World renowned Cyber Security expert 23 years old lad from Mumbai is declared as "MTV Youth Icon 2008” today. He is one of the eight winners (the others are Rahul Mishra, Sarath Babu, MC Marykom, Mangesh Hadawale, Blaaze, Nitish Mishra & Ishita Khanna) off the total 30 nominees. These 30 were shortlisted out of 8000 entries received from across India. And seven are finally declared as winners. Ankit Fadia is one of them. The poll was conducted through an online and SMS voting process. These seven winners are the youngsters who’ve followed their hearts and have made a difference to the world we live in. These are the youth who made a difference to others. They may not be a super achievers, but, made a difference, says the MTV website.
The award is a platform created expressly for the youth to identify their new-age role-models. The award celebrates the heroes of the young India. The past winners of the MTV Youth Icon awards include Anil Ambani, Rahul Dravid, Shah Rukh Khan, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Orkut.com etc.
This years Pepsi and MTV Youth Icons are young people who have made a difference.
Commenting on being chosen for the award Ankit Fadia said, “I am truly delighted on winning the award. Through this award I hope to connect with the youth of India and inspire them to be more aware and alert about Cyber Security. Today’s youth are the future of this Country and they can play an instrumental role in ensuring a safe tomorrow. Cyber Security will increasingly play a greater role in avoiding any terror threats in the future and the youth of this Country can ensure that, just by being alert and informed.”
A child genius, he's a cyber security Guru at the age when most people have graduated says MTV on its website www.mtvyouthicon.in.com. Ankit Fadia started hacking at the age of 12 when he was gifted a new computer by his parents. He soon became an expert with it and started his own site giving tutorials. This was an instant success and got as many as 40,000 registered members. His first hack was at the age of 13 on the Chip India magazines website. For 2 days anyone who went on the website saw his photo. On the 3rd day he sent Chip an e-mail telling them their problems and how to fix them for fear of being thrown in jail by them. Instead the magazine offered him a job!
The success of his website and his expertise in hacking encouraged him to write a book on hacking. The tutorials were compiled into a book, when he was 14. Little did he know that this book would become a worldwide bestseller having sold three millions of copies. His books were soon translated into 11 languages and outsourced to the U.S. At the age of 16 years after the Sept. 11th attacks, he cracked an encrypted email sent by the Al-Qaeda terrorist network for a classified intelligence agency. Fadia was successful in that assignment.
Although Ankit had now moved to the other side of law; i.e. from unethical hacking to ethical hacking.
In India where hacking is still considered as an abuse and people still talk about hacking in a hush hush tone. Fadia, the world renowned Cyber Security Expert was consulted by Navi Mumbai Police Department to trace the terror email sent just a few minutes before the Gujarat serial blasts. He also helped Mumbai police in 26/11 blast case. Ankit has put his own security at risk and has always come forward time and again to share his information and knowledge with the authorities to help them catch the cyber criminals. Ankit Fadia has been regularly consulted by security agencies across the globe for breaking encrypted messages sent by unsocial elements. He is involved in numerous classified projects pertaining to International Security and Computer Networks.
Some of the security agencies who consult him include Singapore Police, Inland Revenue Authority (Singapore), Inland Revenue Board (Malaysia), Ministry of Defense (Singapore), NISER (Malaysia), Ministry of National Development (Singapore), Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore), Monetary Authority of Singapore, Multimedia Super Corridor (Malaysia), Indian Police, Central Forensics Laboratory (Delhi), Kerala Police, Goa Police, Andhra Pradesh Police Department, Andhra Pradesh Forensics Laboratory (Delhi), Pune Police.
These days Ankit is busy with his new initiative of making masses aware of Cyber Crime/Terrorism. Fadia says, “We are living in times where terrorism, AK47s, Hand grenades, Bomb blasts etc. are the words which are now common in the dictionaries of even school going kids and to an extent we all try to protect ourselves in some way or the other against these attacks. But we are still more or less ignorant or unaware about Cyber Terrorism. We are conveniently ignoring the fact that the Cyber Terrorism is far more powerful, within a few minutes; a single computer intrusion is capable of causing losses amounting to millions of dollars.”
“Globally, there's been a tremendous rise in cyber crime; almost a ten fold rise in last 5 years. We must not forget recent cases in Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi blasts where criminals hacked into wi-fi systems of individuals to send terror mails. And still most users continue to remain oblivious to the threat posed by computer criminals, espionage, identity theft, privacy invasion, and cyber terrorism.” says Ankit.
Ankit has launched training programs nationally with his partners Reliance and IMT Ghaziabad to train Cyber Security Professionals and help India fight against Cyber Terrorism. Ankit is currently busy training CEO's & COO's worldwide on Computer Security concerns and solutions. He's also tied up with OOH Media, India's largest out-of-home television company to provide tips on Internet and Cyber Security to common masses through their network of over 4900 screens in more than 22 cities across India.
Ankit is an author of 14 publications which include The Unofficial Guide to Ethical Hacking, Network Security: A Hacker’s Perspective, “The Ethical Hacking Guide to Corporate Security”, “Hacking Mobile Phones”, “Email Hacking, Windows Hacking”, “Google Hacking”, “Intrusion Alert, Encryption”, “Tips and Tricks on Linux”, “Computer Forensics”, “Software Hacking”, “Little Genius: The Ankit Fadia Way”, “Cracking Admissions in Colleges Abroad”.
Ankit today is a widely recognized Ethical Hacker, Computer Security Expert and Cyber Terrorism guru. Written 14 bestselling books, delivered more than 1000 talks in 25 countries, received 45 awards, provides certification courses on Computer Security in India & China, is writing a script for a movie, runs his own consulting company and is a senior at Stanford University. His work has touched & influenced the cyber lives of millions of individuals and organizations worldwide.
th attacks, he cracked an encrypted email sent by the Al-Qaeda terrorist network for a classified intelligence agency. Fadia was successful in that assignment.
Although Ankit had now moved to the other side of law; i.e. from unethical hacking to ethical hacking.
In India where hacking is still considered as an abuse and people still talk about hacking in a hush hush tone. Fadia, the world renowned Cyber Security Expert was consulted by Navi Mumbai Police Department to trace the terror email sent just a few minutes before the Gujarat serial blasts. He also helped Mumbai police in 26/11 blast case. Ankit has put his own security at risk and has always come forward time and again to share his information and knowledge with the authorities to help them catch the cyber criminals. Ankit Fadia has been regularly consulted by security agencies across the globe for breaking encrypted messages sent by unsocial elements. He is involved in numerous classified projects pertaining to International Security and Computer Networks.
Some of the security agencies who consult him include Singapore Police, Inland Revenue Authority (Singapore), Inland Revenue Board (Malaysia), Ministry of Defense (Singapore), NISER (Malaysia), Ministry of National Development (Singapore), Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore), Monetary Authority of Singapore, Multimedia Super Corridor (Malaysia), Indian Police, Central Forensics Laboratory (Delhi), Kerala Police, Goa Police, Andhra Pradesh Police Department, Andhra Pradesh Forensics Laboratory (Delhi), Pune Police.
These days Ankit is busy with his new initiative of making masses aware of Cyber Crime/Terrorism. Fadia says, “We are living in times where terrorism, AK47s, Hand grenades, Bomb blasts etc. are the words which are now common in the dictionaries of even school going kids and to an extent we all try to protect ourselves in some way or the other against these attacks. But we are still more or less ignorant or unaware about Cyber Terrorism. We are conveniently ignoring the fact that the Cyber Terrorism is far more powerful, within a few minutes; a single computer intrusion is capable of causing losses amounting to millions of dollars.”
“Globally, there's been a tremendous rise in cyber crime; almost a ten fold rise in last 5 years. We must not forget recent cases in Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi blasts where criminals hacked into wi-fi systems of individuals to send terror mails. And still most users continue to remain oblivious to the threat posed by computer criminals, espionage, identity theft, privacy invasion, and cyber terrorism.” says Ankit.
Ankit has launched training programs nationally with his partners Reliance and IMT Ghaziabad to train Cyber Security Professionals and help India fight against Cyber Terrorism. Ankit is currently busy training CEO's & COO's worldwide on Computer Security concerns and solutions. He's also tied up with OOH Media, India's largest out-of-home television company to provide tips on Internet and Cyber Security to common masses through their network of over 4900 screens in more than 22 cities across India.
Ankit is an author of 14 publications which include The Unofficial Guide to Ethical Hacking, Network Security: A Hacker’s Perspective, “The Ethical Hacking Guide to Corporate Security”, “Hacking Mobile Phones”, “Email Hacking, Windows Hacking”, “Google Hacking”, “Intrusion Alert, Encryption”, “Tips and Tricks on Linux”, “Computer Forensics”, “Software Hacking”, “Little Genius: The Ankit Fadia Way”, “Cracking Admissions in Colleges Abroad”.
Ankit today is a widely recognized Ethical Hacker, Computer Security Expert and Cyber Terrorism guru. Written 14 bestselling books, delivered more than 1000 talks in 25 countries, received 45 awards, provides certification courses on Computer Security in India & China, is writing a script for a movie, runs his own consulting company and is a senior at Stanford University. His work has touched & influenced the cyber lives of millions of individuals and organizations worldwide.