February 28, 2017, FREDERICTON (GNB) – Small and medium-sized businesses in Canada will soon have a new tool to help them mitigate cyberattacks, resulting in 50 tech support jobs in New Brunswick over the next three years.

CyberNB has undertaken the necessary ground work to develop a safe and resilient Internet for Canadians. One result of this work is the formal agreements that have been established with the International Cyber Security Protection Alliance and Cyber Essentials Direct Ltd.

“Cybersecurity is a growth opportunity for our province,” said Premier Brian Gallant. “By making New Brunswick an epicentre for cybersecurity, there will be good-paying jobs created and top-of-the-line services available for our people and businesses.”

Cyber Essentials, launched in the United Kingdom in 2015, has formalized its relationship with CyberNB and with the International Cyber Security Protection Alliance, making them the Canadian accreditation body for Cyber Essentials. As the accreditation body, they will work with Canadian IT companies to provide training to establish certification bodies. Certification bodies can then work with Canadian businesses to help them through the processes and rigor to obtain Cyber Essentials certification.

CyberNB is working with Cyber Essentials Direct Ltd and national partners from New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario this week to establish certification bodies that will ultimately result in Canadian companies obtaining their own Cyber Essentials certification. A national launch of Cyber Essentials is expected this spring.

“The premier and the Government of New Brunswick are to be congratulated for taking this leadership role for Canada. Cyber Essentials provides a protective series of measures that will enhance the protection afforded to Canadian businesses as we face the inexorable growth in cyberattacks globally,” said John Lyons, president of Cyber Essentials Direct Ltd. “This vital step underpins future economic development with an easy-to-adopt approach to securing existing and future jobs across all sectors.”

Cyber Essentials was developed in the United Kingdom by the government and endorsed by business. It provides a toolset for small and medium-sized businesses to help mitigate the risk of a cyberattack and is a requirement in their supply chain management.

The provincial government is investing $840,000 for licensing Cyber Essentials in Canada and to establish CyberNB as the National Accreditation Body. The company is expected to create 50 tech support jobs over a period of three years.

The worldwide cybersecurity market is growing, with size estimates from analysts ranging from US$75 billion in 2015 to US$170 billion by 2020. This is in response to the rising cost of cyberattacks, which is expected to grow to US$2.1 trillion globally by 2020. Cybersecurity has the potential to create hundreds of high-value jobs in this province, which is why it has been chosen as one of the key opportunities in the New Brunswick Economic Growth Plan.

CyberNB is providing leadership in cybersecurity training and standards and, through Cyber Essentials, will provide the tools and training necessary to help small and medium-sized businesses mitigate the risk of cyberattack.

CyberNB is an economic development initiative of Opportunities NB.

Cyber Essentials Direct Ltd Annoncement 28-02-2017

From left: deputy premier Stephen Horsman; Premier Brian Gallant; John Lyons, president of Cyber Essentials Direct Ltd.; Stephen Lund, CEO of Opportunities NB; Allen Dillon, managing director of CyberNB.

MEDIA CONTACT(S):

Mary-Anne Hurley-Corbyn, communications, Opportunities NB, 506-476-7596.