Pratham Hegde

Pratham Hegde is a computer science undergraduate at Arizona State University’s Barrett Honors College and a recognized Grand Challenges Scholar, where he actively pursues the intersection of cybersecurity, systems research, and user-centric design.

His work spans multiple domains, from trusted hardware to human-computer interaction with a commitment to building secure and scalable technologies that make a measurable impact.

Pratham’s research contributions began under Professor Hokeun Kim, where he investigated critical vulnerabilities in Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs), proposing novel countermeasures to fortify system integrity. Simultaneously, he learned reverse engineering real-world x86 and MIPS binaries, constructing complex exploit chains involving ASLR/PIE bypasses, ROP chains, and shellcode injection, and developing proof-of-concept attacks on encrypted authentication systems using ECB oracles and SQL injection.

Outside of research, Pratham thrives in applied engineering roles. As a Web Experience Designer for ASU’s University College, he led a full-stack modernization of their digital presence, designing multiple responsive web pages using ASU’s branded system and streamlining backend workflows, which enhanced mobile usability and significantly reduced bounce rates. 

Equally invested in community and leadership, Pratham has served as President of the Indian Students’ Association and Director of Finance for CS+Social Good ASU and other clubs.