CS Major Vitthal Agarwal Dominates Hackathons 

Vitthal Agarwal, a freshman double majoring in computer science and mathematics at the University of Maryland, has quickly established himself in the hackathon circuit. The international student has competed in several high-profile events, securing first-place finishes in the blockchain category at HackMIT and the cybersecurity track at Hacklytics 2025.   

Agarwal and his team, which included students from Georgia Tech, developed "Phisherman," a cybersecurity training platform that uses artificial intelligence to simulate phishing attacks. Built with React, Next.js, Python and Flask, the project trains employees to recognize and defend against social engineering threats.  

Early Interest  

Agarwal’s interest in programming began in high school when he studied artificial intelligence as a theoretical subject. While he was drawn to AI’s real-world applications, his experience remained mostly conceptual until he joined UMD's Break Through Tech Guild program. There, Assistant Professor of Computer Science Elias Gonzalez introduced him to software development fundamentals, UML diagrams and project structuring.  

“He emphasized the importance of planning a project before writing code,” Agarwal said. “That completely changed the way I thought about problem-solving.”  

Getting Involved  

Hackathons first caught Agarwal’s attention through university lectures and student groups. Their emphasis on real-world applications and fast-paced problem-solving intrigued him. He became involved in UMD’s hackathon community, where opportunities are shared through group chats and computer science newsletters. These networks led him to major competitions, including HackMIT, PennApps, MIT Energy Hack and HackHarvard, where he and his teammates worked on projects ranging from blockchain-based carbon trading to predictive AI models.  

Hacklytics 2025, held Feb. 21–23 at Georgia Tech, proved to be a turning point. The event, which drew over 700 participants and 250 teams, allowed Agarwal to collaborate with students outside UMD.  

“I met my Hacklytics teammates through networking channels and our UMD hackathon circles,” Agarwal said. “Some were Georgia Tech students, and through them, I gained insights into their tech culture and AI/ML research.”  

Phisherman Project  

At Hacklytics 2025, Agarwal’s team created “Phisherman”, an AI-powered phishing attack simulation platform designed to train employees against cyber threats. Many companies rely on basic anti-phishing training that lacks real-world scenarios. Phisherman addresses this gap by generating adaptive phishing simulations using AI and large language models.  

The project incorporated Retell AI for deepfake calls and ChatGPT-4o for real-time response analysis. It simulated phishing attempts through email and voice-based attacks, logged interactions with Flask API and MongoDB, and provided real-time feedback. Built with industry code bases, it also integrated Twilio API for phone-based phishing attempts. Phisherman won first place in the cybersecurity track and was recognized for its practical application and AI-driven automation.  

Agarwal credited UMD’s AI/ML Club, data science coursework and faculty support for helping him develop his skills. For Agarwal, the win at Hacklytics validated his work in AI, cybersecurity and data science.  

“This was not just a tech project—it was a step toward solving a real-world problem that impacts millions,” he said.  

Future Plans  

Agarwal sees potential in expanding Phisherman beyond the hackathon stage.  

“One company encouraged me to apply to the ICP Blockchain Network and consider starting a blockchain club at UMD,” Agarwal said. “I’m also looking into applying to UMD’s Mokhtarzada Hatchery program, which funds student startups, because I feel they could take me to the next level.”  

The Hatchery program, he noted, could provide critical assistance to develop his projects.  

“The Hatchery offers high-compute resources usually reserved for faculty research, along with funding to develop a product prototype,” Agarwal said. “Access to experienced founders who have built successful tech startups would be invaluable.”  

Agarwal hopes his success encourages more UMD students to apply for hackathons.  

“If I, as a freshman, can do it, anyone can,” he said. “Many students hesitate because they think they don’t have enough experience. But hackathons provide hands-on learning opportunities you don’t get in class.”  

Agarwal plans to continue exploring AI, blockchain, and cybersecurity through hackathons and entrepreneurial ventures.  

“I want to keep pushing myself out of my comfort zone,” Agarwal said. “Hackathons have allowed me to connect with some of the most innovative minds and work on meaningful projects. I hope to take these experiences and build something impactful.”

—Story by Samuel Malede Zewdu, CS Communications