Siemens Canada Joins Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity
Devin Jones
Automation General DefenseSiemens Canada is joining CIC as a corporate member to partner on research projects and the training of cybersecurity talent.
Photo courtesy of Gettys.
In May 2018, Siemens announced the creation of a Cybersecurity Centre in Fredericton with support from OpportunitiesNB (ONB).
The centre is now operational, focusing on research and development, consulting, and creating potential for global exports of locally developed cybersecurity solutions. Up to 30 highly skilled jobs in engineering, cyber analysis and consulting will be created in Phase 1 by 2020, with another 30 jobs expected in Phase 2. As a part of these activities, Siemens Canada is joining CIC as a corporate member to partner on research projects and the training of cybersecurity talent.
“Cybersecurity is one of the most important and complex challenges facing businesses and public institutions today,” said Faisal Kazi, President and CEO, Siemens Canada. “As a world leader in cyber protection for critical infrastructure, Siemens is honoured to become a member of the Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity. We look forward to continuing to contribute to the impressive efforts already underway in New Brunswick with UNB and CyberNB, a special operating agency of ONB.
A cybersecurity labour shortage is of mounting concern, with a recent study from The Global Information Security Workforce which reports that the workforce gap for cybersecurity is to reach 1.8 million by 2022. This gap is concerning as cybercrime damages are forecasted to cost close to $600 billion USD, nearly one per cent of global GDP, each year.
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Cybersecurity innovation relies on strategic industry partners like Siemens and CIC working together to vigilantly protect critical infrastructures and defend the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape.
“The Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity at UNB will work in partnership with Siemens’ team of technical staff and researchers to develop robust and practical cutting-edge cybersecurity and privacy technologies,” said Dr. Ali Ghorbani, Director of the Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity. “Partnerships like these will propel New Brunswick as a global leader in cybersecurity.”
Siemens will provide resources for CIC to recruit and train highly qualified cybersecurity experts who will lead discoveries and build cybersecurity solutions that protect our society and economy against costly cyberattacks. Recognizing the evolution of the fast-changing cybersecurity discipline, CIC and the faculty of computer science at UNB will offer a career-focused master’s program in cybersecurity.
The Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity at the University of New Brunswick is a multidisciplinary training, research and development unit. It operates in collaboration with researchers in the social sciences, business, computer science, engineering, and law.
“New Brunswick is well positioned as a leader in cybersecurity with the Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity located at the University of New Brunswick and a strong group of corporate partners coming on board,” said Mary Wilson, Minister of Economic Development and Small Business and Minister responsible for OpportunitiesNB. “Their commitment to developing the skills and knowledge sets essential in critical infrastructure protection, right here in New Brunswick, creates a solid foundation for continued growth in this sector.”
