With a robust tech ecosystem and cutting-edge research institutions, Northern Ireland is positioned to advance both AI for cybersecurity and cybersecurity for AI – two interdependent domains critical to safeguarding digital infrastructure.
Northern Ireland’s cybersecurity sector generates over £237 million in Gross Value Added (GVA) and supports more than 2,750 jobs. The region has become a hub for innovation, anchored by institutions like Queen’s University Belfast’s Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT).
The launch of the UK’s first Cyber-AI Hub, hosted by CSIT, marks a significant milestone by integrating AI into cyber-defence strategies. This will develop a talent pipeline of AI-cyber professionals and encourage further sectoral development.
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AI as a cybersecurity enabler
From startups to global enterprises, Northern Ireland-based companies are leveraging AI to counter increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
AI enhances cybersecurity by automating threat detection, analysing anomalies, and accelerating incident response. Machine learning algorithms can process vast datasets to identify patterns that signal potential breachesmore efficiently than traditional methods.
AI systems can detect malicious code, prevent fraud, monitor network behaviour, and generate reports for stakeholders. These capabilities are already being deployed across Northern Ireland’s finance, healthcare, and public service sectors, helping protect critical infrastructure.
Securing AI systems
As AI becomes more embedded in infrastructure, securing AI itself is paramount. AI systems are vulnerable to emerging threats such as Prompt Injection (malicious prompts that manipulate AI behaviour) and Data Poisoning (corrupted training data that skews outputs).
Cybersecurity must be integrated throughout the AI lifecycle, from design and development to deployment and maintenance. The Cyber-AI Hub is leading research in this area, developing secure data analytics pipelines, robust training paradigmsand monitoring systems to ensure AI technologies remain secure, robust and resilient.
Encouraging strategic partnerships
AI developments in the cybersecurity sector have resulted in strategic partnerships, especially between industry, public sector, and academia.
Initiatives like Invest NI’sGrant for R&D Programme and theCity & Growth Deal projects, such as Momentum One Zero, the Cognitive Analytics Research Laboratory, and the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre, empower businesses to integrate AI into their cybersecurity while safeguarding from emerging vulnerabilities.
Cybersecurity firm Rapid7 partnered with CSIT to advance cloud security using AI and machine learning. Their joint research focuses on identifying active threats in cloud environments, particularly the exposure of sensitive data.
CSIT embedded researchers within Rapid7 to co-develop solutions that enhance threat detection.Raj Samani, Rapid7’s Chief Scientist, noted:
“This partnership comes at a time when there is a defender advantage surrounding AI. That window will close, so industry-academia collaboration is critical to expedite security advancements.”
Building a future-ready workforce
Northern Ireland aims to expand its cybersecurity workforce to 5,000 professionals by 2030, and AI will play a central role in this. Educational programmes, industry partnerships, and government initiatives are aligning to equip talent with skills to tackle both AI-driven threats and protection of AI systems.
Recent investmentssuch as Allstate’s £16 million commitment to reskill its workforce in Northern Ireland in areas like cybersecurity, AI, and cloud computinghighlight how public-private collaboration is fuelling innovation across the region.
READ MORE: How Rapid7 and Queen's University Are Forging The Future For Cyber Security
Defining the future of digital trust
AI is transforming cybersecurity in Northern Ireland by accelerating threat detection, improving resilience, and opening new frontiers for innovation. At the same time, cybersecurity is essential to protect AI systems driving this change.
By embracing both AI for cybersecurity and cybersecurity for AI, Northern Ireland is not just defending against future threats, it’s helping define the future of digital trust.
With continued investment, ethical oversight, and a strong talent pipeline, the region is poised to lead in building a secure, AI-powered digital future.
Sync NI's Autumn 2025 magazine explores how Northern Ireland is moving AI from pilot to production
This issue features exclusive insights from industry leaders on real-world AI implementation, responsible adoption, enterprise infrastructure, and how data-driven innovation is transforming businesses across the region.
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