McCain Foods and the Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity announce partnership to support cybersecurity talent development in the region
Author: UNB Newsroom
Posted on Oct 19, 2022
Category: UNB Fredericton , UNB Saint John
The Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity (CIC) at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) and McCain Foods (McCain) recently signed an agreement to collaborate on training cybersecurity talent to continue strengthening the organization’s growing global operations.
The focus of this partnership is to train the next generation of cybersecurity talent. The organization has a cybersecurity interest from both an information technology and operational technology perspective as McCain employs leading-edge food manufacturing technology, requiring cybersecurity attention and support.
“We are excited to partner with the Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity to build a cybersecurity talent pipeline. Maintaining a strong security posture is increasingly important as new technologies unlock potential for system exploitation,” said Kevin Perkins, McCain's chief information security officer. “This partnership will allow us to continue to expand our cybersecurity capabilities and capacity while keeping our business safe and supporting a prominent local post-secondary institution.”
“UNB and CIC have had a long and fruitful relationship with McCain and are thrilled to partner with a local business which brings a significant international footprint. Food production and the related supply chain must remain safe and secure,” said Dr. Ali Ghorbani, professor of computer science at UNB, Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity, and director of the Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity.
“Having a cyber workforce trained with the latest cybersecurity tools and techniques is critical for the secure operations of any organization. Working with McCain to onboard cybersecurity talent trained by UNB and CIC will help protect McCain’s international operations, a great opportunity.”
CIC continues to play a key role in cybersecurity research and innovation in Canada. The institute is a multidisciplinary and entrepreneurial training, research, and development organization whose knowledge base draws on the expertise of researchers from the social sciences, business, computer science, engineering, law, and science in general. It is the first organization of its kind to bring together researchers and practitioners from across the academic spectrum and professionals who seek to share ideas on cybersecurity challenges.
About McCain Foods (Canada)
McCain Foods (Canada) is the Canadian division of McCain Foods Limited, an international leader in the frozen food industry. McCain Foods is the world's largest manufacturer of frozen potato specialties and also produces other quality products, such as appetizers, vegetables and desserts, that can be found in restaurants and retail stores in more than 160 countries around the world. In Canada, the company has eight production facilities with approximately 2,400 employees.
Media contact: Heather Campbell