What if AI could predict and prevent cyber fraud before it happens? Meet the founder making it possible " On this episode of Hackers to Founders, we feature Zara Perumal, the CTO and co-founder of Overwatch Data. The episode explores Zara’s journey from an early fascination with computer science, influenced by her software developer father, to her evolution into a cybersecurity and AI entrepreneur. Zara recounts her first steps into coding, beginning with HTML at age 11 and later developing iOS apps, which sparked her passion for building technology. She reflects on her experiences at MIT, where she explored bioinformatics, machine learning, and eventually cybersecurity, which became a turning point in her career. Her work at Google’s Threat Analysis Group further deepened her understanding of digital threats, leading her to the realization that she wanted to create a company addressing cybersecurity challenges at scale.

The episode then shifts focus to Overwatch Data, where Zara details the company's mission to harness AI to process OSINT (open-source intelligence) and provide actionable insights for businesses. She describes the challenges of collecting and analyzing data from the dark web and fraudulent networks, explaining how Overwatch leverages automation and investigative techniques to detect threats and fraud. She also discusses the business side of the startup, from finding the right market fit to the importance of customer feedback in shaping their solutions. Throughout the conversation, Zara and host Chris Magistrado delve into the complexities of cybercrime, the evolving threat landscape, and the role of AI in modern threat intelligence, offering listeners a fascinating look into the intersection of security, AI, and entrepreneurship.

People