Zara Perumal

Zara Perumal is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Overwatch Data. She leads the development of the company's AI-powered technology, drawing on deep expertise at the intersection of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

Before founding Overwatch Data in 2022, Zara worked at Google's Threat Analysis Group, where she built machine learning and software systems to counter state-sponsored hacking and disinformation, and on the Google Assistant team. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and a Master of Engineering in Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity from MIT's LIDS and CSAIL labs, where she specialized in active learning for malware detection and risk-limiting post-election audits.

Zara is particularly interested in how AI is used both to fight crime and by criminals themselves. She has presented on this topic, testified before Congress, and was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in Enterprise Technology in 2022.