# Barracuda Networks opens five cybersecurity centres in Karnataka 2026-08-20T23:21:37+00:00 | Technology | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Barracuda Networks, a California-based cybersecurity firm, has opened Cybersecurity Centres of Excellence (COEs) at five engineering colleges in Karnataka: Basaveshwar Engineering College (Bagalkot), BLDEA's Dr. P.G. Halakatti College of Engineering and Technology (Vijayapura), Siddaganga Institute of Technology (Tumkuru), Vidyavardhaka College of Engineering (Mysuru), and Alva's Institute of Engineering and Technology (Moodbidri). The centres will deliver industry-led technical sessions, hands-on cybersecurity labs, student mentoring, career guidance, internships, and sponsorships. Barracuda aims to connect industry with students in second- and third-tier cities, serving as local hubs for cybersecurity awareness. Rohit Aradhya, Vice President of Engineering and Managing Director for Barracuda India, said building a resilient digital future requires collaboration between industry, academia, government, educators and students. The initiative comes amid India's rapid digital transformation, which has expanded cybersecurity risks for organisations of all sizes, including small businesses, educational institutions, hospitals and retailers. India faces a shortage of cybersecurity professionals, with an estimated 39,000 positions unfilled in 2026, according to a recent report. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Cybersecurity centres of excellence are a well-established model for bridging academia and industry, but they often remain confined to metropolitan hubs. Barracuda's choice of colleges in Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Tumkuru, Mysuru and Moodbidri explicitly targets second- and third-tier towns, where cybersecurity talent pools are thinner. The company is betting on local students to fill the 39,000 estimated vacancies by 2026, a number that reflects the broader national skill gap. Watch whether other firms replicate this tier-2 focus, and whether Barracuda converts these centres into hiring pipelines that actually reduce the unfilled positions. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Straight announcement of Barracuda's initiative with no framing bias, leads with facts and includes a direct quote. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Barracuda Networks, cybersecurity, Karnataka, Rohit Aradhya Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/barracuda-networks-opens-five-cybersecurity-centres-in-karnataka/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/barracuda-networks-opens-five-cybersecurity-centres-in-karnataka/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/