Madras University’s Cyber Forensics course, launched in 2004, has evolved into a postgraduate program producing over 750 graduates with strong industry placements. Recognized as a Centre of Excellence, it offers cutting-edge cybersecurity and digital forensics training.

According to the previous department head and course founder-director R. Thilagaraj, the department developed a postgraduate diploma in cyber forensics and information security for police, courts, and business executives in 2004. Because of the positive reaction, it was changed to a postgraduate degree course the following year.

Cybersecurity was still in its infancy. He remembers, “Some of the organizations we visited asked why they needed it.” When the first group graduated in 2007, employers were reluctant to hire them.

According to S. Latha, the founder of the course and current director of the Centre for Cyber Forensics and Information Security, the first group of alumni is currently working for multinational banks. Up to 750 students have already received their diplomas.

With a government grant of ₹1 crore, the centre was elevated as a Centre of Excellence in 2009, and she adds that it became an independent department with the then-Governor-Chancellor’s approval.

The cost of tuition is ₹8,500. The course covers the most recent developments in the fields of digital forensics, information security audit, cyber criminology, and information security.

Students have benefited from a course that the University of Madras‘ criminology department introduced 20 years ago.

According to the previous department head and course founder-director R. Thilagaraj, the department developed a postgraduate diploma in cyber forensics and information security for police, courts, and business executives in 2004. Because of the positive reaction, it was changed to a postgraduate degree course the following year.

Cybersecurity was still in its infancy. He remembers, “Some of the organisations we visited asked why they needed it.” When the first group graduated in 2007, employers were reluctant to hire them.

According to Latha, the founder and coordinator of the course and current director of the Centre for Cyber Forensics and Information Security, the first group of graduates is currently working for multinational banks. Up to 750 students have already received their diplomas.

With a government grant of ₹1 crore, the centre was elevated as a Centre of Excellence in 2009, and she adds that it became an independent department with the then-Governor-Chancellor’s approval.

The cost of tuition is ₹8,500. The course covers the most recent developments in the fields of digital forensics, information security audit, cyber criminology, and information security.

“Our alumni are placed in Google, Ernst and Young, Deloitte, HCL, Infosys, and even government agencies.” “The course offers 100% placement in corporate houses, software companies, information security auditing firms, banks, telecom industries, and financial institutions,” Ms. Latha explains. A cyber forensics lab has also been established by the department.

Students conduct research in important fields of digital forensics and cybersecurity. As part of the RUSA Arumbu project, a student was recently given seed money to verify the legitimacy of AI-generated images, audio, and video. According to Ms. Latha, “a lot of students have worked in identifying ransomware attacks, phishing links, and fake profiles.”

In addition to helping with placement, industry professionals who also teach classes created the syllabus. “The government should consider hiring at least a percentage of police with a master’s degree in cyber forensics and information security in the technical wing, as cybercrimes are on the rise and the majority of cases in the future are likely to be related to cybercrime,” she continues.

Students who joined the program after graduating with a BCA, such as Vikram T, Farheen Fathima, and Mohamed Thalal, are now guaranteed a respectable compensation package for their campus placement.

Every semester, the students work on a project, and the final dissertation they produce is based on actual business issues. According to guest faculty member C. Vishnupriya, having professionals from the industry on the team aids students in comprehending real-world issues. She adds, “They also value it when students solve problems.”