A Look at Modern Day Information Security Solutions

The global IT industry, serving as a catalyst for transformation in different aspects of the modern business landscape, has crossed by leaps and bounds over the last couple of decades and witnessed abundant innovations in more sectors than one. However, it is also a bare truth that the evolution in the field of IT has also led to increasing cyber risk, posing a grave risk to sensitive information and data from the consumers, businesses, and governments across the planet. Cyber criminals have become even more refined, skilled and collaborative these days, which have only boosted the severity, size, and complexity of cyber threats around the globe. Although businesses are investing and adopting new and unique solutions for information security, cybercriminals are developing even better techniques to dodge and outperform them.

To combat the cyber threats in today's ecosystem, it has become much more than a mere inevitability for firms to broaden their focus on risk management from information availability, integrity, and confidentiality to incorporating risks such as those to goodwill, reputation and customer channels, and identify the inadvertent consequences from various tasks in cyberspace. Information security experts and businesses need to stay updated with the latest trends to ensure proper and efficient Information Security.

Since the last decade, technology and information technology, in particular, have witnessed massive growth to such an extent that the solutions we use today might seem totally alien to someone from half a century ago. Naturally, the way in which we perform our day-to-day activities has changed substantially. This applies to places of businesses too, as the use of the latest technology ushers in a great deal of efficiency. Cloud technology is now being used in a variety of industries as it enables a mobile workforce. However, with the change in the IT infrastructure, there also is a need to consider security solutions that would address these new needs.

The real wealth of a business is its information. The security of a nation hinges on the security of its critical information. Growth and development thrive on information. In future, it has never been more significant to make sure the security of information, because the loss of it can be catastrophic.

The demand for the course MCA Information Security was triggered with unceasing attacks on social media and its abuse. So, there was a cyber-terrorism threat to the internet security of our nation which it was not properly equipped to handle. After this threat started to influence the national security, the Indian government passed a resolution to have its cyber protection architecture in place at the national level.

Cyber Security Policy for Data Protection

The increasing demand for IT Security has opened up opportunities for well-trained professionals like never before. This demand is ranged across the corporate sector including IT, Banking, Financial Services, Police Department, Defence, Education, Railways, Judiciary and other sectors. The deployment of UIDAI, NCRB, NATGRID, and CBDT and Customs only adds to urgency of the demand.

To ride the wave of demand for IT Security professionals, one entails specialized domain knowledge and practical experience.

Quoting a Gartner report, UGC said despite a continuing economic slowdown that has been putting pressure on IT budgets around the world, cybersecurity spending globally will endure on an upward trajectory, reaching $86 billion in 2016, up from $60 billion in 2012.

The approximation is that India has fairly about 50,000 cybersecurity professionals; we need at least one million skilled people in this domain by 2020." - NASSCOM president, R. Chandrasekhar.

Opportunities with Different Sectors

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has instructed all universities and colleges to ensure the introduction of Information Security as a subject at the under-graduate and postgraduate levels. Therefore, a specialisation in information security was being announced by many universities in India. As there was a prerequisite to have a curriculum for information protection, in addition, they started teaching subjects including environmental studies, introduction to open source software and open standards, mathematical logic, HTML programming data structures using C and engineering graphics.

The financial sector itself is going to hire about two lakh people with those working for oil and gas, power, utility, telcos, airlines and government. So, the government is looking onward to hiring such professionals for its e-governance and law and order departments. The massive hiring is projected as the Indian information security market continues to see a skyward trend despite an economic slowdown.

Science Events....

Dr Kota Harinarayana, architect of India’s LCA Programme visited IIAEM on 24 Nov 2016, interacted with faculty on research interests and gave a talk to students/faculty on “National Security, Aviation Technology and LCA programme’. Here are some pictures of his interaction and his visit to propulsion laboratory.

1 Discussing on the instrumentation of gas turbine engine at the propulsion laboratory.

2.  In discussion with faculty, evincing keen interest on research themes.

3. After the talk , recieving a memento from Prof. B. Dattaguru.

Job prospects for a Physicist

It’s a common question that a student doing a pure science course is posed with –“are you going to be a teacher?” or may be it gets asked in a much polite manner as “are you planning a career in teaching?”. This misconception has somehow crept into our society. One reason probably could be that most of those who wished to be in teachers in non-engineering and non-medical streams had to do a pure science courses only at undergrad and graduate levels due to the industry norms. In Indian context the scenario is worst. Many a times the pure science streams are chosen out of no-other-option mindset rather than this-is- my-option basis. In the recent past the number of students taking admission into the pure science streams due to the reason that they haven’t been able to procure a seat in any engineering or medical courses has increased. This trend doesn’t seem a very promising one. Though one can list of several reasons as to why this is happening and debate over it, I shall refrain to just opening up the minds of people to the several job prospects that a student with a degree, a UG or a PG, in physics would fit into and be very successful.

It’s indeed evident that a person with degree in Physics can take up a successful career as a Researcher in several sub-disciplines like Nano-physics, Astrophysics, Material Science, solid state physics etc. This could be in any Govt. funded laboratories, organizations, Institutes, Universities or even in organizations and institutions that are privately funded. And of course take much noble profession of teaching at different levels – school level, senior secondary, undergraduate levels. But that’s not end of the story or end of the world. Today science has become more an inter-disciplinary affair, where expertise in one stream might be in great demand in another stream that never even struck wildest of our imaginations.

One of the immediate streams that these graduates can jump into is Geo-physics which is less explored streams and has very high potential and scope. They could be theorists, analysts. The field of seismology goes in hand with geo-physics and hence with suitable additional qualifications they could even become seismologists or Seismic interpreter. There is a much greater scope if the student has some background in computers. They could be Computer programmers or even Computer Scientists. With Big data and analytics taking over the field, many high end organizations and research laboratories are in need of experts that have good subject knowledge and also good at computers. With a better qualification they could emerge as developers and facilitators for specific sub-disciplines in Physics. Engineering and technology are interdependent with physics to a very deep extent. And thus the scope for physicists is also very high. Students with physics degree could be hired for many aspects such as product design, development, crisis management, testing among others. Associated industries including Aeronautics and aerospace, Space, nuclear and defense, Energy, Communication and telecommunication related establishments have openings for physicists. Many times physicists are chosen for the posts like metallurgists.

Students with inclination towards biology along with physics could venture into many associated industries and sectors in life sciences as well. Bio-physics and Medical physics are interesting fields with good-profile openings for physicists. Radiology and related sub-disciplines like radiation oncology, nuclear medicine, are famous among physicists. Physicists could be involved in design, development and maintenance of medical instruments along with biomedical engineers. With additional qualification they might be able to escalate in the healthcare sector, research centers as well. 

Totally off beat opportunities include investment analysts, patent attorney, media and entertainment, journalism, gaming and animation, architecture, transport, banking etc. Interested candidates could even get into civil services by taking up examinations like UPSC, IAS, IPS etc, and even get into Army and Naval services.

In simple, a student of physics can easily shift his/her streams with suitable additional qualifications. The same is true with any student from pure science background. This is due to the fact that they are exposed to a much broader spectrum of subjects and have a very strong foundation of basics which seems to lack in technical and non-pure science courses. This reality has to be brought to the notice of every section of society and more students should be encouraged to take up courses in pure sciences.

PHYSICS for FUN

Are we there yet?

Author: Swati Routh


So I asked "What is it within and what is it beyond ?

Where it ends and where it is born?

What is it which binds us all?"

And the echo replied ,

"There is silence and there is noise,

waves of continuum or mesh of your choice,

quarks, electrons, atoms or nuclei,

playing to rules of J or Psi,

When you try to knot that string,

Revealed what is within everything.

A new world begins each time a question is born,

and every universe ends when the search is forlorn."

Where the air is buzz with busy hums,

And the eyes glitter in recognition,

Where the roads turn in between peaks,

Evening shoulders don't droop at doorway,

Now the path is to be found, now it's time 

for you to ask your shadow,

"Are we there yet"?

MICROBIOLOGY - Little deep inside it.

“Give us this day our daily bread...” (Matthew 6:11)

Even before this famous Biblical statement was made, the tiny ‘animalcules’ had greatly shaped the human civilization. Be it bread making or wine brewing, milk curdling or botulism, nitrogen fixation or antibiotic production, the role of microorganisms in our daily lives cannot be overemphasized. The branch of life science that deals with the study of these excellent creatures is called Microbiology. As a vividly interesting subject, it encompasses various interdisciplinary fields such as Industrial, Agricultural, Medical, Food and Environmental Microbiology. There is hardly any scientific domain where the application of microorganisms can go unappreciated. Be it in generation of electricity from microbial fuel cells, synthesis of biodegradable plastics, production of nanoparticles, manufacture of single cell proteins or biodegradation of toxic environmental pollutants, microbes have made their
presence felt.

At the Department of Microbiology, Center for Post Graduate Studies, Jain University, this subject is taught with great fervour. Here, the rich experience of the teaching faculties, together with well-coordinated practical approach towards each subject enables the young learners to divulge into the depth of the unseen world of microbes and evolve as potential researchers. The carefully designed in-house projects aim at inculcating research temperament in students culminating into conference presentations and journal publications by the amateurs. Additionally, the two years Masters program equips the students with interpersonal skills through co-curricular activities such as seminar presentations, group discussions, debates, quizzes and open house. In the pursuit of knowledge and in order to keep the inquisitive minds abreast of the latest developments in Microbiology, guest lectures, workshops and educational tours are organized on a regular basis. Furthermore, an actively functioning placement cell assists the students to become a part of several reputed corporate and research organizations. The rigorous program also paves the way for higher studies in prestigious institutes/universities in India and abroad.

We welcome you to this fascinating world of Microbiology where we believe that your talents shall be nurtured and horizons will be broadened, because this journey is fun!


Written By,
Dr. Arijit Das
Assistant Professor
Department of Microbiology
Center for Post Graduate Studies
Jain University

Learning through Journal Pages: A Biochemistry study tool to be in touch with the research world.

The primary purpose of scientific papers are to share one’s own research outcome with the scientific community. They also serve as a means to review the research conducted by others. It plays a crucial role in the advancement of modern science because the work of one scientist builds upon that of others. 

Incorporation of scientific paper learning/reviewing in the curriculum provides a special opportunity for students to be in touch with the research world and also to update themselves with recent advances in the field of biochemistry. Post graduate students of biochemistry department are provided with a platform for such an activity on a weekly basis. Through this approach we intend to help them to discover the hidden scientists within them.