- By Sarju Saran Tiwari
- Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:33 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
IIT Kanpur Hiring For Cyber Defense Center: In a remarkable transition from an independent student researcher to a mainstream cybersecurity professional, talented tech enthusiast Nisarga Adhikary has been officially appointed as an OSINT and Threat Intelligence Engineer at C3iHub. C3iHub operates as the specialized cybersecurity and cyber defense innovation hub hosted at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. Adhikary captured national attention after independently discovering and reporting critical system vulnerabilities within the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) On-Screen Marking (OSM) infrastructure.
The decision by a premier institute like IIT Kanpur to bring a teenage researcher on board marks a milestone for the Indian tech ecosystem, illustrating a progressive shift toward validating self-taught cybersecurity skills and responsible vulnerability disclosures. The digital platform Adhikary inspected, the OSM portal, serves as a high-stakes network handling millions of student profiles, where CBSE-affiliated institutions across India submit and process official examination marks for annual result compilations.
Director's Commendation and Institutional Support
Welcoming the new addition to the technical team, Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director of IIT Kanpur, highlighted the young engineer's exceptional capabilities.
"Nisarga Adhikary has joined IIT Kanpur's C3iHub as an OSINT and Threat Intelligence Engineer. He is a talented young engineer who has demonstrated noteworthy technical capabilities at a young age," Prof. Agrawal noted. "We believe he has significant potential, and working at IIT Kanpur will provide him with the opportunity to further develop his capabilities while contributing to cybersecurity and threat intelligence initiatives at C3iHub. We wish him the very best in his journey ahead."
Discovery of Vulnerabilities in the CBSE Marking System
While studying the digital architecture of the board's internal marketing portal, Adhikary uncovered severe software loopholes tied to access controls and end-to-end data encryption. Had these security gaps been intercepted by malicious actors or hacker groups, sensitive student data, school identity records, and unreleased marking lists could have been exposed or manipulated.
The incident highlighted deep-seated security challenges within national educational technology networks that process massive blocks of confidential citizen data.
Commitment to Ethical Hacking and Responsible Disclosure
Rather than exploiting the structural flaws for personal gain or releasing the data to unauthorised forums, Adhikary strictly adhered to the principles of ethical hacking. He carefully compiled his findings and systematically escalated the technical flaws to the proper administrative authorities so the loopholes could be patched.
His disciplined approach earned widespread praise from global cybersecurity firms and academic sectors, establishing him as an example of how young talent can positively impact national cyber defense.
Growing Footprint of C3iHub in National Cyber Defense:
Adhikary’s integration into C3iHub highlights the facility's active search for sharp threat-hunting minds to reinforce India's national digital borders. As an OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) specialist, the young researcher will now collaborate with top-tier defense experts at IIT Kanpur to study global digital threats, map software weaknesses, and build secure applications.
This strategic hiring sets a strong precedent for identifying and nurturing exceptional talent outside conventional career tracks to meet India's urgent demand for cybersecurity professionals.