Inside Illumio: Minerva Panda

Inside Illumio is a monthly series that highlights the exceptional individuals behind Illumio's world-class products. Each post will peek behind the scenes to spotlight a member of our team. Come get to know us a little better and learn more about what makes Illumio's culture so unique.

This month, meet Minerva Panda, Manager of AI & ML Engineering at Illumio. Learn what makes building Illumio’s AI/ML program so exciting, how Illumio’s value of leveraging differences makes for better innovation, and what’s been Minerva’s favorite part of her recent move from New York City to San Francisco.

Tell us about yourself. What do you do at Illumio?

I lead the AI/ML Engineering team at Illumio. We collect and analyze huge amounts of traffic and policy data for various customer use cases.  

At the core of our team’s work is improving our customers' operational efficiency by helping them get the most value out of our products. Ultimately, our goal is to make Illumio Zero Trust Segmentation easier and faster to use by automating manual processes using machine learning algorithms.

One exciting example is our language assistant, Illumio Virtual Advisor (IVA). Instead of navigating through multiple UI elements, customers can simply type natural language queries. IVA Agents leverage advanced reasoning based on user queries to seamlessly guide users within Illumio's user interface and perform actions on network and policies. This improves productivity and simplifies security operations.  

What made you interested in working at Illumio?

I was drawn to Illumio because it was an opportunity to build something from the ground up — a zero-to-one AI/ML initiative.  

Before Illumio, I worked in healthcare and social media, tackling problems ranging from early cancer detection using AI to optimizing user engagement on social platforms. But deep down, I wanted to return to a field that was challenging and critical. Cybersecurity felt like the perfect fit.

Security is a high-stakes domain dealing with sensitive data. Users rely on it to stay protected and secure. The idea of using AI-driven automation to strengthen security while simplifying adoption was incredibly exciting for me.  

At the time, Illumio didn’t have a dedicated AI/ML team. The prospect of leading that effort made me eager to join and contribute to something completely new at Illumio.

What does a day in the life of Minerva look like? What are you working on that excites you?

I spend a significant amount of time driving technical direction and vision for our AI/ML initiatives. I make sure they align with various customer segments and high-profile projects.  

Some of our key innovations so far include:  ‍

• ‍AI labeling: Automatically analyzing and categorizing workloads ‍
• Illumio Virtual Advisor: Our LLM-based feature that allows customers to interact with our UI using natural language  

Another crucial aspect of my role is empowering my team by removing inefficiencies, resolving blockers, and guiding the technical vision to take full advantage of AI advancements.  

Part of my day is also focused on hiring and team building. It’s been incredibly exciting to meet so many people who are passionate about cybersecurity and AI.

I also stay up to date with the latest in AI/ML by actively engaging with thought leaders, open-source projects, and research publications. AI is evolving quickly. Being socially connected to the AI community helps me keep pace with innovations and explore how they might be applicable to cybersecurity.  

What is the most important thing you've learned at Illumio so far?

The possibilities with AI/ML are vast. It’s easy to want to tackle everything at once because everything feels urgent, especially when you’re building something from scratch. But I’ve learned that prioritization is most important.  

At Illumio, we focus on what provides the most value to our customers. We started by addressing core customer workflows, like policy writing, and making them simpler with automation and natural language processing.  

This approach has already led to great feedback. We’ve showcased our innovations at RSA Conference, with Forrester, and in other key industry forums. Several of our features are already integrated into the Illumio platform.  

What are you passionate about outside of your career?

I love traveling, especially to places that bring me closer to nature. I recently moved from New York City to San Francisco, and one of the best parts has been the easy access to stunning natural landscapes.  

I enjoy journaling my experiences while exploring new places. One of my favorite recent trips was to Yosemite!

Which Illumio core value resonates with you and why?

Leverage differences. As an AI engineer, I don’t work in isolation. I collaborate with product managers, security researchers, and customers to truly understand how Illumio’s platform is used and how we can improve it.  

Different stakeholders have different perspectives on solving problems. My role involves bringing these ideas together, setting the right direction, and making thoughtful decisions about our approach.  

It’s also important when communicating AI/ML concepts. Many stakeholders aren’t deeply familiar with AI, so I have to explain complex technologies in ways that make sense for different audiences.  

Embracing diverse ideas and customizing solutions for different customer personas — whether it’s security engineers, CIOs, or SMBs — has been invaluable.  

What do you want people to know about working at Illumio?

Illumio offers an incredible opportunity to make an impact.  

We’re tackling new and complex problems, and the people here are open to innovation. What makes Illumio so exciting is the ability to brainstorm freely, bring in new ideas, and collaborate on solutions

There’s a culture of embracing innovation and openness. That’s what drives me to show up every day and push the boundaries of what AI can do in cybersecurity.  

Interested in joining the team? Check out our career openings.