IIT-Kanpur pacts with New York University for cyber security

Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) and New York University (NYU) have collaborated for building cyber security capabilities and increase cooperation in the domain research and innovation.

In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between IIT-K

Centre for Cyber Security for Critical Infrastructure (IITK-CSC) and NYU's Tandon School of Engineering Centre for Cyber Security (NYU-CCS).

The two centres have already been engaged in cooperation for the last couple of years in terms of faculty visits, student internships, short term visits and concurrently organising the Cyber Security Awareness Week competition.

However, the MoU makes the relationship official for closer cooperation and would benefit both the institutes, IITK-CSC professors and joint coordinators Manindra Agrawal and Sandeep K. Shukla said.

Now, both the centres would "strive to become internationally renowned and nationally the most important centre for research, education, public awareness, and national service for securing and defending their national critical infrastructures from cyber attacks and electronic warfare."

They would facilitate bilateral academic scientific relationships and develop cooperative research and teaching projects in fields such as novel methods for improved cyber-attack prevention, detection and mitigation; security of cyber-physical systems in telecom and transportation; and international cyber security and power.

The visiting students would engage in collaborative research and work on specific research problems assigned by the host institute, while visiting faculty be involved in teaching and contributing to the research programmes.

The two centres have agreed to hold joint research and teaching workshops, bringing together junior scholars and faculties from both institutes.

Tandon School of Engineering has a strong research programme in cyber security with multiple research centers spread across their campuses in New York and Abu Dhabi. They also offer a Masters program in Cyber Security and a specialisation in 'Cyberops'.

The MoU has been signed for a period of seven years, which could be extended upon review.

In the backdrop of rising cyber security threats and cyber domain frauds globally, (IIT-K has been strategically building upon its capacity and also seeking central funds to further augment its cyber security research and training activities.

In August 2016, IIT-K had signed a MoU with Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) to enhance its cyber domain security.

Besides, IIT-K had also collaborated with Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center (ICRC) of Tel Aviv University, Israel to facilitate bi-lateral academic relationships, cooperative research and teaching projects.