Grant: Collaborative Research and Training Experience

Cybersecurity has continued to dominate the strategic priorities of governments, businesses, industries, and institutions around the world. The dramatic increase in the frequency and sophistication of cyber-attacks in recent years is coupled by the expanding attack surfaces exposed by emerging technologies such as quantum computing, Internet of Things, 5G/6G networks, smart critical infrastructure, and generative artificial intelligence. This has been further exacerbated by a global cyber-security skills crisis. Canada lacks nearly 25,000 cybersecurity professionals, and it has become critical and urgent for our nation to educate, train, and retain highly qualified personnel (HQP) who are industry-ready and who can innovate and develop solutions to safeguard digital infrastructures, protect sensitive data, and ensure the safety of its citizens. The primary goal of this proposal is to create a cybersecurity research, education, and training program with a multi-disciplinary approach, emphasizing full life-cycle cybersecurity readiness in emerging technologies. The key distinguishing features of our proposal are the following: a) Prediction, detection, and prevention of cyber-attacks posed by emerging technologies; b) Integration of technological solutions with cyber-policy, ethics, and governance; and c) Strong multi-disciplinary team with emphasis on industry training and industry internships. The proposal aims to recruit and train 197 new HQP over a period of six years and is supported by two industry partners, Calian and Field Effect. Both organizations see an urgent need to train a new generation of cybersecurity professionals who are well-equipped to tackle emerging threats. Furthermore, the program will be in a unique position to leverage the newly created and Nova Scotian government supported "Here We Code" Digital Ecosystem strategy and NATO's Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) starting in 2024 in Halifax. In the long term, the program aims to establish itself as a hub for cutting-edge cybersecurity research and training in emerging technologies and will develop a pipeline of strong HQP with specialized skills in cybersecurity for Canada well into the future.