CySecK - Centre of Excellence for Cybersecurity, Karnataka

Is it for you?

• You should be a cybersecurity startup. Hardware and embedded security is the lab's strongest area.
• Other founders will find little here beyond awareness events.

How to approach

• No application form or dates are published. Write to the contact inbox with a short note on your product, stage and what you need: mentors, a pilot, lab access or a government use-case.
• Ask whether the Cybersecurity Acceleration Program has an open intake.

Contact

Use contact.cyseck@fsid-iisc.in.

The Centre of Excellence for Cybersecurity (CySecK) is an initiative of the Government of Karnataka through the Department of Electronics, IT, and Bt. It was established in 2017 and is anchored within the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru, with support from the Foundation for Science, Innovation and Development (FSID). It brings government, academia, industry and startups together around cybersecurity.

Who it is for

The startup side of CySecK is meant for cybersecurity startups, both early-stage and growth-stage, working in Karnataka. Its other work is aimed at students, faculty, government officials and researchers. If your company does not build cybersecurity products or services, this is unlikely to be the right door.

What startups can get

CySecK lists a Cybersecurity Acceleration Program and a mentorship and capability development track. Its pages describe access to mentors, expert guidance, go-to-market support, validation opportunities, government use-cases and infrastructure. It also says it works to open pilot opportunities, government procurement pathways and public-private partnerships, in line with the Karnataka Cyber Security Policy 2024. Other initiatives include a flagship cybersecurity conference and the CISO-KA community of security leaders.

Research and labs

The research focus is hardware and embedded system security. CySecK describes FPGA-based hardware platforms, fault injection testing systems using voltage, clock and laser techniques, and side-channel analysis setups for power and electromagnetic assessment. It says this work supports intellectual property creation and academia-industry collaboration, and helps startups build cybersecurity products.

Skill building

For talent, CySecK runs or facilitates online courses, internships, a virtual cyber range, workshops in colleges, a finishing school programme and a faculty development programme.

How to reach it

The site does not publish an application form, eligibility rules or intake dates for the acceleration programme. The contact page invites cybersecurity startups, government representatives and academics to reach out for collaboration or advice. The office is at the Old SSCU Annexe, next to the IAP Department, Badam Marg, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012. Check the site for current programme announcements before you plan around an intake.