Malana VanTyler
As a generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) security engineer, Chetan Pathade leverages hands-on expertise and technical knowledge to protect cloud-scale systems and emerging AI applications. With experience at X (formerly Twitter) and Amazon Web Services (AWS), Pathade delivers better cybersecurity outcomes. Ever-driven, Pathade is sure to have a lasting impact in his field.
Discovering the World of Cybersecurity
Pathade’s journey in cybersecurity began in 2018 during his undergraduate fellowship at Teesside University. There, he discovered a passion for the field and committed to cybersecurity as his specialization. By 2020, he launched a career in bug bounty hunting, identifying and reporting vulnerabilities across various organizations. These efforts earned him recognition from several programs.
“The combination of constant innovation, real-world impact, and technical complexity makes cybersecurity an endlessly engaging field,” Pathade shared. “These factors collectively drive my continued passion and commitment to advancing my career in this domain, where each day presents new challenges and opportunities.”
From Engineer to Security Specialist
Having worked as an engineer in various roles, Pathade soon decided it was time to further his education. In 2024, he graduated with a master’s in information security from Carnegie Mellon University, an institution renowned for its rigorous, comprehensive program. From this point, Pathade secured a position as a security engineer at X.
Before joining X, Pathade gained diverse experience across several engineering and cybersecurity roles. He began his career at Quantiphi Inc. as a Test Automation Engineer, a position that introduced him to large-scale system testing and quality assurance. Although breaking into security without prior experience proved challenging, he persevered, later joining Qualys as a Threat Researcher on the Attack Surface Management team and Eaton India Innovation Center as a Product Cybersecurity Engineer. These formative experiences laid the groundwork for his transition into security-focused positions and strengthened his understanding of applied security principles.
Leadership at X and AWS
At X, Pathade served as the primary liaison between product and engineering teams and X security, conducted threat modeling reviews to mitigate risk, and remediated system vulnerabilities. In this way, he contributed to shaping the company’s infrastructure strategies. Following his work at X, Pathade found an opportunity to enter into a similar role at AWS.
“Currently, I am fulfilling my professional aspiration of working in the security domain as a security engineer at Amazon Web Services (AWS),” Pathade stated, “where I apply both my academic knowledge and practical experience to address complex cybersecurity challenges in cloud environments.”
A Focus on Security Research and Personal Growth
In addition to his professional work, Pathade has diligently maintained a focus on security research. To date, he has authored several peer-reviewed publications in the field of cybersecurity, and his work has received recognition in the academic community. Though only in the early stages of his professional journey, Pathade is quickly emerging as a thought leader through his work.
At this point in his career, Pathade is focused on building a strong foundational skill set, expanding his knowledge base, and gaining experience that will help him in the future. In a field that demands constant vigilance from experienced professionals, Pathade distinguishes himself with a humble attitude and an engaged approach to every problem. With new threats constantly emerging, Pathade is prepared to react.
Reflecting on his early learning struggles, Pathade notes that cybersecurity taught him persistence through adversity. Early in his career, he often found concepts difficult to grasp while others seemed to advance faster. By accepting his own learning pace and focusing on mastery over comparison, he developed both deep expertise and empathy for diverse learners. He credits this mindset with making him a more effective and patient teammate today.
Ambition for the Future
Moving forward, Pathade hopes to establish himself as a leader in the cybersecurity industry. In the long term, he aims to leverage this expertise in order to launch his own security product company. Beyond these personal ambitions, he is driven by a need to support those around him. Pathade believes that anyone can bring a fresh perspective to the industry, and actively builds working environments that value employees and candidates for their potential to grow.
In his vision for the future, Pathade hopes to found a security product company that prioritizes skills-based hiring and inclusive growth. He plans to build teams based on aptitude and problem-solving potential rather than traditional credentials, believing that diverse backgrounds can yield innovative solutions to the industry’s talent shortage. His goal is to advance the technical frontiers of cybersecurity while creating pathways for new generations of professionals.