Ethical hacking training institutes log into Digital India dreams

Rise in cyberattacks, shortage of cybersecurity experts is spawning an ecosystem

Nestled somewhere in the shrinking lanes of South Delhi’s Munirka, a small training institute the size of a cybercafé is selling Digital India dreams. For Rs 5,000 per month, you too can land the much-coveted job of an ethical hacker in the central government’s cybersecurity task force. Or so the institute promises. The centre’s name, painted on a small metal board above its main door, announces: “Delhi College for Bright Future in Tech.”

Inside, a small room with eight desktop computers is occupied by 14 students and an instructor. A class on CEH, or certified ethical hacking, is under way.

This centre is one of the several private institutes sprinkled across Delhi’s Ber Sarai, Katwaria Sarai and Munirka localities that offer courses in various aspects of cybersecurity, Web3 services, emerging technologies and so on. These institutes say their courses range from a masters in gaming and metaverse to PG diploma in blockchain development, and a bachelor of computer application (BCA) in computing and cybersecurity.

Each institute comes with its own set of promises. Some claim they have connections with industry leaders, others stress they are the only ones to have a direct link with the central government’s cybersecurity cell. Most promise lucrative placement packages.

Anshu Rahane, who introduces himself as the dean and founder of one such institute, Brightech, says their courses have been certified by Google. Rahane, who describes himself as a self-taught computer ethical hacker, teaches four of the seven courses on offer at Brightech. His lectures, he says, are accompanied by practical demonstrations based on his experience. He knows there are jobs out there for ethical hackers.

While demand for IT jobs isn’t as hot these days, for cybersecurity experts, it appears to be practically sizzling with the threat of cyberattacks becoming real across sectors: banking, health care, e-commerce, government agencies…

Barely four months ago, one of India’s busiest hospitals, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, was thrown into a tizzy after a ransomware attack. The cyberattack paralysed computer-run services at the hospital for over 15 days!

Prasadh M S, head of Workforce Research at Xpheno, a Bengaluru-based specialist staffing solutions company, observes that salary packages for cybersecurity skill sets, which includes ethical hacking, have grown by nearly 40 per cent over the last two years. “The continued demand for talent in this space has seen offers ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh (annual salary) for entry-level talent and up to Rs 42 lakh for senior specialist talent,” he says.  

He also points out that the volume of active accessible talent in cybersecurity has significantly grown by over 42 per cent over the last two years. “The current total volume of active and accessible talent across key cybersecurity and privacy skill sets is over 260,000.”

However, India still faces a shortage of talent.

“Skilled hackers usually build their own portfolios and engage in freelance projects, which pays them better than salaried positions,” says Smitha Sharma, chief technology officer at a Gurugram-based cybersecurity firm. “We have tried hiring certified ethical hackers for a more permanent post, but the attrition rate was so high that we had to ultimately convert the position to a contractual one, where we hire freelance hackers.”

She adds that the contractual position in her company pays more than double of the older salaried position, though it is for a shorter term.

Says Jaideep Kewalramani, head of Employability and chief operating officer, TeamLease EdTech, “The core challenge in building a comprehensive skill development ecosystem for this sector is the rapid technological advancements and ever-emerging threats. This calls for investment of time and money in continuous learning. Combined with a shortage of qualified trainers, this leads to a huge supply-side constraint.”

Skilled, certified ethical hackers and cybersecurity analysts offer advisory services to a company based on its vulnerability reports from around the world. Unlike security researchers, who find flaws in programs and often fix them, analysts are considered to play an entry-level role.

The demand is high for professionals with expertise in threat intelligence, attack containment, cloud security, network security and application security. But supply is short.

Training institutes hope to fill that gap. Besides the smaller ones operating from the commercial centres of Munirka and Ber Sarai, there are the established ones such as Jetking at South Extension in Delhi, the Indian School of Ethical Hacking (ISEH) in Kolkata and FITA Academy in Bengaluru.

About the course structure and specialisation, Neeraj Pathak, tech head at Jetking, says the centre offers both diploma and master courses in cloud computing and cybersecurity, and blockchain development. These courses are three- to nine-month-long, and the institute’s website claims it has placement ties with tech majors such as Apple, IBM and Infosys. 

The ISEH, Global Institute of Cyber Security & Ethical Hacking at Anand Vihar in Delhi and FITA, too, say they have such internship and apprenticeship tie-ups.  

A cybersecurity instructor with ISEH says that given the number of institutes that have sprung up, it is sometimes difficult for students to tell which ones will prepare them for the industry and help them land a job or a project. His advice: “Check if internships are built into the course curriculum. Most of the established, top-tier training schools will provide you with a chance to enrol in internships as you take their courses.” This, he adds, is a clear sign of how well-connected and in-tune the institute is with the industry and its demand.