The Indian School of Ethical Hacking, Siliguri branch, will launch a three-year undergraduate science course on cyber security in association with the Siliguri Institute of Technology (SIT), a private engineering college on the outskirts of the city, in September this year.

Sixty seats are on offer for this course.

“This is the first time an undergraduate degree course in cyber security is being offered in Siliguri. So far, interested students had to go to Calcutta to study the course,” said Chandan Roy, the Siliguri branch head of the ISOEH, located on Baghajatin Park Main Road in Siliguri.

Roy, who said that rising cyber crimes led to the demand of skilled cyber security professionals in recent years, added: “A nationwide survey says the country needs around 25 lakh cyber security professionals within 2025. This new course, we believe, will create new job opportunities for youths.”

The course will cover techniques on ethical hacking, penetration testing, red teaming, threat hunting, machine learning and anti-hacking applications in cyber security.

“Students will be taught both at SIT and ISOEH premises by faculty members who have worked on cyber security in prominent establishments,” a source added.

For years now, the Indian School of Ethical Hacking — with branches in Calcutta, Siliguri and Bhubaneswar — has been working on cyber security awareness and skill development.

The institute has trained CID, Calcutta Police, central paramilitary forces, forensic experts, and engineering students. It also helps police and the judiciary to analyse digital evidence.