Kanpur : In an unusual turn of events, IIT Kanpur has decided to offer an internship opportunity to a student who hacked the institute’s website after failing to secure admission to its BTech Cyber Security programme, instead of initiating immediate legal action. The student breached the institute’s website and replaced part of it with the message, “Site is Hacked, All I Need Is Just a Fair Chance.”
The student maintained that he never intended to damage the institute’s systems and only wanted to showcase his cybersecurity skills after being denied admission. IIT Kanpur Director Manindra Agrawal said the institute considered filing an FIR but ultimately decided against it to avoid jeopardising the student’s future. Instead, the institute is exploring the possibility of offering him an internship at C3iHub, IIT Kanpur’s cybersecurity technology and innovation centre.
The admission process has already concluded, and there are legal and procedural constraints. We felt the student’s future should not be ruined. We are considering him for an internship at C3iHub, and he can apply for admission again next year, Agrawal said. He further said that applicants to the BTech Cyber Security programme are already provided several opportunities to demonstrate their technical skills, including through hackathons, but the student was unable to meet the selection criteria during the admission process.
While extending an opportunity to the student, the institute stressed that hacking institutional systems is not an acceptable way to seek admission or employment. Agrawal said the decision should not be interpreted as approval of unauthorised access. The IIT Kanpur Director also invited skilled cybersecurity enthusiasts to submit their CVs for internship and job opportunities at C3iHub, urging them to follow ethical and lawful channels to showcase their abilities.
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