‘Ethical hacking’ expert Ankit Fadia plans novel, movie on cyber terrorism

NEW DELHI - He is a master at “ethical hacking”, has authored 14 books and is all of 25. And now Ankit Fadia is all set to pen a fictional novel on cyber terrorism which he hopes to convert into a movie some day.

“I am writing a fiction novel on cyber terrorism. Depending upon the response to the book, I plan to turn it into a movie. I have spoken to some production houses… let’s see how it shapes up,” Fadia told IANS.

The young cyber security expert, who was even consulted by the US authorities to decode an encrypted e-mail sent by associates of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, feels the Indian audience has woken up to cinema related to national security.

“I think after a film like ‘A Wednesday’, Indians have woken up to issues like cyber security. Cyber security as a subject has not been touched too often.

“But through my novel and film, I would like to show how there will be cyber wars instead of wars with AK-47s, how people will not be able to withdraw cash from ATMs due to cyber hassle. These are some of the elements that I am putting in my book,” he added.

After having authored 14 books and completing his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Stanford University in California, Fadia is now busy writing his next book which talks about Windows Vista and its security-related concerns. The book will be released around December, he says.

Rest apart, he is all set to co-host the second season of MTV’s “What The Hack” - a show on which he shares interesting information on what people can do with computers, internet and technology.

Life seems to be rocking for the young man as four months back he was roped in to replace actor Abhishek Bachchan as the brand ambassador of denim brand Flying Machine. He is excited about the association and says maybe the brand wanted a “more real face”.

“For once, they might have wanted someone who is not from either Bollywood or the cricket field…they wanted a boy next door who has carved his own niche. The fact that marketers are now exploring fresh options for brand endorsers and not considering run-of-the-mill faces is quite satisfying for me,” Fadia said.

At present, Fadia works as a consultant on cyber security with various companies, government bodies and security agencies in India and abroad. He has also started a unique computer security training and certification course known as the Ankit Fadia Certified Ethical Hacker program.

(Radhika Bhirani can be contacted at radhika.b@ians.in)