National Post (National Edition)
The world is turning to UNB for cybersecurity solutions
The University of New Brunswick has developed a reputation for excellence in securing the digital realm.
The COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated Canada’s transformation to a digital economy. It’s no wonder the federal government has established an investment fund to position Canada as a global cybersecurity leader. Leading that charge is the University of New Brunswick (UNB), which is earning a global reputation for developing next-generation skills and products to make the world’s information systems safer and more secure.
With his background in criminology, UNB’s president Paul J. Mazerolle understands the importance of meeting the challenges of cybersecurity threats headon. But cybersecurity is more than a single discipline — it’s part of a broad array of skills being developed at UNB to drive the digital transformation of the province and provide greater prosperity for its citizens.
“The university’s entrepreneurial spirit helps to ensure that ideas are harnessed to become globally recognized, industry-leading products and services,” he says. “Along with the Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity (CIC), located on campus, we’re developing a global reputation for digital excellence and helping to drive the province’s economy.”
UNB scored an early success in 2000 when a local trio joined forces to defend the university’s computer networks against hostile attacks. The team included: Chris Newton, a part-time student and technical specialist with UNB; Sandy Bird, an employee of UNB Libraries; and Dwight Spencer, an employee of TeleEducation NB. Given a free hand to experiment, along with support from the university, they became pioneers in developing state-of-the-art cybersecurity technology and software.
Investors quickly saw the value of the work they were doing, which resulted in the creation of Q1 Labs, in which UNB held equity. Now employing hundreds, the company was purchased by IBM in 2011 for $660 million.
“It sent a message that UNB and the province were a force to be reckoned with regarding cybersecurity,” says Mazerolle.
The CIC is also driving that reputation. Established at UNB in 2017, it’s the first institution of its kind to unite researchers and practitioners in sharing innovative ideas, creating disruptive technologies and conducting groundbreaking research to meet the world’s most pressing cybersecurity challenges.
Ali Ghorbani, Canada research chair in cybersecurity and director of the CIC, notes that locating the institute on campus has been critical to its success.
“The CIC is a multidisciplinary hub that relies on other fields of study found at UNB,” he says. “We count on expertise in sociology and psychology, for example, to examine the human elements of cybersecurity, on law to examine its legal framework, and on business to understand how to commercialize the products developed here.”
Among the proudest achievements of the CIC’s
founding team are the development of Q1 Labs’ QRadar Security Intelligence Platform and the development of Sentrant, a fraud detection system designed to identify bots that distort the costs of online marketing by hundreds of thousands of dollars per day. Sentrant was purchased by Nielsen Holdings in 2017.
Ghorbani believes that the future looks bright for both UNB and its skilled graduates.
“Cybersecurity will evolve and improve in the coming years,” he says. “Combining the expertise and innovation of the people at UNB
and the CIC, we will help the world manage those risks more effectively by providing practical solutions to practical problems.”
The university’s growing reputation has already generated significant economic opportunity for the province. For example, Knowledge Park, a 35-acre research and technology campus built on UNB property
hosts top globally-focused tech companies, including Siemens, Deloitte and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.
The critical mass of innovation and cybersecurity
expertise continues to generate economic benefits for the entire province as success breeds success and encourages investment in digital grid technologies, critical infrastructure, energy systems, national defense systems — and the development of a highly-skilled workforce.
Mazerolle notes that the number of applications for masters programs in computer science and cybersecurity
There’s an entrepreneurial spirit that runs through UNB.”
at UNB have tripled this year. The university is also looking to double its intake of undergraduates in coming years to meet an insatiable demand for expertise in the digital realm. It’s the type of challenge many universities would be happy to face.
“New Brunswick’s digital transformation began with the fascinating story of a university that put in place the right conditions to allow innovation to flourish, curiosity to be pursued and problems to be solved,” says Mazerolle. “I don’t believe this story would have turned out the same way at a location other than UNB.”
For more information on the University of New Brunswick, visit www.unb.ca.
For more information on the Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity, visit