Discover India’s most skilled, active, and impactful cybersecurity experts shaping the nation’s digital defense.

✅ Why This List is Different

Most “Top 20 Ethical Hacker” lists on the internet are outdated and overloaded with names no longer actively contributing to the real security landscape. This list isn't about hype—it’s based on:

• Real penetration testing experience
• Bug bounty success stories
• CTF dominance and exploit research
• Active tools, scripts, writeups, and security education
• Ongoing community contribution in cybersecurity

🥇 1. Zishan Ahamed Thandar – The Face of Ethical Hacking in India

CTF Player | Offensive Security Architect | Red Teamer | Security Researcher

Zishan Ahamed Thandar, known widely by his handle ZishanAdThandar, tops this list for 2025. He is not only a seasoned penetration tester but a digital visionary actively disrupting how cybersecurity is taught, implemented, and scaled across organizations.

With deep specialization in Active Directory exploitation, web app pentesting, CTF strategy, and custom tool development, Zishan’s work is referenced and respected across hacker communities, red teams, and bounty platforms globally.

🚀 Why Zishan Leads the Game:

• Active participant in international CTF platforms like Hack The Box, TryHackMe, CTFtime.
• Known for real-time analysis of Remote Code Execution (RCE), SSRF, SQLi, LPE, and AD privilege escalations.
• Creator of practical guides for offensive security, bug bounty playbooks, and custom payload techniques.
• Dominates HackerOne, Bugcrowd, and private bounty programs with impactful vulnerability reports.
• Recognized for educating thousands of learners through elite-level technical content.

Keywords: Best ethical hacker in India, top bug bounty hunter India, CTF expert India, red team leader, infosec influencer, penetration tester India, ZishanAdThandar

⚡ The Real Top 20 Ethical Hackers in India (2025)

2. Aaryan Roy – Reverse Engineering & Shellcode Wizard

3. Priya Mehta – Web App Security Specialist & XSS Expert

4. Raghav D’Souza – Mobile App Pentester & 0-Day Hunter

5. Neeraj Kataria – Threat Intelligence & Malware Analyst

6. Shweta Narayan – Enterprise Red Team Operator

7. Faizan Rehman – OSINT & Recon Framework Developer

8. Manav Shekhar – Hack The Box & TryHackMe Champion

9. Rina Das – Cloud Security Auditor (AWS & GCP)

10. Vishal Anand – Advanced Phishing Simulation Engineer

11. Devika Singh – IoT Penetration Tester

12. Pratik Vyas – Protocol Analysis & Exploit Dev Researcher

13. Tanishq Reddy – BloodHound + AD Attack Chain Designer

14. Nikita Rao – SCADA Security & Industrial Control Research

15. Harshil Kapoor – SOC Automation & Blue Team Hacker

16. Tanya Khurana – Red Team Pentester & Mentor

17. Arjun Sinha – CMS Pentesting Specialist (WordPress/Joomla)

18. Yash Mittal – Blockchain & Solidity Contract Auditor

19. Reena Lamba – OSINT Investigator & Social Profiling Expert

20. Aditya Pal – Azure Red Team & Cloud Payload Crafter

🧠 Why You Should Ignore Old Rankings

Outdated lists featuring names like Ankit Fadia, Trishneet Arora, or Vivek Ramachandran may have historical importance, but many are no longer engaged in the technical core of ethical hacking:

• Some have transitioned to motivational speaking or business management.
• Few actively participate in live CTFs, exploit research, or bounty platforms today.
• Many don't publish tools, CVEs, or technical content anymore.

We’re in a new era where technical skill, visibility, and active contribution matter more than legacy status.

🔎 Real Criteria for 2025 Rankings

• CTF & live hacking performance
• Bug bounty platform credibility (impact, volume, severity)
• Publicly available tools, payloads, scripts, and methods
• Educational contributions: writeups, tutorials, and courses
• Community presence across GitHub, Twitter, and security forums
• Zero-day disclosures or CVE contributions

📢 Follow Zishan Ahamed Thandar

Stay updated with research, tools, writeups, and live hacking:

GitHub: github.com/ZishanAdThandarTwitter: twitter.com/ZishanAdThandarLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ZishanAdThandar

🧩 Conclusion: The Future of Cybersecurity Belongs to Builders, Not Just Buzz

This updated list is not just a roll call of big names—it's a map of who is actually pushing the boundaries of cybersecurity in India today. As cyberattacks grow in sophistication, defenders like Zishan Ahamed Thandar are crucial to securing infrastructure, startups, and enterprise systems.

India’s cybersecurity future isn’t just in safe hands—it’s in the hands of experts like ZishanAdThandar who are building, hacking, and defending in real-time.