Robin Newton MBE MLA

Junior Minister Robin Newton MLA has officially opened a new £30million Centre for Secure Information Technology (CSIT). This new Innovation and Knowledge centre, based at Queen’s University’s Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology (ECIT), will bring together research specialists in the complimentary fields of electronics and computer science, to place secure information technology at the forefront of the industry. Speaking at the launch, the Minister welcomed the development of the new centre and congratulated ECIT on their continuing work with regards to information security.

Mr Newton said:

“Secure Information technologies are vital in the 21st Century information age and the Centre for Secure Information Technologies, will help develop secure solutions to modern problems.

The global ability to connect to the Internet creates opportunities for attack, from the theft of personal information to threats to the world banking system. Consumers are increasingly turning to the internet to communicate, make purchases, order services and interact with government.

To ensure that they can do so safely is of the utmost importance.

I have every confidence that the Centre for Secure Information Technologies will help create the security infrastructure needed to safeguard the trustworthiness of information stored electronically at home and in the workplace.”