Harshavardhan Malla is an Information Security Engineer, researcher, and systems architect specializing in AI-driven remediation and automated cloud infrastructure security. He currently leads security modernization and cloud defense operations for state public infrastructure, orchestrating self-healing remediation pipelines across multi-region cloud environments supporting thousands of enterprise endpoints. A frequent industry contributor, Harshavardhan focuses on developing scalable frameworks that quantifiably minimize infrastructure vulnerability surfaces and data exposure windows. Additionally, to further support the conference, I would be highly interested in serving as a peer reviewer or judge for the virtual research tracks or poster sessions. Please let me know if the program committee is currently accepting additional expert reviewers.

Title: Architecting PolicyGate: Cutting CJI Cloud Exposure by 70% with Preventive Guardrails   Abstract: Modern cloud ecosystems rely heavily on reactive, post-incident SIEM detection, leaving sensitive cloud data and Criminal Justice Information (CJI) exposed during critical exploit windows. This session introduces PolicyGate, an automated cloud architecture framework that deploys real-time preventive guardrails directly into automated data pipelines. Based on empirical testing, our findings demonstrate that preventive guardrails cut cloud data exposure by 70% compared to traditional detection methods, scaling up to an 81% reduction as violations recur, all while keeping false-block costs fixed. Attendees will walk away with a practical architectural blueprint for designing zero-trust cloud infrastructure that minimizes exposure without disrupting business operations.