Welcome to the Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute

Cybersecurity and privacy are emerging as central issues our society needs to tackle in the coming decade to secure our future.  The University of Waterloo’s Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute (CPI) is tackling these challenges head-on by building on Waterloo’s expertise in computer science, engineering, mathematics, cryptography and quantum computing to create world-leading cybersecurity research and technologies and increasing interdisciplinary collaboration across all faculties. The impact of this research is already being felt around the globe. CPI’s vision is to be internationally recognized as a leading interdisciplinary research institute making significant impacts in improving information security and human privacy.

When CPI was founded, four CPI areas of expertise were identified (security, privacy, cryptography, quantum-safe communications). As the initial list was too coarse-grained, we initiated an exercise to refine and revamp the list, with input from CPI members. The revised list identifies the following nine primary areas of expertise.

The list is intended to be descriptive rather than prescriptive and is used to find the right experts whenever an external partner approaches CPI with a request for proficiency. These nine areas are also indicative of the importance CPI places on addressing global cybersecurity risks, as they encompass a comprehensive and interconnected approach to understanding and proactively addressing the spectrum of cybersecurity and privacy concerns of the global community. Additionally, these areas of expertise expand on the specific fields within which the cybersecurity talent gap exists; illustrating the wide range of interdisciplinary skills required to effectively engage with multi-layered cybersecurity and privacy issues, e.g., implementing surveillance technology in the workplace requires hardware, software, legal, public relations, and ethics skillsets to be effective and responsible.

Waterloo has almost 60 researchers whose work is related to CPI's 9 Expertise Areas:

1. Cryptography
2. Data Science - Security and Privacy
3. Human & Societal Aspects of Security and Privacy
4. Legal and Policy Aspects of Security and Privacy
5. Network Security
6. Operational Security Aspects
7. Privacy-Enhancing Technologies
8. Quantum-Safe Communication
9. Software, Hardware, and Systems Security

Waterloo is uniquely capable of devising effective cybersecurity and privacy tools and technologies, commercializing these tools and technologies, developing the next generation of cybersecurity leaders, and leading an industry-academic collaboration.

Read more about the Centre's research, training, and knowledge mobilization.

Contact:

N. Asokan - Executive Director

Colin Russell - Managing Director

Cybersecurity and Privacy Institute 519-888-4567 ext. 32263

To contact our internal team, please email us at cpi.administration@uwaterloo.ca