Ethical Hacking Career In India: Skills That Beat Degrees

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Ethical Hacking Career In India: Why Skills Matter More Than Degrees And English

"Criminals are the most innovative people in the entire world. They've just been given the wrong direction."

On the Accompany Akki podcast, cyber crime expert Dr. Kanishk Gaur, who teaches at IIT Delhi and MDI Gurgaon, explained why India needs to rethink how it identifies and hires tech talent, especially in cybersecurity.

Why cybersecurity needs people who think like attackers

According to Dr. Gaur, people with criminal experience are often among the first to help solve cyber crime cases, because they understand how attacks work. He points to figures like Harshad Mehta as examples of misdirected innovation. With the right direction and opportunity, such skills can contribute positively.

Ethical hacking channels these same skills, including understanding phishing and social engineering, into protecting people and systems.

Can people who took the wrong path come back?

Dr. Gaur says many want to. Thousands of Indians involved in scams in Cambodia have been brought back by the government, and young people with hacking skills have approached him wanting to change direction. However, he acknowledges that today, few employers are willing to accept them.

Skills that matter in ethical hacking

• Resilience: Trying one approach, failing, and trying another until it works
• Testing mindset: Dr. Gaur says hacking involves more testing than programming
• Problem-solving through iteration
• Hands-on experience over theory

Why English shouldn't be the hiring filter

Candidates from tier 2 and tier 3 towns, or those who didn't study in English medium, may not communicate fluently but can be technically very sharp. Dr. Gaur urges employers to hire on overall skill, not communication or looks.

Hackathons: a better way to hire

Instead of relying only on exams and interviews, Dr. Gaur recommends that startups and large businesses run hackathons to hire. Live problems reveal real ability.

Beyond UPSC, NEET and engineering

Many young Indians, especially in villages, believe success means clearing UPSC or NEET, or becoming an engineer. Dr. Gaur says there are alternate professions, like cybersecurity, where they can do very well. Rote learning matters less, especially now that AI can handle much of what memorisation used to.

How to start an ethical hacking career

This section is general guidance, not from the conversation.

1. Learn networking and operating system basics.
2. Take legitimate ethical hacking courses.
3. Practice on legal training platforms and capture-the-flag competitions.
4. Join hackathons to build experience and visibility.
5. Explore responsible bug bounty programmes.
6. Build a portfolio of projects and write-ups.
7. Only test systems you have explicit permission to access.

Key takeaways

• The same skills can protect or harm; direction matters.
• Resilience and testing matter more than pure programming.
• Employers should hire on skill, not English fluency.
• Hackathons can uncover talent that exams miss.
• Cybersecurity is a strong alternative career path for young Indians.

Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/LFw6Gq86niw

Join the Accompany Akki WhatsApp channel: https://wa.openinapp.co/a46ji

Would you consider a career in cybersecurity? What's stopping you?