Chennai: IIT Madras has inaugurated the 'Centre for Cybersecurity, Trust and Reliability' (CyStar) to advance fundamental and applied research in cybersecurity.

The centre aims to innovate in areas like blockchain, AI security, cryptography, quantum security, and IoT.

The launch, held on 8th October 2024, was attended by IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti, CyStar coordinators Professors Shweta Agrawal, Chester Rebeiro, John Augustine, and industry experts.

CyStar seeks to address growing cyber threats and promote proactive defence strategies to protect national infrastructure. The centre's mission is to push the boundaries of cybersecurity through multi-disciplinary research.

Prof. Kamakoti emphasized the importance of such initiatives to counter sector-wise attacks on critical infrastructure. CyStar will collaborate with academic institutions, industry, and government, including key partners like the Ministry of Electronics and IT, Kaspersky, IDBI Bank, and Vitesco Technologies.

The centre will focus on cybersecurity challenges across sectors like finance, healthcare, and automotive.

Coordinators expressed enthusiasm for fostering innovation, start-ups, and building secure platforms for individuals and businesses in India's vast, distributed networks.

CyStar aims to develop holistic defence strategies in the AI-driven and post-quantum era, contributing to a safer digital future.