NEC to establish Adelaide cyber security centre

NEC Australia will spend $4.38 million to build a cyber security centre in Adelaide.

The Global Security Intel Centre (GSIC) will address the global demand for cyber security services and add 50 new jobs to the state over the next five years.

The announcement follows NEC’s recently announced memorandum of understanding with the University of Adelaide’s Smart City initiative. Under this agreement, the organisations will work together on research and development.

South Australian minister for investment and trade, Martin Hamilton-Smith, said the facility will make the South Australia a more attractive investment for ICT skills that are in high demand across the state.

“Adelaide has quickly become a destination of choice for companies in the technology and creative industries space. We offer a vast talent pool through the three local universities and a competitive business environment that ensures tech companies can grow and thrive in South Australia,” he said.

The new centre will add to other similar facilities globally in countries such as Japan and Singapore.

NEC isn’t the only vendor investing in local cyber security centres. In late 2014, CSC opened a security operations centre (SOC) in Macquarie Park, Sydney. This is one of five centres that the vendor operates around the world, which provide security services to 250 companies.

Last December, the Victorian government announced that Oxford University’s Global Cyber Security Capacity Centre (GCSCC) will set up a new office co-located with the Oceania Cyber Security Centre (OCSC) in Melbourne in the first half of this year.

The two centres are initially being housed at Monash University’s Caulfield campus and will eventually be moved to an office in Melbourne’s CBD.

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Follow Byron Connolly on Twitter: @ByronConnolly