Programs · Industry-led Finishing School

Cyber & OT Security

“As AI drives the next wave of digital transformation, cyber resilience — not just visibility — is key to securing our digital future.” — Kavitha Mariappan, Chief Transformation Officer at Rubrik

Modern cyber warfare no longer stops at data theft; it directly targets the physical systems powering utilities, manufacturing lines, and supply chains.

6 months · Full-timeVTU ApprovedNASSCOM SSC Aligned

90%

Hands-on labs & simulations

6 mo.

Full-time immersive program

VTU + NASSCOM

Approved & SSC-aligned

CXO-led

Mentored by industry practitioners

iAspire Mind Foundation

Knowledge Partner

Program Overview

Defend the operations that move the world.

Modern cyber warfare no longer stops at data theft; it directly targets the physical systems powering utilities, manufacturing lines, and supply chains. Protecting these highly complex, unified IT and Operational Technology (OT) environments requires a unique hybrid skillset that traditional computer science degrees simply do not teach.

Our six-month "For Industry–By Industry" Cyber & OT Security Finishing School Bootcamp Program is engineered specifically to solve this talent crisis for our corporate partners. This fast-paced, deeply technical curriculum is specifically curated and delivered by industry experts and CXO mentors, where students undergo an extensive deep-dive hands-on training process — building a robust pipeline of specialised Cyber & OT Security professionals tailored to meet the immediate security needs of modern industry.

Learning Outcomes

What you'll be able to do on day one.

Eight capabilities — the arc of a modern security career, from the first firewall rule to the boardroom.

01Defensive

Defend enterprise networks

Design segmentation, next-gen firewall rules and zero-trust access so lateral movement stops at the perimeter — and never crosses the crown-jewel boundary.

02Offensive

Run ethical penetration tests

Recon, exploit, pivot, report. Learn the full offensive workflow on live systems inside a purpose-built isolated lab.

03Operations

Operate a modern SOC

Triage, hunt, respond — use SIEM and SOAR tooling to build the muscle memory of a Tier-1/Tier-2 analyst on day one.

04AppSec

Secure the full SDLC

Code review, threat modelling, API security and DevSecOps controls baked into the delivery pipeline — security ships alongside the feature.

05OT Security

Protect critical infrastructure

Harden SCADA, PLCs and DCS environments across the Purdue model — industrial protocols, OT threat intel and incident response tailored to plants and grids.

06AI Defence

Apply AI-assisted defence

Use machine learning for anomaly detection, phishing analysis and malware triage — turn adversary emulation into a repeatable team exercise.

07Governance

Talk risk to the board

Translate technical exposure into governance language, control frameworks and business-outcome dashboards leadership will act on.

08Portfolio

Ship recruiter-ready work

Leave with a red-team engagement, a SOC playbook and an OT hardening plan — three concrete pieces that show what you can do.

Program Duration · Six months · Full-time

1,200 hours of deep, industry-led learning.

960 hrs

Immersive technical training

Led by industry practitioners.

120 hrs

Soft-skills & life-skills

Communication, teamwork and leadership.

48 hrs

Mentoring sessions

1:1 and cohort sessions with industry CXOs.

72 hrs

Hackathons & industry sessions

Real-world problems, judged by industry leaders.

Curriculum · 7 core modules

Curriculum built by industry practitioners.

01Network Essentials & Network Security

TCP/IP deep-dive, routing and switching security, next-gen firewalls, segmentation, secure remote access and zero-trust network architectures.

02Identity & Access Management

Authentication, MFA, SSO, federation, privileged access management and identity governance across cloud and on-prem environments.

03Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration Testing (VAPT)

Reconnaissance, exploitation, post-exploitation and reporting — hands-on with industry-standard offensive tooling in an isolated lab.

04Security Operations Center (SOC)

Live SIEM operations, alert triage, threat hunting, incident response playbooks and SOAR automation on a working analyst console.

05Application Security

Secure coding, OWASP Top 10, code review, threat modelling, API security and DevSecOps controls in the delivery pipeline.

06OT Security

Securing SCADA, PLCs and DCS in critical infrastructure — Purdue model, industrial protocols, OT-specific threat intel and incident response.

07AI for Security Applications

Applying AI/ML to anomaly detection, phishing analysis, malware triage, adversary emulation and augmenting the modern SOC.

Industry Mentors

The partial list of proposed Industry Mentors.

CISOs, InfoSec leaders and industry practitioners who mentor the Cyber Security Bootcamp cohort — 1:1 and cohort sessions across the six months.

Mr. Dhawal Shrivastava	Sr. Security Assurance Engineering Lead
Dr. Nidhish Bhatnagar	Ex-Director Rashtriya Raksha University; Professor of Practice
Dr. Lalit Gupta	Global InfoSec Leader & President — Cyber Security Council of India; Sr. Partner
Mr. Abhishek Mohanty	Senior Cyber Security Leader
Dr. Ram Kumar G	Cyber Security & Risk Leader
Mr. Aditya Kumar	CISO
Mr. Gourav Bhatra	CEO
Mr. Suresh Sharma	CISO
Mr. Gokulavan Jayaraman	CISO
Mr. Bithal Bharadwaj	CEO
Dr. Durga Prasad Dube	Security Leader and Executive Vice President
Dr. Pawan K Sharma	CISO
Mr. Saurabh Jagtap	Senior Cyber Security Leader & Industry Speaker
Mr. Jatinkumar Modh	Founder
Ms. Shubhangee Shelke	VP
Mr. Sanjay Mistry	Senior Leader
Mr. Gokulavan Jayaraman	Head Information Security
Ms. Sakshi Vidur	Global BISO
Ms. Archna Bhardwaj	Head HR
Dr. Indu Sharma	Industry Leader and Educator
Dr. Santhosh Kumar Sharma	Industry Leader and Educator
Mr. Nikunj Bhatiya	Founder & CEO
Mr. Hiren Sadhwani	Cyber Security Leader
Mr. Rahul Singh	Cyber Security Leader
Mr. Mayan Arora	Cyber Security Leader

Certifications & Assessment

Credentials that hiring managers recognise.

VTU

VTU Approved

Program certified by Visvesvaraya Technological University — India's premier technical university.

NASSCOM

NASSCOM SSC Aligned

Assessment aligned to NASSCOM Sector Skills Council job roles for cyber-security professionals.

VSI

VSI Program Certificate

Awarded on successful completion of coursework, capstone and industry-mentor assessment.

OEM

OEM Track Certificates

Additional certifications from partner OEMs (Cisco, Fortinet, Palo Alto) via elective tracks.

Placement Assistance

Career support built into the program.

Assured placement with participating industry partners.
Dedicated career services team — resumes, mock interviews, portfolio reviews.
Industry mentor assigned to every learner through the program.
Direct-hire pipelines with the OEM and enterprise partners listed alongside.

Alumni hired at

Pedagogy

Industry-by-industry experiential learning.

VSI's Industry-by-industry experiential learning pedagogy, led by industry practitioners and CXO mentors, bridges academic theory and workplace practice — replacing static lectures with a curated curriculum comprising 90% hands-on, sector-specific problem-solving, assignments, real-time projects with participating industry partners and assured placement.

Programs are tailored to unique market demands, ensuring learners gain direct exposure to real tools & technologies, application environments and industry professional skills — becoming truly industry-ready professionals.

Eligibility criteria

Who this program is for.

Qualification

BTech · MTech · MCA

Any recognised technical degree at bachelor's or master's level.

Branches

IT & Circuit branches

CSE, ISE, IT, ECE, EEE, EIE and allied streams.

Batch year

2026 & 2027 pass-outs

Final-year and recent graduates from these two cohorts.

Academics

60% career score

Consistent 60% aggregate through 10th, 12th and graduation.

Backlogs

No active backlogs

Required for 2027 candidates at the time of application.

FAQs

Answers to the questions we hear most.

Do I need prior cyber-security experience to enrol?

No prior cyber-security experience is required. A BTech / MTech / MCA background in IT or circuit branches with the stated academic scores is sufficient — we start from network fundamentals and build up to advanced topics.

Is the program full-time or can it be done alongside a job?

The Cyber & OT Security program is a full-time six-month immersive program on the VTU Bengaluru campus. Attendance and lab hours are mandatory.

What certifications will I receive?

You receive a VTU-approved VSI Program Certificate and NASSCOM Sector Skills Council–aligned assessment credentials. OEM-track electives (Cisco, Fortinet, Palo Alto) offer additional partner certifications.

Is placement assured?

Yes — assured placement is offered through the participating industry partners upon successful completion of coursework, capstone and the industry-mentor assessment.

How much of the program is practical vs theoretical?

Roughly 90% of the program is hands-on — live labs, threat simulations, red-team exercises, SOC operations and capstone projects on real infrastructure.

How do I apply and what does admission look like?

Applications are made through the VSI Apply Now flow. Shortlisted candidates take a short online admission assessment and an interview with the VSI faculty and industry mentor panel.