Queen’s Prize to Queens University Belfast

In February, the Centre for Secure Information Technology (C.S.I.T.) at Queen’s University Belfast received a royal award for its work in strengthening cyber security. Chancellor Tom Moran, Vice-Chancellor Professor Patrick Johnston, and Head of Cyber Security, Professor John McCanny accepted the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education, bestowed at Buckingham Palace by the Prince of Wales.
Professor Johnston remarked, “The Queen’s Anniversary Prize is one of the most prestigious honours in higher education and recognition of C.S.I.T. has put Northern Ireland firmly on the map as a lead player for cyber security.”
With the majority of companies now doing their business online, Johnston emphasized the need for evolving and adapting cyber security. C.S.I.T. offers a Master’s degree in Cyber Security and has a doctoral training center, as well, in order to meet the growing demands for innovative solutions to combat cyber attacks on private information. The centre also works with global companies like I.B.M., Intel, and Allstate, which helps spread the centre’s innovations worldwide, as well as offering cyber security support to start-up companies.
In addition to bringing cyber security to the fore, C.S.I.T. has created roughly 1,200 new jobs in Northern Ireland, adding £40 million annually to the economy. ♦