Nisarga Adhikary, a cybersecurity researcher, has been appointed as an OSINT and Threat Intelligence Engineer at C3iHub, a research center at IIT Kanpur. The appointment follows Adhikary's identification of security flaws in the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) On-Screen Marking (OSM) portal.
Adhikary's Cybersecurity Role
Adhikary's new position is at IIT Kanpur's C3iHub, a cybersecurity and cyber defence research center. He will focus on Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and threat intelligence.
CBSE OSM Portal Vulnerabilities
Adhikary gained public attention after discovering multiple security weaknesses in the CBSE OSM portal. This portal is used by schools to manage student examination marks. The vulnerabilities could have exposed sensitive student and school data.
The discovered issues involved access control gaps and general data security concerns. These findings raised questions about the security of educational technology platforms handling large amounts of sensitive information.
Responsible Disclosure
Adhikary followed ethical hacking principles. He reported the vulnerabilities to the relevant authorities. This responsible disclosure brought attention to the need for stronger cybersecurity in educational systems. Cybersecurity experts and educators have praised his actions.
IIT Kanpur's Recognition
IIT Kanpur Director Prof. Manindra Agrawal stated that Adhikary possesses notable technical capability for his age. He believes C3iHub will provide Adhikary a suitable environment to develop his skills. This appointment underscores the growing value placed on young talent in cybersecurity. It also highlights the increasing demand for professionals in threat intelligence and OSINT.
The selection signals recognition for ethical hacking and timely vulnerability reporting in India's cybersecurity landscape. This contributes to national cyber defence efforts.
