Vineet Kumar: From A Genius Hacker To A Captain In The Indian Army

India is home to so many geniuses we can even begin to count. We have also learned a lot of stories about those who show their talents at a young age and grow up spending effort to do good for the nation. They have contributed to the country and its people in many ways across various fields, including military.

And today, let’s talk about a man who started his love with computers at the age of 6, became a hacker at the age of 10, began his own startup at the age of 14, and is currently working in the army. If you haven’t figured out who he is, his name is Vineet Kumar.

Now, at the age of 30, Capt Vineet is the President and Founder of an NGO working to make the internet safer and an officer in the Territorial Army.

Got his first computer at 10 years old

As his father worked in HEC and was involved with computers a lot in the 1970s and 1980s, Cap Vineet, a little boy at the time, had the chance to have his first brush with those devices and the internet really soon.

Little Vineet would go to his dad’s office, who let him use the computer for one hour. Vineet was encouraged to pick up as much as possible about the web and his father allowed him to use the Internet for one or two minutes.

Vineet requested his dad to rent a computer for him for two days as a present for his tenth birthday. After those two days, his dad decided to buy that computer for him as he saw how much he loved it.

A young hacker

Vineet started his interest in hacking around 2000 when he discovered a channel on an IRC (internet relay chat) for hackers where he met a gray hat hacker. Vineet was shocked when the hacker showed him a live hack of an America-based bank, he even hacked Vineet’s computer. The boy was scared and intrigued at the same time.

Vineet decided to become a white-hat hacker and spent the next couple of years learning from some forums on the web that the grey hat hacker gave him.

In 2001, while Vineet was 14 years old and was attending Ranchi’s Army School, he became a Microsoft certified system engineer (MCSE) after joining the company’s training centre to learn about network security. Here, he met those share the same mindset and created an anti-hacking group. Vineet said:

A young entrepreneur 

The group began their work in 2003 and faced resistance at first but over time, people started to realize that they had no bad intent and just wanted to help. A year later, the group became a non-profit called National Anti-hacking Group (NAG) and Vineet took a gap year to focus on his entrepreneur path.

​In 2006, Vineet and a white-hat hacker in Mumbai founded Security Brigade company, donating a part of its revenue to NAG. Vineet graduated from Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology, major IT infrastructure management, in 2011 and decided to work with the government, exiting his company.

Working with the government

When Vineet was 18, a top intelligence official from the government invited him to Delhi to give a presentation of India's cybersecurity situation. He presented a live hack to show top government officials the vulnerability of the country to cyber threats.

In 2011, Vineet joined Capacity Development Resource Center (CDRC) as Chief Technology Officer to establish a state-level agency for defense against cyber threats. Two years later, he went to England to pursue post-graduation in Cyber Defence and Information Assurance as a Chevening scholar.

A peacemaker

Returning to India, Vineet founded Cyber Peace Foundation (CPF), a not-for-profit organization for discussing and sharing initiatives on peace and responsible behavior in the cyber world.

Contribution to the Army

After an Army officer suggested Vineet join the Indian army, he took and passed the entrance exam, then underwent training. Vineet became a commission officer, carrying out his duties annually. Captain Vineet says that serving in the army was one of the most fulfilling, humbling experiences in his life.

>>>> Top 10 Must-Watch Bollywood Movies On Indian Army