Ottawa man hopes to create cyber bullying firewall

A cyber security specialist wants to develop a cyber-bullying firewall, and he's trying to raise enough money to make it happen.

Ahmed Masud is CEO of Trustifier Inc., which builds cyber security systems.

He said he's been upset by recent cases of cyber bullying that led to teen suicide, and thinks he can use the same tools he uses at work to detect harassment on the internet.

"The cyber bullying is actually based in technology, and there has to be a technological component to its solution," Masud said.

"Technologists are not working towards solving this problem the way they should be, and this is basically an initiative to get the technologists into the mix."

He has the technology, but said he'll need funding and expertise from sociologists and psychologists to make it happen.

Jason Daley, a business development specialist and president of the Founder's Alliance — a group of technology entrepreneurs in Ottawa — said he's supporting Masud's initiative.

"I believe that this will make an impact," Daley said. "Now the tools are being retargeted to make a proper address on a social issue and come away with a solution that isn't about making money, it's about making good on something that's long overdue."

Masud hopes to raise $500,000, and has posted his idea on a crowd-funding site to develop a non-profit company and develop the firewall.