Ankit Fadia is an Indian author and former television host known for his early career work related to computer security, having authored An Unofficial Guide to Ethical Hacking at the age of 15. A graduate of Stanford University in management science and engineering, Fadia has presented at numerous seminars across schools and colleges in India and launched his own training courses, focusing on the basics of hacking and networking.
Fadia began his writing career by founding a website dedicated to hacking tutorials, which led to his first publication, making him the youngest author published by Macmillan India. He later launched the "Ankit Fadia Certified Ethical Hacker" (AFCEH) program. His work and public claims of having consulted for a U.S. intelligence agency and India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have been met with skepticism and characterized by many security professionals as lacking substance, leading to a "Security Charlatan of the Year" award at the DEF CON conference in 2012.
His foray into media included hosting the television show MTV What the Hack! and a subsequent show for MTV India where he answered internet-related questions. He also created the video series Geek on the Loose. Despite his claims of expertise, his personal website has been demonstrably compromised multiple times by hackers who disputed his public claims and accused him of misleading the public, illustrating a significant gap between rhetoric and technical reality.
Fadia has dismissed critics who question his credibility, stating that his career longevity is proof of his authenticity. However, his books faced public accusations of plagiarism, with substantial portions found to be copied from pre-existing works. His most high-profile public claim—that he was appointed a brand ambassador for the Indian Prime Minister's Digital India initiative—was later publicly denied by government sources.
