‘Bug Bounty Hunter’ student nominated for diversity award
A University of Bradford student who works as a ‘bug bounty hunter’ has been nominated for a national award.
Nikhil Rane, pictured above, who finished his MSc in Cyber Security in January 2024, has been shortlisted in the Cyber Diversity Student Champion Award category at the Cyber Diversity Awards 2024.
The awards, organised by the Ethnic Minority in Cyber (EMiC), honour those who have shown outstanding commitment to fostering diversity, equality and inclusion in cybersecurity. They aim to raise awareness about the under-representation of ethnic minorities in the cybersecurity sector.
Nikhil will find out if he has won the award at the ceremony held at The Halls, Wolverhampton, on Tuesday 5 March, between 18:00 and 22:00.
He said: “I feel good that my University had faith in me to send an application in for me for this award.
“I’m looking forward to attending the awards ceremony. It is my first award show in the UK. There is a lot of competition for this award.”
Promoting diversity
The confirmation of Nikhil’s nomination states: “This nomination is a testament to your significant contributions to promoting diversity and inclusion within the cybersecurity sector.”
Nikhil was nominated for the award by his academics at the University of Bradford, particularly in recognition for his work with students from across the world, including Canada and India, to make them more aware of cybersecurity and help them to identify vulnerabilities for potential attacks on organisation’s websites. This included Nikhil holding a guest lecture and informing his fellow students about the importance of ethical hacking and cyber-attacks.
Dr Amna Qureshi, Assistant Professor in Cybersecurity at the University of Bradford's School of Computer Science, AI and Electronics of the University of Bradford, who taught Nikhil, said: “Nikhil has performed excellently in all modules during his MSc in Cybersecurity. He has exhibited remarkable expertise in this field, as evidenced by his outstanding performance in his MSc dissertation.
“In addition, he has been invited to give talks to law students at the University of Bradford.
“He is also an active contributor to the university's outreach activities, giving talks on cybersecurity to school children. These accomplishments make him a deserving nominee for the Cyber Diversity Award. It was indeed a pleasure teaching Nikhil.”
Following the completion of his studies at the University of Bradford, Nikhil is now looking to stay in the UK and secure a job in IT, particularly in penetrative testing or as an information security officer.
He is also continuing to work as a freelance bug bounty hunter, the term used for someone who identifies security loopholes in a website for companies and organisations but does not work full-time for them.
Ethical hackers’ work aims to outsmart the malicious hackers. He has worked with organisations including Google, NASA and Blackberry.
He entered the India Book of Records 2023 as the highest Hall of Fame achiever in bug bounty within the country. He was given a certificate of appreciation last year by the India Book of Records and received an India Book of Records medal for his achievement.
Making a Difference
Professor Udy Archibong, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) Professor of Diversity at the University of Bradford, said: “Congratulations to Nikhil for his nomination for this national award.
“The University of Bradford prides itself on promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and the work of people like Nikhil clearly demonstrate that.
“Students like Nikhil are clearly making a difference with their work and good luck to him at the awards ceremony.”
Dr Daniele Scrimieri, Assistant Professor in Computer Science and Programme Leader for BSc Computer Science for Cyber Security and MSc Cyber Security at the University, said: “We are truly delighted that one of our students has been nominated for this prestigious award.
“Nikhil has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, which represent a fundamental part of our University’s values.
“With his workshops and guest lectures on cybersecurity at the University and local schools, he supported the diverse needs and abilities of students, contributing to the creation of an environment where everyone is respected, valued and able to achieve their full potential.”