NSERC CREATE Cybersecurity Program

Computing and communication is ubiquitous, playing a role in personal and social life, business, infrastructure provision, and government. Many of the systems on which this happens were not designed with security in mind, and there are constant incidents, some accidental and some deliberate, in which our computing and communication systems fail. In a perfect world, and with miraculous foresight we would have built the Internet differently, but the world is as it is.

Cybersecurity is the systematic approach to improving the security of digital and online systems: designing them to be more secure from the start, finding ways to harden them against the inevitable attacks and disruptions, and understanding their weaknesses (thinking like an attacker).

Although many aspects of cybersecurity are technical, and studied by computer scientists, there are social, legal, and political aspects that are also important. This program includes this broader perspective.

As a graduate of this program, you will have the technical skills to make a contribution to improving Canada’s digital and online safety, with a deeper understanding of how cybersecurity fits into the larger world of organizational and government priorities. You will also acquire professional skills in presentation, leadership, commercialization, and social responsibility. You will also participate in an exercise where you will have to deal with a complex scenario to prepare you for the real thing.

You will have the opportunity to participate in an internship with one of our industrial or government partners, where you will learn how cybersecurity intersects with real-world organizations.

The program can be taken on a part-time basis, so if you are already working in a cybersecurity role, this program enables you to upgrade your skills without taking long periods of time off work.