testing scenarios that ensured all services met their SLAs under highly demanding conditions.

Building on that success, I focused on enhancing my expertise in system design, particularly in identifying and resolving intricate infrastructure issues.

I streamlined the entire software development support cycle by optimizing the code release process, significantly reducing downtime, and achieving near-zero issues through proactive alert management.

This experience deepened my understanding of building reliable and scalable systems while emphasizing the importance of cross-functional collaboration to drive product success.

These experiences paved the way for a pivotal moment in my career when I joined Akamai Technologies as a Site Reliability Engineer in the Security Engineering department.

At Akamai, I’ve had the opportunity to work with highly complex systems that require the integration of machine learning and large-scale traffic management. The fast-paced nature of cybersecurity demands algorithms that can process vast amounts of data quickly and accurately.

This role has provided me with invaluable insights into designing scalable systems for cybersecurity products, ensuring they remain robust and responsive in the face of evolving threats.

What are the most common cybersecurity threats you encounter in your role, and how do you address them?

Naveen Garg: My role involves tackling some of the most sophisticated cybersecurity threats, including bot attacks and account-related fraud, which have the potential to disrupt operations by overwhelming systems with massive traffic.

My primary focus is ensuring that our security measures are highly available and capable of handling complex attacks and sudden surges in traffic.

I contribute by providing the stable infrastructure necessary for advanced bot detection, enabling our tools to mitigate malicious bots at the edge with minimal impact on user experience.

Additionally, I support our efforts in account protection by helping to prevent account takeover (ATO) and new account fraud through the analysis of risk signals that identify potential imposters.

By offering detailed insights into attack patterns and customizing traffic management solutions, my work helps ensure that our customers’ systems remain secure, scalable, and reliable.

This allows us to deliver security products that not only protect but also effectively scale to meet the demands of increasingly complex and high-traffic environments.

⁠How do you stay updated with the latest developments and tools in cybersecurity and reliability engineering?

Naveen Garg: As a cybersecurity expert focused on scaling solutions, I stay at the forefront of the field by continuously leveraging online learning platforms and actively researching strategies to enhance system speed and reliability.

The real-time analysis of traffic patterns and sophisticated attacks is both challenging and rewarding, offering valuable opportunities to deepen my expertise and refine our defenses. Handling these complex threats requires constant adaptation and innovation.

I also closely monitor the latest cybersecurity developments and emerging threats in the news, which allows me to anticipate potential risks and proactively plan our prevention strategies.

This combination of continuous learning, hands-on experience, and strategic foresight ensures that we’re always implementing the most advanced and effective solutions to protect and optimize large-scale systems.

In your opinion, what are the emerging trends in cybersecurity that organizations should be aware of?

Naveen Garg: Emerging trends in cybersecurity include the rise of AI-driven attacks, which are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and the growing adoption of AI for threat detection and response.

Zero trust architecture is gaining importance as organizations adapt to remote work and cloud services. We’re also seeing an increase in advanced persistent threats (APT), and social engineering attacks, all of which require stronger authentication measures and user education.

APIs are becoming a critical focus due to their central role in digital transformations. Attacks like data scraping and other API-related threats are challenging to detect and require vigilant monitoring.

Additionally, compliance and emerging legislation must be integrated early into security strategies to avoid costly re-architecting later.

Organizations must also prepare for the potential impact of quantum computing on encryption and remain vigilant about securing their supply chains to prevent large-scale breaches.

As cyber threats continue to evolve, staying ahead of these trends is essential for maintaining robust security.

What are your thoughts on the future of cybersecurity, particularly with advancements in AI and machine learning?

Naveen Garg: The future of cybersecurity is increasingly driven by advancements in AI and machine learning. Traditional tools like firewalls and IDPs are no longer sufficient on their own.

We’re moving towards a landscape where deep learning and big data analysis are essential for real-time monitoring, pattern recognition, and threat detection. AI and machine learning will play a pivotal role in predicting and responding to sophisticated cyber threats more effectively.

However, to fully leverage these technologies, we need significant advancements in infrastructure. Data protection and analysis systems must be designed to deliver faster, more reliable results.

This includes integrating AI-driven solutions with scalable and resilient architectures that can handle the demands of complex and high-traffic environments.

As cyber threats evolve, continuous innovation and adaptability in our strategies will be essential. The combination of AI, machine learning, and robust system design will not only help us stay ahead of emerging threats but also ensure a secure digital future.

Additionally, with the rise of threats like AI-driven attacks, deep fake technology, and API vulnerabilities, the synergy between these technologies will be key to maintaining comprehensive cybersecurity defenses.

What advice would you give to someone aspiring to enter the field of cybersecurity and reliability engineering?

Naveen Garg: The future of cybersecurity and system design is incredibly promising, particularly with the rapid advancements in cloud computing and AI.

This field demands a deep understanding of how to create scalable solutions that can manage massive data analysis while maintaining robust security to protect against increasingly sophisticated threats.

My advice to students considering a career in this area is to approach it with curiosity and patience—there’s a lot to learn, and real-time experience is invaluable.

The beauty of cybersecurity lies in its constant evolution. Staying updated with the latest trends, tools, and techniques is essential, as this field requires continuous learning and adaptability.

Although the challenges can be significant, the rewards are equally great. A career in cybersecurity offers not only stability but also the opportunity to make a profound global impact.

By helping companies stay secure from attacks and improving system efficiency, you play a critical role in shaping a safer digital future.

For those passionate about technology and innovation, cybersecurity and system design provide a unique chance to be at the forefront of protecting the digital world. Embrace the journey, and you’ll find it both challenging and deeply rewarding.

What aspect of your job do you find most rewarding? 

Naveen Garg: What I find most rewarding in cybersecurity is the real engineering challenge of staying ahead of attackers. The speed and sophistication of cyber threats push me to continuously strengthen our defenses.

Knowing that my work directly enhances the security of our digital world and contributes to keeping it safe is incredibly fulfilling. Seeing our systems reliably withstand large-scale attacks and protect against threats is what makes this work so satisfying.

Mr. Naveen Garg’s expertise underscores the critical importance of cybersecurity in today’s digital landscape. As we conclude, his perspectives on resilience and threat management highlight the ongoing challenges and innovations in protecting digital assets.

It’s clear that his contributions at Akamai Technologies are pivotal in fortifying the future of cybersecurity.

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