Build Your Career in Cyber Security

A question I get asked a lot these days is, how did I get into the field of Cyber Security? Ever since I started using computers, I’ve been fascinated and thrilled by this field. I started hacking (in it’s true sense) at an early age of 14. The first time I tried to install Linux, I accidentally deleted the entire hard drive, thus loosing all my data with it. This happened when I was in 8th standard, so there wasn’t much awareness about the importance of backups. With time my adventures continued. But I officially entered this field three years back. That’s a story for another day.

At the time when I did my 12th, there weren’t many Universities offering a course in Cyber Security or Information Security and even those who did weren’t well known. However, today time has changed. A lot of universities and colleges of national and international repute have started offering a degree course in this field. Students now have the flexibility to enter this field either right after 12th or after completing their graduation. Besides degree courses there are a international organizations like ISACA, (ISC)2, EC-Council, DRI, DSCI etc. which provide internationally accepted certifications in this field.

The aim of this article is to provide guidance to those who wish to enter this field, either at graduate or post graduate level. A list of institutions providing these courses is given below, along with a link to the course curriculum (wherever possible).

Courses in Cyber Security at Undergraduate Level

A prerequisite for any Cyber Security professional is to have a good understanding of Computer Science. For this purpose, interested students can pursue B. Tech/ B.E. in Computer Science or Information Technology. However, there are a few universities which offer specialization in Cyber Security at Undergraduate level. These are:

Course	University/Institute	Link
B.Tech Computer Science & Engineering with specialization in IT Security & Cyber Forensics in association with IBM	UPES, Dehradun	http://goo.gl/B5TJBt
B.Tech. Information Technology with specialization in Cyber Security	HITS, Chennai	https://goo.gl/xRHybt

Courses in Cyber Security at Graduate Level

Post B. Tech./B.E. the options open up. There are many government as well as private universities/colleges offering Master’s in Cyber Security, in both areas, technology and management.

Course	University/Institute	Link
M. Tech in Information Security	ABV-Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Gwalior	http://goo.gl/rkcwIf
M. Tech in Information Security	Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar	http://goo.gl/Z67Pkw
M. Tech in Cyber Laws and Information Security	IIIT, Allahabad	https://goo.gl/L3P4qc
M. Tech in Computer Science and Engineering – Information Security	NIT Karnataka, Surathkal	http://goo.gl/fvWO9D
M.Tech in Information Systems Security Engineering	NIT, Jamshedpur	http://goo.gl/sEFCAq
M.Tech. Information Security	MNNIT, Allahabad	http://goo.gl/4s57g7
M.Tech in Information security	MANIT, Bhopal	http://goo.gl/dzzgnp
M. Tech. in Information Security	NIT, Rourkela	http://goo.gl/1VMgOM
M. Tech. in Cyber Security	Amrtia University	https://goo.gl/fgBN8D
M.Tech.(CSE) with specialization in Information Security	Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi	https://goo.gl/FK4Yeu

Courses in Cyber Security at Doctorate Level

Following are few colleges offering Ph.D courses in this field:

Course	University/Institute	Link
Ph.D. in Information Security	ABV-Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Gwalior	http://goo.gl/mpcVcN
M. TECH- PH.D. DUAL DEGREE IN CLIS	IIIT, Allahabad	https://goo.gl/L3P4qc

Please note that above mentioned lists are indicative, there might be other universities/colleges offering similar courses which I have not included. The list will be updated on a regular basis based on the inputs received from readers and my own research. Interested readers may also want to go through this article, published in The Hindu, December 12, 2010.