Ata is broadly interested in social networks, and interdisciplinary applications of network science and computer science in social science domains. He is currently interested in the political impact of social networks and online privacy. He double-majored in Computer Science (BSc) and Electrical Engineering (BSc) at Koç University with a full scholarship. He minored in International Relations. After graduating Magna Cum Laude, he worked for a global airline in their cybersecurity department for two years. He provided internal consulting for IT projects in terms of cybersecurity, privacy, and regulation compliance.