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Siemens Canada has announced its corporate membership with the Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity (CIC) housed at the University of New Brunswick.

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 managed services, 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 an important 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 of 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.”

In the era of hyper-connectivity, cybersecurity labour shortage is a mounting concern. The Global Information Security Workforce Study reports we are on pace to reach a cybersecurity workforce gap of 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 the global GDP, each year.

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 cyber security and privacy technologies. Partnerships like these will propel New Brunswick as a global leader in cybersecurity,” said Dr. Ali Ghorbani, director of the Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity at UNB.

“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 the Honourable 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.”

Siemens will provide valuable 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 comprehensive multidisciplinary training, research and development, and entrepreneurial unit. It operates in close collaboration with researchers in the social sciences, business, computer science, engineering, law, and science, and other national and international centres of excellence such as the Siemens Cybersecurity Centre.

Media contact: Paisley Sibbald

Photo: Senator Percy Mockler, Stephen Lund, CEO and Deputy Minister of OpportunitiesNB, Faisal Kazi, president and CEO of Siemens Canada, Dr. Ali Ghorbani, director of the Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity, Hon. Mary Wilson, Minister of Economic Development and Small Business, Tyson Johnson, COO of CyberNB, UNB Vice-President Research Dr. David MaGee, and Fredericton Mayor Mike O’Brien. Credit: Rob Blanchard/UNB