The UConn School of Engineering is launching the Synchrony Financial’s Center of Excellence in Cybersecurity with an investment of $2.2 million over five years from the company and UConn.
The center will promote research in a field that industry officials expect to grow from $122 billion worldwide in 2016 to $202 billion by 2021.
As investment partners, Stamford-based Synchrony Financial and UConn aim to counter the growing threats of foreign and domestic cybercrime by developing information security talent and leading research to help companies and consumers stay ahead of threats.
Kazem Kazerounian, dean of the School of Engineering, said the center builds on the success of the engineering school, which celebrates its centennial this year. Opportunities for students looking to pursue a career in cybersecurity will become available through the center, he said.
Synchrony Financial will provide an endowment for a Synchrony Financial Chair in Cybersecurity to lead cybersecurity education at UConn and help develop a pipeline of information security talent. Funding also has been committed toward Cybersecurity Fellows and scholarship programs.
Daniel Conroy, chief information security officer at Synchrony Financial noted: “The shortage of cybersecurity experts can only be addressed by investing in cybersecurity research and innovation, and developing future cyber champions.”
