Srida IT Academy · 60-Day AI-Native Program · For Freshers
Cyber-to-GRC Launchpad — Core + AI
Start from zero. In 60 hands-on days, go from Cybersecurity to Information Security to IT Security — and land in GRC. Every phase is taught twice over: the core craft, and how AI changes it — with an AI copilot in your hands the whole way.
Batch 01 starts 2 November 2026 · Mon–Fri · 7:30–9:00 AM IST
The Srida method
10% theory. 90% hands-on. Every single day.
Most courses teach security as slides. Here you spend 40 of 60 sessions being the technical practitioner first — so when you reach GRC, you already know what a control protects and what evidence proves it works. That is the judgement real assurance work needs.
Concept frame
A tight 10–15 min concept so you know why before you touch a tool. Theory is ~10% — never a lecture block.
Do it live
90% of every session is you running the tool in your own lab, alongside the trainer.
AI copilot
You use an AI assistant (local via Ollama + free cloud models) in every session — to explain, script, analyse and move faster.
Prove it
Each session ships an evidence artifact — screenshots, logs, notes — that becomes your portfolio.
Core + AI
Not an add-on. AI runs through everything.
Security and GRC are being rebuilt around AI — so this program teaches both sides of it, in every phase.
AI as your copilot
From day one you work with an AI assistant — local models via Ollama and free cloud copilots — to explain concepts, write scripts, analyse output, and move at the speed employers now expect.
Securing & governing AI
You learn to attack and defend AI systems (prompt injection, OWASP LLM Top 10) and to govern them (NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001) — the fastest-growing demand in the whole field.
Who it's for
Built for absolute freshers — from scratch.
The 60-session path
Six phases, each one feeding the next.
The system you attack in Phase 1 is the system you harden in Phase 3 and audit in Phase 4. Nothing is a disconnected topic dump.
00Foundations & Lab Build
Sessions 1–10From scratch: IT, networking, Linux, Windows, virtualization — then build your own isolated security lab.
- ›How computers, OS & networks actually work
- ›Linux & Windows essentials, hands-on
- ›VirtualBox lab: Kali + vulnerable targets
- ›The evidence/journaling habit from day one
+ AI
AI foundations: how LLMs work, set up your AI copilot (Ollama local + free cloud models), and prompt it for security tasks.
01Cybersecurity
Sessions 11–25Offensive basics against intentionally-vulnerable targets, ethically, in an isolated lab.
- ›Recon, scanning & enumeration (Nmap, OSINT)
- ›Vulnerability identification (OpenVAS)
- ›Web security & OWASP Top 10 (Burp, DVWA, Juice Shop)
- ›Password attacks, traffic analysis, basic exploitation (Metasploit)
+ AI
AI-assisted recon & analysis — and attacking AI: prompt injection and the OWASP LLM Top 10 against a vulnerable LLM app (garak).
02Information Security
Sessions 26–35The controls that protect data — applied, not recited.
- ›Cryptography, PKI, TLS, GPG (OpenSSL)
- ›Identity & access management
- ›Secure configuration & data protection
- ›Logging, monitoring & intro SIEM (Wazuh)
+ AI
Securing AI: protecting training data, models & API keys — and using AI for anomaly detection across your logs.
03IT Security — Blue Team
Sessions 36–45Defend and harden the very systems you attacked in Phase 1.
- ›System hardening (CIS, Lynis, Sysmon)
- ›Vulnerability management lifecycle
- ›Network security & IDS/IPS (Suricata)
- ›Incident response & basic forensics (Autopsy)
+ AI
AI-assisted detection & alert triage, AI for threat intel, and defending LLM apps against the attacks from Phase 1.
04GRC + AI Governance
Sessions 46–55The destination — and you arrive already knowing what each control protects.
- ›Risk management & the risk register
- ›ISO/IEC 27001 ISMS, Annex A, SoA
- ›NIST CSF mapping & control evidence
- ›Audit basics, DPDPA & privacy, policy writing
+ AI
AI governance in full: NIST AI RMF & ISO/IEC 42001, AI risk assessment, and using AI to draft policies, map controls & build evidence.
05Capstone & Career
Sessions 56–60Put it all together and get interview-ready.
- ›Capstone: assess a sample org end-to-end
- ›Risk register + control mapping + report
- ›Scored mock interview
- ›Portfolio, resume & internship onboarding
+ AI
Your capstone org runs an AI system — you govern it (NIST AI RMF / ISO 42001) and use AI copilots end-to-end.
Your toolkit
100% open-source. Nothing to license.
Everything runs on a 16 GB laptop (two VMs at a time). No paid tools, ever — including the AI: run models locally with Ollama, or use free cloud copilots.
Security & GRC
AI
What you leave with
Day 60: you can actually do the work.
Internship on completion
After the 60 days you’re eligible for an internship — earned, not automatic. It’s gated on ≥80% attendance, a passed capstone, and a passed mock interview, and plugs into Srida’s internship track.
A certificate you can prove
You receive a verifiable “Cybersecurity to GRC — Practitioner Foundations” certificate from Srida IT Academy, graded from your capstone and attendance, checkable at sridait.com/verify-certificate.
Before you enrol
What you need
Inaugural Batch 01
One price. Everything included.
60 live sessions · capstone · internship eligibility · certificate. Starts 2 November 2026.
Questions
Fresher FAQs
I have no IT background at all. Can I keep up?
Yes — the program is built for absolute freshers. Phase 0 teaches IT, networking, Linux and Windows from scratch before any security tool. The only non-negotiable is doing the daily self-practice.
Is everything really free/open-source?
Yes. Every tool used is open-source or free. You pay only the program fee. For the two SIEM sessions, if your 16 GB laptop is tight we point you to a free cloud instance so nothing blocks you.
Is the hacking part legal?
All offensive technique is practised only against intentionally-vulnerable targets inside your own isolated lab. Ethics, law and rules-of-engagement are set and signed on day one.
How does the internship work?
On completing the 60 days you're eligible for an internship, gated on ≥80% attendance, a passed capstone, and a passed mock interview. It plugs into Srida's internship track.
What certificate do I get?
A verifiable 'Cybersecurity to GRC — Practitioner Foundations' certificate from Srida IT Academy, with a grade from your capstone and attendance, checkable at sridait.com/verify-certificate.
Zero to GRC in 60 days.
Batch 01 starts 2 November 2026. Seats are limited to keep every session 90% hands-on.