UCalgary and partners combat cybercrime with groundbreaking new centre

Calgary, AB – With cybercrime on the rise across the country, the University of Calgary – in an innovative collaboration with ENFOCOM and Raytheon Canada – is leading the way to keep people and companies safe.

Today the Cyber Assessment, Training, and Experimentation (CATE) Centre will officially open its doors. Designed for a combination of commercial and academic training and research use, the CATE Centre features a scalable cyber range – the only one of its kind in Alberta – that can simulate digital environments, systems, threats, and defences. Led and managed by industry experts, it is a critical institution for cyber safety and research.

“The CATE Centre is a state-of-the-art facility undertaking novel research and development while training the next generation of cybersecurity and privacy experts that are critical to the safety of Albertans and to Alberta’s economy. The centre is a private-public partnerships that aims to support world-class research and to provide a testbed for private sector initiatives as they develop new ways to protect our critical digital infrastructures.”

Dr. Ken Barker, PhD, Professor, Computer Science, Director of the Institute for Security, Privacy, and Information Assurance, UCalgary, and Scientific Director of the National Cybersecurity Consortium

The CATE Centre’s cyber-range can create complex, real-world digital scenarios in a safe way. It will allow students and participants to deal with viruses, learn how attackers attempt to bring down computer systems, and how data privacy breaches occur.

“We're excited about the grand opening of the CATE Centre and its pivotal role as a testing and team training hub that will enhance cybersecurity resilience for our customers. Our collaboration with experts from cybersecurity vendors, industry leaders and academic partners empowers us to provide innovative solutions that are aligned with our customers' unique business needs. We are acutely aware of the persistent challenges presented by cyber threats, and it’s this awareness that drives us to consistently explore new partnerships and connect with global leaders in the cybersecurity domain.”

Herbert Fensury, CEO of ENFOCOM Cyber

The CATE Centre will provide a technological advantage to not only Alberta, but Canada as a whole, as the facility aligns with the National Cybersecurity Consortium— a pan-Canadian network which advances Canada’s cybersecurity ecosystem through research and development, commercialization, and training.

The CATE Centre is funded in part through Raytheon, ENFOCOM, Alberta Innovates and Prairies Economic Development Canada.
 

Media Inquiries

Owen Stockden
Director, Marketing and Communications, Faculty of Science, UCalgary
403-708-5749
owen.stockden@ucalgary.ca

About the University of Calgary
UCalgary is Canada’s entrepreneurial university, located in Canada’s most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 35,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada’s leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary.

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About ENFOCOM

ENFOCOM helps companies improve their cybersecurity posture to prevent them from being the next target of a cyber-attack by providing innovative cybersecurity consulting, penetration testing and training services.