The hub aims to address the cybersecurity skills shortage.
California-based cybersecurity company Fortinet plans to invest C$30 million to build a cybersecurity technology hub in downtown Calgary.
According to Forbes, the gap between global demand and cyber workforce capabilities was 3.4 million people in 2022, an increase of 26% from 2021.
The Alberta government's Innovation and Growth Fund will provide a grant of just over C$3 million to support the new hub, while Fortinet will invest the remaining funds from private sources, Fortinet said in an emailed statement. told Kit. Invest Alberta and Calgary Economic Development are providing strategic support to establish the hub, which will include a data centre, training facility and 'centre of excellence'.
The hub aims to address talent and diversity gaps in the cybersecurity field through Fortinet's cybersecurity training curriculum and collaborations with higher education institutions such as Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, University of Alberta, and Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. The purpose is
Fortinet has secured space in downtown Calgary, acquired equipment and plans to begin hiring immediately, the company said in a statement, noting it plans to add more than 100 staff by the end of 2025. Ta.
“Our expansion in Calgary will directly contribute to creating valuable job opportunities and increasing cybersecurity capabilities in the region,” Joyce Chow, Fortinet's vice president of human resources, said in a statement. “Our vision goes beyond providing industry-leading security products and services. We strive to continually innovate and develop the cybersecurity workforce through comprehensive training and development programs. We aim to do so.”
According to Global News, Fortinet's investment options weren't limited to Alberta, but the province's support helped it locate in Calgary. In addition to the grant, Invest Alberta will provide Fortinet with available incentives and introductions to the local business community, and Calgary Economic Development will provide strategic development support.
Fortinet added that Alberta's current annual workforce growth rate of 20 per cent also makes it an ideal location for the facility.
Related: Rogers and RBC commit $16 million to Cybersecure Catalyst
As concerns about cyber-attacks increase, the cybersecurity industry is grappling with a talent shortage.
The Canadian Center for Financial Transaction Reporting and Analysis, the RCMP, and the Canadian Department of International Affairs have all experienced cyberattacks since the beginning of the year, Global News reported, and Canada's Security and Privacy Inquiry Chair Natalia Stakhanova said that the He said that a number of data breaches have occurred. More often.
According to Forbes, the gap between global demand and cyber workforce capabilities was 3.4 million people in 2022, an increase of 26 percent from 2021. There's also a worrying diversity gap, with less than 20 percent of people of black, Hispanic, and Asian descent. There will be fewer cybersecurity employees and fewer leadership roles.
A similar cybersecurity program is already established in Canada.
Last April, French multinational technology company Thales Group planned to establish a cybersecurity hub in Fredericton, New Brunswick, as a place for small businesses, academia and the broader regional ecosystem to collaborate and develop cyber skills. announced.
Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, a cybersecurity hub run by Toronto Metropolitan University, has been active since 2018 and received $16 million in new funding from founding partners Rogers Communications and RBC in November .
Feature image courtesy of Calgary Economic Development.
