![]()
CYBER WARRIOR: BOLLYWOOD V/S REALITY
Who is a cyber warrior?
We live in an era where the use of the internet is increasingly indispensable. This use of the internet has led to the creation of large volumes of data which are considered very valuable assets and are prone to threats of theft and breaches. Also, as we are increasingly moving towards the use of cloud technologies and an age of interconnected networks and systems, there has been an increasing risk of cybersecurity threats and attacks. The past decade has seen a slew of major cyber-attacks that have exposed the alarming gaps in cybersecurity and have led to immense financial and reputation losses for some big companies across the globe. To effectively identify these gaps and avert threats, improve the preparedness of organizations and tactfully fight cyber-attackers and hackers, there is a need for skilled and qualified personnel in different aspects of cybersecurity. This is where cyber warriors come in.
Cyber warriors are IT and security professionals or computer experts who identify vulnerabilities in networks, systems and IT infrastructure and defend these from external or internal threats and attacks. They conduct penetration testing and hacking to find the vulnerabilities in the networks before the other hackers can find it. They plan strategies for cybersecurity for organizations and put in place risk mitigation and contingency plans. By doing so, cyber warriors save millions financially and help keep brand reputation intact. The perpetrators of such attacks and cyber warfare for personal reasons or because of one’s belief systems are also referred to as cyber warriors.
Cyber warrior in Bollywood
Bollywood has very few movies and even characters in movies that are cyber warriors. The representation of cyber warriors/ cybersecurity professionals is mostly as supporting characters who are mostly as hackers who engage in hacking either to sabotage someone (mostly a villain or a hero or the Government) or to help the main lead solve a case or save the country.
Cyberwarrior in reality
In reality, however, cyber warriors are IT and security professionals who perform not just hacking or penetration testing but perform a range of functions like threat detection, analysis, security audit, forensic analysis, IT and security management, coding and programming, cybersecurity planning and strategizing, cybersecurity designing, risk management, cyber insurance planning, etc. So, organizations will typically have a team of cybersecurity professionals with different specializations or they will outsource it to organizations that provide cybersecurity as a service. While hackers and penetration testers play an important role in these teams, they are not the only types of cybersecurity professionals as Bollywood movies have led us to believe. Cyber warriors need to have not just specialized technical skills but also need to have integrity and be trustworthy as they are engaging in identifying system and network vulnerabilities; it will be counterproductive if they were to identify the vulnerabilities and themselves engage in breaches.
Unlike our movies, cybersecurity professionals are not supporting or background characters in reality. Their importance is only increasing by the day. Organizations also understand that it is not enough to invest huge sums of money on IT infrastructure without putting in place skilled professionals and a culture of security.
How to become a certified cyber warrior?
There is a constantly increasing demand for skilled and certified professionals in the field of cybersecurity. The qualified professionals in the field receive opulent salaries and perks due to the severe shortage of talent. Academia and the industry have responded with several courses in cybersecurity.
One of the best ways to become a Cyber Warrior is the Certified Cyber Warrior from IIIT Bangalore in association with FISST and Talentedge. This is a comprehensive course that covers various aspects of cybersecurity like foundational concepts, critical control components, cybercrime organizations, web security, physical security, IT assets, laws, best practices, cyber risks and insurance, cybersecurity design, etc. It covers a wide range of cyber adversaries and provides exposure to contemporary areas like IoT device security, cryptocurrencies, blockchain, penetration testing, etc. This is an online course with 60 hours of live lectures scheduled during weekends, 12 hours of self-study of materials available on the Cloud Campus, 8 hours of project work and 16 hours of bootcamp-style on-campus training to interact with faculty, industry experts and peers. conducted through live lectures via the internet during weekends for 60 hours. The pedagogical methods include lectures, discussions, exercises and lab work. A certificate from IIIT can be earned upon successful completion of the course.
If you are a security professional, IT engineer, programmer, penetration tester, security auditor, forensic analyst or a business manager who wishes to keep your skill set and knowledge base updated to the current trends in the field and understand best practices, tips and tricks, this course is the best way to do so. It will give you a competitive edge and help give your career a boost.
✕
