Protocol Cyber Security Club
Decode. Defend. Dominate.
Understand. Secure. Master.
INTRODUCTION
Protocol is the official student run, institute level cybersecurity organization at AISSMS College of Engineering, Pune. Established to bridge the gap between academic curricula and industry execution, Protocol serves as a high impact technical platform for students across all engineering disciplines to develop practical skills in digital defense, vulnerability research, and ethical hacking.
In an era characterized by rapid digitization, cloud integration, and complex threat landscapes, cybersecurity is no longer an isolated discipline, it is a critical requirement. Protocol equips students with real world technical expertise through hands on workshops, Capture The Flag (CTF) competitions, penetration testing labs, and collaborative security research.
Guided by our core methodology, “Decode, Defend, Dominate”, we train members to systematically analyze security vulnerabilities, harden critical infrastructure, and lead in the global cybersecurity landscape.
Vision:
- To establish a resilient, highly skilled community of ethical tech leaders and security researchers who contribute to safeguarding digital infrastructure through technical excellence, continuous innovation, and rigorous research.
Mission:
- Cyber Awareness: Educate the student body on best practices in information security, privacy preservation, and responsible online conduct.
- Applied Technical Training: Conduct structured bootcamps, CTF competitions, and practical security assessments to develop job ready technical skillsets.
- Research and Development: Promote student led research initiatives in ethical hacking, AI driven security analysis, digital forensics, and network defense.
- Industry Alignment: Maintain active links with security researchers, military cyber leaders, and enterprise professionals to foster career advancement and professional growth.
- Ethical Standards: Maintain an uncompromising standard of legal compliance, responsible disclosure, and professional integrity across all initiatives.
- Summary: The Protocol team successfully qualified for the National Level Offline Final Round of HackData 2026 CTF, hosted by Shiv Nadar University, Delhi NCR. The team demonstrated advanced technical proficiency across Web Exploitation, Cryptography, Reverse Engineering, and Digital Forensics during the competitive online preliminary phases.
- Domains Covered: Exploit Development, Cryptanalysis, Web Security, Forensics.
- Visual Assets:
- Summary: Protocol delegates officially represented AISSMS COE at the IdentityShield Cyber Security Summit 2026. Members interacted directly with military cyber officials, defense personnel, and senior enterprise security executives, discussing zero-trust architecture and critical infrastructure security.
- Domains Covered: Enterprise Defense, Zero Trust Architecture, Military Cyber Operations.
- Visual Assets:
- Summary: Collaborative industry initiative uniting Protocol with HP and KGen to deliver specialized gaming, hardware security, for engineering students.
- Domains Covered: Hardware Security, Gaming Infrastructure, Industry Alliances.
- Visual Assets:
- Summary: A structured 4 day intensive training program engineered for 50+ engineering students. The curriculum provided practical grounding in Linux CLI execution, network analysis using Wireshark, basic penetration testing methodologies, and incident handling procedures.
- Domains Covered: Linux System Administration, Network Traffic Analysis, Metasploit, Web Security Basics.
- Visual Assets:
- Summary: Protocol’s institutional flagship technical competition. A total of 47 teams (141 total participants) engaged in a multistage cybersecurity challenge evaluating logical reasoning, cryptography, steganography, opensource intelligence (OSINT), and web application vulnerabilities under strict time parameters.
- Domains Covered: Cryptography, OSINT, Applied Logic, Web Vulnerability Assessment.
- Visual Assets:
- Summary: Interactive technical sessions conducted by experienced industry professionals. These masterclasses cover enterprise threat management, penetration testing workflows, and preparation roadmaps for globally recognized industry certifications (CEH, OSCP, CISSP).
- Domains Covered: Red/Blue Team Tactics, Industry Compliance, Professional Certification Roadmaps.
- Visual Assets:
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
- National CTF Recognition: Finalist position in the national level offline finals at HackData 2026 (Shiv Nadar University, Delhi NCR).
- Campus Technical Engagement: Organized Cyber Hunt 2025, mobilizing 141 engineering students across 47 competing teams.
- Specialized Skill Building: Trained 50+ participants in core technical methodologies via the Cybersecurity 101 Bootcamp.
- Institutional Representation: Delegated representatives to the IdentityShield Cyber Security Summit 2026 to engage with defense leaders.
- Industry Alliances: Established active collaborations with professional bodies including MCCIA, ISTE, IETE, and IEI.
LEADERSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP
| Name | Position | Department |
|---|---|---|
| Mrs. Ankita Gupta
|
Faculty Coordinator | DESH |
| Mrs. Bhakti Patil
|
Faculty Coordinator | DESH |
| Name | Department | Position | Key Responsibilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarvesh Deshmukh | Computer | President | Executive oversight, strategic planning, institutional representation. |
| Atharva Urde | ENTC | Vice President | Operations coordination, departmental liaison, execution strategy. |
| Sushant Koul | Computer | Technical Lead | CTF challenge design, technical lab setup, bootcamp instruction. |
| Varad Hajare | Computer | Research Lead | Threat intelligence research, forensics projects, technical papers. |
| Rudra Chandgude | ENTC | Design Lead | Brand management, UI/UX asset development, event media design. |
| Aakash Haygonde | Computer | Event Management Lead | Venue logistics, operational workflows, event schedule management. |
PORTAL ACCESS
To access our interactive portal, live event schedules, research publications, and challenge writeups, visit our official standalone site:
- Official Web Portal: https://protocol-club-aissms.web.app/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/protocol_cyberclub
- LinkedIn: PROTOCOL Cyber Security Club
Location: Department of Computer Engineering, AISSMS COE, Pune
Protocol Cyber Security Club © 2026 | AISSMS College of Engineering, Pune