IIT Kanpur Hires 19-Year-Old Who Flagged CBSE Security Issues. (Img Internet)
New Delhi: IIT Kanpur has recruited 19-year-old cybersecurity researcher Nisarga Adhikary, who recently came into the spotlight after identifying and reporting security concerns in the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) On-Screen Marking (OSM) portal.
The institute has offered him the position of Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) and Threat Intelligence Engineer at its Cybersecurity Technology Innovation Hub, known as C3iHub. The appointment reflects growing recognition of young talent in India’s cybersecurity ecosystem.
Adhikary gained public attention after publishing a detailed blog post outlining alleged vulnerabilities in the OSM portal, a digital platform used by CBSE during the examination evaluation process.
According to his account, he first reported the issues to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) before sharing his findings publicly. The disclosure triggered discussions among cybersecurity professionals and raised broader questions about the security of digital platforms used in the education sector.
His efforts were widely appreciated by members of the cybersecurity community, many of whom praised the responsible reporting of potential vulnerabilities.
IIT Kanpur Director Manindra Agrawal said the institute decided to approach Adhikary after learning about his work and reading his blog post. The young researcher’s technical skills and proactive approach to cybersecurity reportedly impressed officials at the institute.
The hiring highlights the increasing importance of practical cybersecurity expertise, especially as organizations face growing digital security challenges.
As part of IIT Kanpur’s cyber defence initiatives, Adhikary will contribute to projects involving threat intelligence, cybersecurity monitoring, and digital risk assessment.
His responsibilities are expected to include analysing open-source intelligence, identifying vulnerabilities in websites and applications, and helping strengthen cybersecurity frameworks for organizations.
Notably, Adhikary recently completed his Class 12 examinations, making his appointment a remarkable achievement at an early stage of his career.
