What’s at Stake
The cybercrime problem can rob us of, or slow progress toward, solutions that include preventing,
diagnosing and treating diseases by using the data medical wearables gather. Or hinder real-time data
collection that can let factories change when and how machines are used in order to cut power
consumption, aiding sustainability.
Industry and government alike have a vital interest in defending against actions that hurt our ability to
lengthen patients’ lives, create environmental sustainability, and keep us reliably connected with one
another—to name just a fraction of what a secure cyberworld enables.
Despite this common interest, one could argue that fighting cybercrime has been well-intentioned, with
noteworthy gains from both business- and government-led efforts, but nevertheless not as powerful as
needed.
So why not use every move available to us, including that of bringing industry, cybersecurity agencies,
the government, researchers, and academia together? Cyber Ireland has been inaugurated to make that
move. It is a cluster organization set firmly upon, among other pillars, the recognition of coordinated
efforts’ multiplied worth when it comes to massive problems. Top U.S. tech firms — like Google, Microsoft,
Facebook, IBM, Dell, SAP, Cisco and others with a strong vested interest in digital security — located in
Ireland helped lay the groundwork for this expansive cybersecurity initiative. The foreign direct investment
agency IDA Ireland and Cork Institute of Technology created Cyber Ireland, Representatives from
cybersecurity agencies, government, industry and academia make up its board. Dr. Eoin Byrne, cluster
manager of Cyber Ireland, rejects the idea that the organization’s objectives extend only to filling the
cybersecurity skills shortfall. It’s not only that we can address issues that the industry currently faces and
will face beyond just security, it’s also that we have the advantage of building upon U.S. businesses, Irish
government, and academia already having put their heads together as far back as April 2017 to
understand the key challenges for the cyber security and technology sector,” Byrne says.
Virtuous Cycle
Another plus for Cyber Ireland? It launches at the same time that those who are part of the region’s
supportive cybersecurity ecosystem are finding that the ecosystem’s growth is bringing benefits that in
turn lead to more growth and more benefits—a virtuous cycle. For example, the “pure-play” security
companies, e.g., McAfee, Symantec, Trend Micro, have added core engineering to locations in Ireland,
representing expansion beyond support and shared services. More evidence that companies are
confident that cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions can be fostered here: Galway is the site of the HP
Enterprise Global Cyber Defense Center; In 2016, Docusign opened its Cybersecurity Centre of
Excellence in Dublin to protect its customers’ data and privacy.
Also fueling this thriving ecosystem are the cybersecurity professionals being trained by the well-funded
Cybersecurity Skills Initiative (CSI). Like Cyber Ireland, CSI has at its core goals which were set and/or