Barracuda opens APAC headquarters in Hong Kong

Cloud-enabled security solutions provider Barracuda has announced the opening of its Asia Pacific (APAC) headquarters in Hong Kong.

Barracuda protects organisations from cyberattacks on email, data and networks both on their own networks and in the cloud, by providing a comprehensive and easy-to-use IT-security platform and best-in-class customer support.

Building on its research and development center in Bangalore, the APAC headquarters in Hong Kong will be a center for sales, marketing and team recruitment to serve the needs of customers in the region.

Research suggests that the APAC region is at special risk to cybercrime because of its high digital connectivity, low cybersecurity awareness, mounting cross-border transactions and data, and relatively weak regulations.

Barracuda Networks Asia Pacific - Japan sales vice president James Forbes-May says, "Technology has played a large part in the rapid economic growth of the region in recent decades. But as companies continue to leverage digital technology to accelerate their growth, they must be protected from the threats arising from cybercrime.

Threats are becoming ever more complex and challenging, with email becoming a key battleground in Hong Kong.

In the third quarter of 2019 alone, 849 phishing events (defined as sending fraudulent emails purporting to be from someone else in order to gain valuable personal data) related to Hong Kong were reported.

According to Barracuda, however, more challenging email scam techniques are taking over: so-called spear-phishing takes place when a phishing scam is directed at a named individual.

Forbes-May says, "As cybercriminals get smarter, the identities and authenticity of people sending phishing emails are getting more difficult to detect, so it's even more important to make sure you have the right security technologies and processes in place.

"Our new APAC headquarters will further expand our foothold in the region to serve the cybersecurity needs of companies. We will strive to raise their awareness of the potential threats and guard the safety of their communications, networks and data.

"To enable our mission, we have a 25-person team in Hong Kong across key functions including Sales, Marketing and HR with additional functions such as customer services coming as we continue to grow.

Invest Hong Kong investment promotion associate director-general Charles Ng, says, "We are excited to see Barracuda choose Hong Kong to be its regional headquarters. It will not only help companies in the region to mitigate their cybersecurity risk, but also strengthen Hong Kong's status as a leading hub for information and communications technology in the region."