What’s next for Bradford’s ‘bug bounty hunter’?
A student who works as a ‘bug bounty hunter’ says he is excited about his future after graduating from the University of Bradford.
Nikhil Rane, 24, who completed a one-year MSc in Cyber Security at the university, is now looking to stay in the UK and secure a job in IT, including as an information security officer.
Since completing his course in January 2024, Nikhil has continued to work as a freelance bug bounty hunter, the term used for someone who identifies security loopholes in a website for companies and organisations but does not work full-time for them.
Nikhil, who is from Mumbai, India, says his family were unable to attend his graduation ceremony in person, held on Wednesday 17 July, but watched it online instead.
He started a three-month contract working for a company based in the Netherlands in June and hopes this leads to a permanent role.
He says he looks back fondly on his time as a student at the University of Bradford and is proud of his achievements.
Nikhil said: “It feels amazing to graduate. I have learned a lot. It’s been an exciting journey for me.
“I am proud to get a Master’s degree. I’m emotional. It’s been a really exciting thing for me. I am a little bit sad to leave my professors at Bradford. I will miss them a lot.”
Exciting journey
Nikhil added he has grown fond of Bradford and Yorkshire during his time in the UK and enjoys hiking trips in the county.
He said: “The University of Bradford was a great opportunity for me. I enjoyed the city, I liked visiting City Park. Over the last six months since I finished my course, I have still been doing the bug bounty work, but I am looking for other opportunities. I am still enjoying that work. I am looking to make a stable income.
“I have been working remotely from Bradford for a company in the Netherlands. I’m still living in Bradford at the moment. I would like to explore careers in Yorkshire and I am looking to stay in the UK.
“I’m really excited about my future and how it will go and what job I will get. I will look for a job in cybersecurity, information security or IT.
“I’m really grateful for what I have got. I’m really excited about what journey I have next, but I’m really excited about what I did at Bradford.”
Ethical hackers’ work aims to outsmart the malicious hackers. He has worked with organisations including Google, NASA and Blackberry.
He entered the India Book of Records 2023 as the highest Hall of Fame achiever in bug bounty within the country. He was given a certificate of appreciation last year by the India Book of Records and received an India Book of Records medal for his achievement.
Nikhil was also shortlisted in the Cyber Diversity Student Champion Award category at the Cyber Diversity Awards 2024 in March.
Dr Amna Qureshi, Assistant Professor in Cybersecurity at the University of Bradford's School of Computer Science, AI and Electronics, who taught Nikhil, said: “Nikhil not only excelled in class but also willingly represented the department at various cybersecurity events.
“Overall, supervising Nikhil was rewarding, and I am confident that he will accomplish great things in cybersecurity. Also, I wish him all the best in his bug bounty activities.”