Srinagar, Oct 30 (KNS): The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar organised a five-day Cybersecurity Awareness and Bug Hunt 2026 programme from October 25 to 30, providing students an opportunity to strengthen their cybersecurity skills, identify potential digital vulnerabilities and develop practical expertise in ethical hacking.

The initiative, organised by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Student Chapter of the Departments of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) and Information Technology (IT), featured expert interactions, cybersecurity awareness sessions, technical activities and a hands-on bug hunt competition.

Director NIT Srinagar Prof Anurag Misra highlighted the growing importance of cybersecurity in an increasingly digital world and encouraged students to enhance their technical capabilities to contribute towards building a safer and more secure digital environment.

Registrar Prof Atikur Rehman and Dean Research and Consultancy Prof Roohie Naaz Mir also emphasised the importance of technological innovation, research-oriented learning and practical exposure in preparing students to address emerging cybersecurity challenges.

Jyoti Kushwaha, Scientist-D and Joint Director, Electronics and IT Department, Bureau of Indian Standards, attended the programme as chief guest.

Addressing the participants, she stressed the need for greater digital awareness, adoption of safe online practices and vigilance against evolving cyber threats.

The highlight of the programme was the Bug Hunt competition, in which students demonstrated their technical skills by identifying and reporting potential security vulnerabilities.

Team 404 Found, comprising B.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelTech students Piyush Dhakad, Vansh Saini and Prince, secured the first position and received a cash prize of ?10,000.

Team Pasikdar, comprising M.Tech students Younis Ayoub Parray, Malik Tafheem and Iram Naseer, finished second and received ?7,500, while Karuturi Gowri Shankar secured the third position with a cash prize of ?5,000.

Three participants — Pranjul Khankriyal, Veer Rastogi and Mohsin Wani — received consolation prizes in recognition of their performance.

Team CodeSaga, comprising Ritik Bhardwaj, Mohammed Anas and Dashmesh Deep Singh, earned special recognition for identifying and responsibly reporting a security vulnerability during the competition.

The initiative was guided by Chief Information Security Officer Dr Ahsan Chishti, BIS Nodal Officer Dr Iqra Altaf Gillani and Deputy Chief Information Security Officer Dr Sparsh Sharma.

The programme was led by Disha Mehra, a fourth-year Computer Science and Engineering student.

Besides the technical competition, the event featured interactive activities and cybersecurity-based quizzes aimed at familiarising students with responsible digital behaviour, online safety measures and emerging security risks.

Organisers said the initiative was designed to encourage ethical hacking, strengthen practical cybersecurity skills and promote responsible vulnerability reporting among students.

They said such programmes help bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world cybersecurity challenges while encouraging students to develop innovative solutions for protecting digital systems and information. (KNS)