CyStar Inauguration Ceremony
Date: 8th October 2024
Place: Chennai
The Centre for Cybersecurity, Trust and Reliability (CyStar), IIT Madras will develop a comprehensive, multi-faceted strategy to address the emerging cybersecurity challenges driven by AI and the post-quantum era. This approach will focus on safeguarding critical national infrastructure in industries such as finance, healthcare, automotive, and electronics, offering a holistic defense against these advanced technological threats.
CyStar was inaugurated on 8 October 2024 in the presence of Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, Center Coordinators Prof. Shweta Agrawal, Prof. Chester Rebeiro, and Prof. John Augustine, faculty, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Madras, and a host of eminent academicians and industry representatives from India and abroad.
Keynote speakers on the occasion included Prof. Shafi Goldwasser, Research Director, Simons Institute at UC Berkeley and Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Prof. Debdeep Mukhopadhyay, Chair Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Kharagpur, Prof. Christian Scheideler, Head Professor, Theory of Distributed Systems, Paderborn University, and Dr. Damien Stehlé, Chief Scientist, Cryptolab Inc.
Addressing the launch event, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “With the growth of cyber threats, not just for financial gains but also targeted sector-wise attacks on critical infrastructure, it is very important that we arrive at proactive cyber defense mechanisms to protect our nation.” In this context, such efforts are extremely crucial.”
Elaborating on the key functions of this center, Prof. Shweta Agrawal said, “We are happy and excited to launch this center, which will bring together people with varied expertise to study the complex problem of cybersecurity. Our approach is multifaceted. We aim to make contributions in domains ranging from fundamental research to real-world applications to fostering start-ups and everything in between.”
CyStar’s Prof. John Augustine said, “India is a federal country with a vast number of highly distributed social and business networks with diverse security needs. CyStar’s vision is to empower individuals in this ecosystem to secure their lives and businesses through platforms that are designed with security, trust, and reliability in mind.”
CyStar’s Prof. Chester Rebeiro said, “CyStar aims to address critical cyber security challenges in the country through fundamental and applied research, outreach programs, and by fostering industry-academia relationships.”
CyStar’s CEO Rammohan Srinivasan notes, “We recognize that cybersecurity cannot be addressed solely through research and technology. It is essential to educate the broader community about the risks and mitigation strategies needed to safeguard critical assets and infrastructure. Additionally, we will collaborate with government and regulatory agencies to develop appropriate governance and reporting frameworks.”
CyStar’s Prof. Prabhu Rajagopal said, “Going beyond research and development, we aspire to leverage IITM’s innovation ecosystem to create opportunities for aspiring cybersecurity entrepreneurs, fostering product development and practical solutions in the field.”
