The Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) has officially launched in Belfast, and is set to be the central UK hub for counteracting cybercrime.
The £30 million centre is billed as the place that will "create the security infrastructure needed to safeguard the trustworthiness of information stored electronically, both at home and in the workplace."
Essentially this means it will help to keep criminal activities off of the web.
CSIT is based at Queen's University of Belfast's Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT), and will employ 80 people, with experts looking into data encryption, network security systems, wireless enabled security systems and intelligent surveillance technology.
Vital reference point
Speaking to the BBC, Queen's University Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Gregson said about the centre: "Cyber-security is a global issue that affects us all, 97 per cent of business in the UK now relies on the internet and other IT systems.
"CSIT will become a vital reference point for all businesses working in this field and beyond."
While it is very much a UK-based institution, those behind CSIT are hoping the centre will become an international research centre, "that will lead the way in solving some of the real world security challenges of the future".
Find out more at: www.ecit.qub.ac.uk.
Via BBC
