Ireland's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is creating 45 new roles over five years, starting with 20 new jobs in the next 18 months.
A significant government investment will see the Republic of Ireland's NCSC increase its headcount from 25 to 70 by 2026 and will also include a cybersecurity graduate training programme later this year, which will see four computer science graduates recruited each year on three-year contracts.
The centre's staff members have already increased by 18 in the last five years - growing from seven to 26 since 2016.
The role of director at the Irish NCSC will additionally be re-advertised at a whopping salary of €184,000, with the hope of attracting experienced candidates.
The director will have responsibility for building and leading the NCSC, further developing its operational capacity and expertise, and supporting the development of the policy and legislative framework relating to cybersecurity in Ireland.
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The package also includes the development of a five-year technology strategy for the NCSC that examines its internal requirements and its relationship with academia and industry.
The associated budgetary increase for the NCSC for 2022 is estimated at €2.5m.
Its team comprises specialist technical civilian staff with skillsets in areas such as computer science, software engineering, malware analysis, information technology forensics, cryptography, software development and cybersecurity compliance.
The Irish Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan, TD said: “The expansion we are announcing today will enable the organisation further develop its competence and capacity to help defend and protect IT systems and our key services into the future.
“The NCSC has an important role in gathering intelligence on cyber threats and in sharing that information and providing expert guidance. The government is committed to ensuring that the NCSC has the appropriate level of resourcing to enable it deliver on its important mandate.”
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Cybersecurity has become an even more important industry throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, with many companies and individuals worldwide not being equipped to deal with cyber threats while working remotely on mass.
In May of this year, the Irish Health Service Executive even suffered a serious cyberattack, which impacted healthcare services across the country and is currently still being remedied.
Several organisations and institutions are trying to bridge the cybersecurity skills gap across the island of Ireland, even at the most basic level.
For example, Allstate NI frequently runs free cybersecurity training courses for members of the public, most recently launching free virtual training for older adults.
A free cybersecurity course has also been launched for anyone in Northern Ireland interested in learning more about cyber, and there is a new free initiative for smaller businesses in NI to upskill in cyber, to help prevent their organisations from attacks such as ransomware.
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