The Department of Computer Science and Engineering, under the School of Engineering and Sciences at SRM University-AP, organised “CyberNova 2026 – Cybersecurity & AI Workshop” on 1 and 2 September 2026 at the University Auditorium. The two-day workshop was convened to deepen students’ awareness and practical understanding of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, with particular attention to emerging cyber threats, ethical hacking, digital safety, and the growing application of AI within cybersecurity, and was designed throughout to furnish participants with hands-on exposure while encouraging the responsible and secure use of technology.
The workshop’s proceedings were anchored by its resource person, Mr D. Sai Satish, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Indian Servers, a widely regarded ethical hacker and cybersecurity expert who led both days of sessions and brought to the workshop a practitioner’s depth of insight into real-world cyber threats and defences. The workshop was conducted under the guidance of Dr Puppala Naga Sravanthi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and Faculty Advisor to GDG On Campus, SRM University-AP. It drew participation from students across the university’s various academic disciplines, with the approved proposal targeting an audience of approximately 450 students.
Across the two days, students were introduced to three principal themes: Cybersecurity Fundamentals and Ethical Hacking, Artificial Intelligence for Cybersecurity, and AI, Privacy and Digital Safety. The sessions examined common cyber threats, security vulnerabilities and attack techniques, alongside safe digital practices, and explored the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in threat detection, anomaly identification, malware analysis and security automation. Throughout, the workshop placed considerable emphasis on hands-on learning and interactive demonstration, seeking to cultivate responsible technology use, cybersecurity awareness, and a practical grasp of these emerging fields.
The workshop afforded students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence and to consider their application in real-world scenarios. It sought to encourage the development of practical skills, the exploration of innovative solutions and projects, and further reflection on learning, research, higher education and career pathways within cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. More broadly, the event contributed to fostering a stronger culture of digital safety, responsible technology usage, innovation and cybersecurity awareness within the student community.
Beyond the two days themselves, the workshop was conceived to leave students better equipped to navigate real-world scenarios, whether through the practical skills developed, the innovative solutions and projects explored, or the doors it opened towards further study, research and careers in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. In doing so, it advances a broader institutional aim: cultivating a student community that treats digital safety and responsible technology use not as an afterthought, but as second nature. CyberNova 2026 reflects the Department of Computer Science and Engineering’s continued push to bring students face-to-face with practitioners at the sharpest edge of cybersecurity and AI, with support from SRM University-AP.
