Business First Digital, March 2017 Business First Digital Magazine, March 2017 | Page 43

CYBER CRIME

Belfast ’ s growing cyber security industry has unprecedented potential

by Gary Robinson , European Board Member , OWASP Belfast Chapter

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here is rarely a day that goes by when there isn ’ t a story in the news about a cyber security breach or a hack on a high profile organisation .
High profile hacks have recently exposed David Beckham ’ s private emails , causing some controversy around his eligibility for a knighthood , and revealed that high tech doll My Friend Cayla has a security weakness that allows cyber attackers to intercept the private conversations of users and relay custom audio recordings to children .
During the US presidential election , cyber security was in the headlines too following allegations of state­sponsored Russian cyberattacks on the Democratic Party , while Yahoo ’ s recent data breaches alone could potentially affect one in seven of the world ’ s population .
The prevalence of cyber threats is worrying to many people , but the ubiquity of stories on information security also provides a perfect illustration of why cyber security should be the number one area of interest for anyone looking to forge a career in the tech sector in the next few years .
The ever­growing popularity of connected devices and instant access to information means that the market for information security will grow exponentially and equally for the smallest of technology start­ups right to the world ’ s most sophisticated corporations and most powerful governments .
Research by the Financial Times fDi Markets team named Belfast as the world ’ s top city for cyber security investment projects between 2013 and 2016 , and there is currently 100 % employment in the sector across Northern Ireland . Job roles such as security engineers , penetration testers and security architects are in high demand and people with the right qualifications and experience can write their own ticket with global employers and indigenous companies alike .
A strong cyber cluster is developing here , driven by QUB ’ s highly regarded Centre for Secure Information Technology ( CSIT ), the UK ’ s Innovation and Knowledge Centre for secure information technologies . Companies like Black Duck Software , Rapid 7 , Proofpoint , Alert Logic and WhiteHat Security have all set up operations in Northern Ireland in recent years . Their expertise is adding to a growing cadre of local companies that are also making waves , such as Titan IC , Repknight , Cyberlytic , B­Secur and SaltDNA .
These companies have supported the development of an enviable talent pool in cyber – but we can ’ t rest on our laurels . There is huge demand for talent in the sector globally and if we want to stay competitive , cyber security must continue to be a priority sector promoted by Government . In fact , the UK Chancellor Philip Hammond has committed £ 1.9 billion to the UK ’ s cyber security field before 2020 .
Part of this investment in cyber security involves rolling out cyber security lessons to 5,000 children in England and Wales . While Northern Ireland ’ s young people won ’ t be involved in this particular offering , it indicates a first step towards a shift in how we educate our children . Based on the projected needs of the industry , we need to start training today for cyber security jobs that will be available in when our school children are entering the workforce .
Reports have estimated the global figure at one million cyber security job openings and Symantec , the security software vendor , has predicted that will rise to 6 million globally by 2019 , with a projected shortfall of 1.5 million .
The cyber security field is broad and expanding and as well as attracting new graduates it also offers a lot of career options for IT professionals considering a move from building code to defending it .
The demand for jobs within the cyber security industry is varied . Many companies are in need of security engineers and coders to build secure web sites and products , as well as ethical hackers and testers who ensure those systems cannot be breached . Skilled security researchers are also in high demand . And in industries such as finance the need for security administrators and IT
auditors is always growing .
The Open Web Application Security Project – or OWASP – is a worldwide organisation made up of volunteers from the industry who are experiencing this rapid change sector on a daily basis .
Part of OWASP ’ s mission is to create freelyavailable articles , methodologies , tools , training and technologies in web application security that can be used to the benefit of all .
OWASP ’ s AppSec EU conference coming to Belfast in May
This will be one of the biggest European cyber security conferences in 2017 . It is a major coup to bring this event to the city and reflects Belfast ’ s status as a rising star as a worldwide cyber security centre .
Over five days we will have a superb opportunity to show more than 800 delegates from across Europe what Belfast has to offer and also to get fresh insight into the key trends in the sector .
There are still opportunities to get involved or attend the conference . You can find more information at https :// 2017 . appsec . eu /.
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