Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) has signed an agreement with Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) to establish next-generation phygital and virtual cybersecurity labs in Manipal to enhance skill-building and future digital jobs creation.

The ISAC foundation is at the forefront of technology skilling under its mandate with the AICTE to establish the centres of excellence in cybersecurity. The Centre of Excellence (CoE) of Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) will become part of the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) initiative of establishing cybersecurity hub and clusters.

Lt Gen MD Venkatesh (centre), Vice-Chancellor of MAHE, and Commander Anil Rana (right), Director of MIT, are seen after signing an agreement on the establishment of phygital and virtual cybersecurity labs in Manipal.

According to a statement, Cyberange develops some of the largest cybersecurity phygital simulation labs in the world. ISAC is deploying the Cyberange SCADA/IoT Phygital Lab and Virtual Labs at MIT to build capacity in industrial cybersecurity and hands-on virtual training. The virtual labs are recognised by AICTE and will simplify the delivery of cybersecurity training to undergraduate and postgraduate students and meet corporate needs.

The CoE will enable the creation of trained manpower and support the KDEM initiative of ‘Future Digital Jobs’ under the ‘Talent Accelerator’ programme which aims to provide job opportunities for fresh engineering graduates in tier 2 and tier 3 cities.

Addressing skill gaps

It said that MIT will act as a cluster in the Mangaluru region for cybersecurity and will be part of the larger ecosystem led by the Cyberverse Foundation in Mysuru under the support of the KDEM.

The focus on cybersecurity has gained immense importance, especially due to the acute shortage of professionals and rising cyber-attacks.

Commander Anil Rana, Director of MIT, said CII stakeholders and the BFSI sector in Mangaluru region have evinced keen interest and are looking forward to benefit from this CoE.

Lt Gen MD Venkatesh, Vice-Chancellor of MAHE, said cybercriminals are using every possible tool at their disposal to hack into networks and organisations. “Every cybersecurity leader is under a lot of pressure today to find skilled professionals. At MAHE, we hope to address this large skill gap in the industry,” he said.