Imperva creates 220 cyber-security jobs in Belfast

A range of positions are being created across the company

A Silicon Valley cyber-security company is creating 220 jobs in Belfast.

Imperva is establishing a new base in the city and aims to create the jobs over the next three to five years.

Invest Northern Ireland has offered more than £1.4m towards the creation of the roles. The average salary on offer is more than £30,000.

Imperva already has bases in California and Israel, and the company said it was setting up in NI to "tap into the tremendous talent in the region".

• NI hub for cyber-security experts

There are a range of positions being created across the company and they will provide opportunities for graduates and experienced staff.

'High-level education'

Yoav Cohen, from the company, told BBC News NI it had been liaising with the universities.

"We chose Belfast because of the large population of cyber-sec experts in the region, which is supported by high-level education in that field," he said.

Chris Hylen, president and CEO of Imperva (centre), with the company's leadership team

"We are working with Ulster University and Queen's University and we have attended graduate recruitment fairs.

"We are living in a more digital and connected world and rely on apps and data on a daily basis.

"Imperva helps protect these applications from cyber criminals who seek to gain financial reward by extortion or selling our private data online.

"We are part of a group of successful cyber-group companies, which chose Belfast as the area in which they want to grow."

The company said setting up in Belfast would allow it to support customers in Europe.

Alan Wilson, from Invest NI, said the Imperva move was the largest cyber-security investment into Northern Ireland so far.

"This has come on the heels of several other investors and they are coming for a reason - primarily because we have the best talent for cyber-security globally."

Imperva's project could have gone anywhere, he added, so Invest NI's support of £1.4m was necessary to bring the jobs to Northern Ireland.