Student Hacks IIT Kanpur, IIT Madras Sites After Denied Entry Can Now Get Seat

An aspirant to Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur’s (IIT-K) cyber security program hacked the website of the premier engineering institute after he was denied admission to IIT-K’s newly launched Bachelor of Cyber Security program. The student also left a message on the IIT-K website: “The site is hacked. All I need is a fair chance,” news agency PTI reported.

The incident came to the fore earlier this week after a student uploaded a post on Reddit claiming that he had breached the websites of IIT-K and IIT Madras following his rejection from the university’s cybersecurity program.

He shared a screenshot of the alleged breach and wrote that his only intention was to demonstrate his technical prowess.

According to his posts, he said he completed the application process by paying the required fee, uploading all the necessary documents and providing evidence of his cybersecurity work. Despite this, he claimed he was not shortlisted, which prevented him from participating in the hackathon, a key stage of the admissions process.

The student may get another chance

Reacting to the incident, IIT Kanpur director Manindra Agrawal told PTI that the student was not shortlisted because he lacked prior experience in cyber security.

“The admission process for this academic session has already ended, so admission is not possible now. However, we will invite the student to the institute, assess his technical skills through a proper test and if he proves his eligibility, we will give him an opportunity in the next admission cycle,” Agrawal said.

Agrawal confirmed that the student accessed certain parts of the official websites of IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras.

He added that senior faculty members and engineers have been asked to meet with the student and counsel him, stressing that unauthorized access to computer systems is illegal and must not be repeated.

IIT Kanpur is now considering assessing the technical skills of the student and may give him another chance to join the institute.

The institute initially considered an FIR

An IIT Kanpur official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the institute had initially considered filing a first information report (FIR) but decided to first verify the student’s claim and assess his technical skills before deciding on a course of action.

The official added that IIT Kanpur has a history of nurturing young talent in the field of cyber security. Earlier this year, the institute had offered a seat in its C3iHub to a young person who exposed vulnerabilities in CBSE’s online portal for screen marking.