IIT Kanpur Launches Hackathon to Empower Startups in Cybersecurity Startups will pitch their solutions to a panel of industry experts, with selected teams gaining access to incubation support at IIT Kanpur to help bring their ideas to market
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The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has announced the launch of its global cybersecurity hackathon, Hack IITK 2024, aimed at fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the cybersecurity domain. Open to students, professionals, and aspiring startups, the hackathon offers a platform to tackle real-world cybersecurity challenges through collaboration and competition. Registrations are open until January 9, 2025, at hackathon.iitk.ac.in.
Hack IITK 2024, organized by the Cybersecurity Technology Innovation Hub (C3iHub) and powered by Techkriti, will take place in a hybrid format. The qualification and challenge rounds will be conducted online, and the Grand Finale will be hosted at the IIT Kanpur campus in February 2025.
Participants will address problem statements crafted by cybersecurity experts, focusing on critical areas like IT Security, Web3 Security, AI/ML Security, and Mobile Security, Cyber Crime, Automotive Security, Mobile Security, and Privileged Access Management (PAM).
The hackathon features two tracks: the Solution Track, designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students, and the Startup Track, tailored for early-stage startups. Startups will pitch their solutions to a panel of industry experts, with selected teams gaining access to incubation support at IIT Kanpur to help bring their ideas to market. The event also provides an opportunity for startups to collaborate with key industry players and benefit from mentorship.
With support from partners such as Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL), NTT DATA, Saptang Labs, SecureDApps, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and platform partners Hack2Skill and Prutor, Hack IITK 2024 offers a prize pool of over INR 30 lakh, including INR 5 lakh in cash prizes and AWS Cloud Credits. A jury panel comprising leading experts from academia and industry will evaluate the participants' solutions during the final phase.
According to Prof. Sandeep Shukla, Project Director of C3iHub, "Hack IITK is more than just a competition; it's a platform for fostering innovation, nurturing talent, and addressing real-world cybersecurity challenges. By bringing together students, professionals, and startups, we aim to create solutions that will shape the future of cybersecurity and drive entrepreneurial growth."
