MTU targets Ireland's cybersecurity skills gap
Cyber Ireland cluster manager Dr Eoin Byrne, chairwoman of Cyber Security at Munster Technological University Professor Donna O’Shea, and Cyber Skills project manager MTU Jacqueline Kehoe at the launch of The Cyber Skills Project, a collaborative project led by MTU.
The Munster Technological University is leading a new collaborative project to address the critical skills shortage of cybersecurity professionals in Ireland.
Weeks after the country's health system was left crippled by a ransomware attack, MTU has officially launched The Cyber Skills Project with academic partners including Technological University Dublin, University of Limerick, University College Dublin, and the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative based in Virginia Tech in the US.
Three academic pathways have been developed with Dell Technologies and Mastercard that include certificates in Secure Network Operations, Secure Software Development, and Secure Software Architecture.
Chairwoman of Cyber Security at MTU and the project lead for the initiative, Professor Donna O’Shea, said cybersecurity professionals are a company’s best line of defence in a threat landscape that has become increasingly complex.
"Therefore, it is vital to work together as academic institutions with the aim of keeping ahead of cybercriminals in a fast-changing technological environment," she said.
Cyber Ireland cluster manager Dr Eoin Byrne warned that there was no quick fix to addressing the skills shortages.
The Cyber Skills project is funded by the Higher Education Authority through its Human Capital Initiative. It is now accepting applications, and welcomes further engagement with industry.
