Columnist Brendan Drain, Sync NI
Techie Talk Time
Sync NI’s Brendan Drain looks at the UK’s cyber security industry, which is now estimated to be worth £8.3bn, and discusses why Northern Ireland is quickly becoming a global cyber security hub. The tech sector in Northern Ireland has practically exploded over the past two years, and few industries have seen as much growth as the local cyber security scene. The UK-wide focus on innovation and research in tech has led to a 44% rise in the number of cyber security companies in the country from 2017 to the end of 2019. Northern Ireland’s reasonable wages and high levels of tech qualification have led several global companies to invest heavily in the region for their cyber security needs already, and there’s more on the way. Here are three major investments in cyber security centres recently announced for Northern Ireland:
Aflac’s Global IT and Cybersecurity Innovation Centre
Major US health insurance company Aflac has been eyeing up Northern Ireland as the future home for its upcoming investment in cyber security, and plans officially moved forward this February. The firm signed a 10-year lease with Belfast Harbour to create the new Global IT and Cybersecurity Innovation Centre at City Quays, with plans to create 130 jobs in the 11,000 sq. ft. office space by 2023. Aflac is headquartered in Georgia in the United States, and it currently employs around 4,700 employees in the US and 11,000 globally. It’s ranked 143 on the Fortune 500 list and was recognised by Fortune Magazine in 2018 as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in the US for the 20th consecutive year. The Belfast cyber security centre will work closely with the firm’s cyber security and innovation teams in the US and Japan, and the average salary of the upcoming jobs is expected to be around £45,000 as part of the multi-million-pound investment in Northern Ireland.
Microsoft’s upcoming Cyber Security Centre
Microsoft announced plans in January to open a new Belfast-based cyber security centre and create 85 new tech sector jobs. The new centre will provide cyber security support for Microsoft’s largest enterprise customers across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and it represents a significant investment from Microsoft in Northern Ireland’s cyber security industry. The local sector has grown significantly over the past several years, and the number of qualified graduates and experienced cyber security workers isn’t keeping up with the demand. Microsoft’s new Cyber Security Centre will be taking advantage of the Assured Skills Academy programme to help with recruitment by encouraging graduates to re-skill into the field. The academy is operated by Belfast Met and is open to anyone with a 2:2 degree or above in any discipline, or anyone with a Level 5 qualification in an IT-related subject. The scheme will pay attendees to take the course and retrain in cyber security skills, and everyone who completes the course will automatically get a job interview with Microsoft for one of the open positions.
NI Cyber Security Centre
The Northern Ireland Cyber Security Centre officially opened its doors this year, promoting collaboration across the public, private and community sectors to ensure everyone has access to the cyber security tools and knowledge they need. The centre is based in the Queen’s Centre for Secure IT in the Titanic Quarter and will help the NI government deliver its new strategic framework for cyber security. The centre will play a key role in ensuring businesses and citizens are better informed regarding protecting their computer systems and safeguarding data. It will work closely with key partners such as the UK National Cyber Security Centre, the PSNI Cyber Crime Unit, local cyber security firms, and Northern Ireland’s universities. National Cyber Security Centre CEO Ciaran Martin expects that the new centre will help bolster the digital resilience and strength of the whole community in Northern Ireland. He explained that “At the NCSC we look forward to working closely with our Northern Ireland counterparts as we develop ground-breaking new products and services to help all of us meet the fast-evolving cyber threats.”
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