Bulletproof, an IT services company based in Fredericton, has opened a Security Operation Center, or SOC, which has already resulted in the creation of 15 new jobs.

An SOC is a facility in which enterprise information systems like web sites, applications, servers and networks are monitored, assessed, and defended. 

The Fredericton company said in a statement it is working in collaboration with CyberNB, the provincial initiative to make New Brunswick a hub for cybersecurity in Canada. The government has recently been promoting the province for its expertise in cybersecurity, and the potential of the segment.

“This center is a natural progression to our deeply entrenched security roots which we have provided customers across Atlantic Canada for the past 16 years,” Bulletproof CEO Steven Burns said  in an email. “The next phase of Bulletproof will see it become a global player in specific verticals like gaming and lottery, and this center is the catalyst.” 

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Bulletproof, which last summer was bought by GLI Group of Lakewood, N.J., supports customers in 22 countries  and those exports will continue to grow with the opening of the $1.5 million SOC.  “The best part is that the jobs and the economic benefit will stay here in Atlantic Canada,” said Burns.   

He added that cybersecurity and a lack of security professionals is a cause of concern for many companies. There were 2260 confirmed data breaches in 2016, and there will be 1 million to 2 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs worldwide by 2019. Many companies don't have access to resources or funds for their own SOC, which makes this new service offering so exciting for small and medium sized businesses. 

Burns said his company’s SOC will provide around-the-clock monitoring, security event detection, and security incident response. The SOC uses intrusion-detection systems, end-point protection solutions, firewalls, servers, and other key systems.

For example, the SOC team can identify and investigate suspicious network traffic by relying on real-time security data analytics. They can also supplement a company's internal security team by offering around-the-clock network security monitoring.