Fortinet, a global leader in broad, integrated and automated cybersecurity solutions, announced three Canadian academic institutions that have recently joined Fortinet’s Security Academy Program. The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology, and Ontario College of Management and Technology join more than 15 Canada-based academic institutions and non-profit organizations that are part of the Security Academy Program. The Security Academy Program boasts more than 300 Authorized Security Academies in over 80 countries.
Closing Canada’s Cybersecurity Skills Gap
In a March 2020 report, 89 percent of Canadian IT managers agreed that the cybersecurity skills shortage has created additional cyber risks for their organizations. Fortinet, a founding member of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Centre for Cybersecurity and the Cyber Threat Alliance, is committed to working with global leaders in Canada and around the world to develop impactful solutions to address the talent shortage. Fortinet is also collaborating with IBM, Salesforce and other cross-sector partners to create new opportunities in the digital economy.
Through the Security Academy Program, BCIT, Seneca, and Ontario College of Management and Technology are able to better prepare their students for a career in cybersecurity.
“The cybersecurity skills gap affects businesses and governments across Canada, and ultimately impacts our digital economy. Fortinet is investing heavily in training and education through our NSE Training Institute to create more career pathways in Canada and globally. Fortinet is partnering with Canadian academic institutions and veteran-focused nonprofits to extend our reach and develop a stronger pipeline of security professionals,” said Rob Rashotte, VP of Global Training and Technical Field Enablement, Fortinet
“We believe that the Fortinet Security Academy adds value to our students and the Computer Information Systems Administration (CISA) program at BCIT. Our CISA program has been in place for the past 24 years and we strive to keep our curriculum current to match industry needs. Being part of the Fortinet Security Academy is an example where our CISA students can graduate from BCIT, not only with a diploma, but with relevant industry skills and certifications as well. Our students also benefit from hands-on learning with Fortinet products, such as learning how to configure FortiGate firewalls,” shared Chi Wong, M.A., Department Head, CISA program, School of Energy, BCIT
Justine Arsenault, Program Lead, BCIT Legion Military Skills Conversion program, added, “The BCIT Legion Military Skills Conversion Program has proudly partnered with the Veterans Program in Canada to help transition the skillset of Canadian Armed Forces Members and Veterans in providing exciting second career opportunities in the growing field of cybersecurity.”
The Fortinet Network Security Expert (NSE) Training Institute was established in 2015 to advance cybersecurity education and training, as part of Fortinet’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. The NSE Training Institute is made up of several programs, including the Security Academy Program, the NSE Certification Program and Veterans Program. Fortinet continues to grow these programs with recent milestones including:
- Fortinet’s Veterans Program is helping veterans from Canada’s Armed Forces transition into a career in cybersecurity through training, mentoring and connections to its ecosystem of partner employers. Canadian veteran-focused nonprofit Coding for Veterans joined Fortinet’s Security Academy Program to create avenues for employment and learning for its members.
- The NSE Certification Program has issued more than 16,000 certifications in Canada and more than half a million certifications worldwide. In April 2020, Fortinet opened its entire catalogue of NSE self-paced security training courses, including pre-recorded labs, free of charge to the general public and, during that time, more than 200,000 certifications were achieved underscoring the demand for cybersecurity training.
- Fortinet recently expanded its free training offerings with the introduction of the Information Security Awareness and Training service developed by some of the best cybersecurity training experts in the world, and focused on key attack vectors and best practices. This turnkey service ensures employees are equipped with the knowledge necessary to avoid phishing, baiting, tech support scams and other social engineering attacks that have significantly increased during COVID.