Investing $1 million to strengthen Canada’s cybersecurity talent pipeline

Bell Canada has announced a $1 million investment in the McKenna Institute at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) to help advance Canada’s cybersecurity talent and capability, with artificial intelligence supporting next-generation cyber defence and resilience. 

The investment establishes a new partnership between Bell Cyber, Bell’s national cybersecurity platform, and the McKenna Institute — strengthening UNB and the Institute’s roles as key drivers of cybersecurity talent development in New Brunswick, and Bell as a scaling partner investing upstream in education, skills development and workforce pathways that are critical to Canada’s digital economy and national security.

Cybersecurity is foundational to Canada’s economy, critical infrastructure and public institutions. As cyber threats grow in scale and sophistication, artificial intelligence is increasingly essential to strengthening detection, response and resilience at scale, while demand for job-ready cybersecurity talent continues to rise. Bell’s investment will support the McKenna Institute’s ability to advance cybersecurity education and training, strengthen alignment between academic programs and industry requirements, coordinate expertise across institutions and sectors, and expand initiatives that support regional industry needs and contribute to broader Canadian cybersecurity capacity. 

Read the full press release to learn more about this partnership and what it means for the development of Canadian cybersecurity talent. To speak with a Bell Cyber security expert, request a call back.