Waterford-based IT services company HCS has announced it will invest €1.13m and create five jobs over the next three years to accelerate its growth in cybersecurity.
The firm will hire technical engineers in response to increased customer demand and provide a new Fortinet Security Operations Centre as a service, which uses AI and security analysts to alert of cyber incidents.
The new roles will involve proactive management of customer networks both in the cloud and on-premises, consultancy, professional services to securely configure Fortinet and Microsoft solutions, and security-managed services to maintain and improve clients’ security posture on an ongoing basis.
Existing employees and new hires within HCS's security portfolio will upskill and earn new certifications as part of the investment, which enables expansion in high-growth areas such as manufacturing and utilities.
"This investment means that HCS can scale up our capabilities in the cybersecurity space and bring our services to progressive organisations that take security seriously," said Dan Hegarty, head of sales at HCS.
In Association with
The investment is being funded by HCS's recent announcement of €3.2m to double the size of its workforce and business revenues within the next three years.
In June, the company announced that it had commenced its recruitment programme and will grow its workforce to 60. The five jobs announced on Tuesday are part of that growth.
"We are seeing a huge demand for more secure solutions among our customers. Covid-19 has accelerated security demands around remote working and cloud in particular, while geopolitical moves have resulted in a rise in cyberattacks in recent years," Hegarty said.
“We are excited to expand our Microsoft and Fortinet security offerings and are working closely with both partners to bring the full benefit of each solution stack to customers. Our growing team will provide our customers with the skills and expertise they need at every stage of their cybersecurity journeys.”
Clients will be able to leverage security features within Microsoft365, while Fortinet’s Operational Technology (OT) Security caters to specific security requirements within production environments. HCS is one of two Fortinet Advanced Partners in Ireland.
The company’s security solutions have already been adopted by customers including Connolly’s Redmills and Avis Budget Ireland.
As well as its Waterford HQ, HCS has offices in Dublin and Cork, from which it offers securely managed IT, telecoms and productivity services.
Photo: Dan Hegarty.
