Fortinet accelerates mission to close cybersecurity skills gap

Fortinet, a global provider of comprehensive, integrated, and automated cybersecurity solutions, announced significant progress toward its goal of closing the cybersecurity skills gap through its Training Institute programs. As part of its commitment to address the cyber talent shortage, Fortinet pledged to train one million people in cybersecurity in September of last year. Fortinet is making progress on its pledge to train one million people in cybersecurity by 2026 through the Fortinet Training Institute programs, which include the NSE Certification program, the Education Outreach program, and the Academic Partner program.

Sandra Wheatley, SVP of Marketing, Threat Intelligence and Influencer Communications at Fortinet said, “Fortinet’s vision is to make possible a digital world that organizations can always trust by securing people, devices and data everywhere. To help achieve this, Fortinet is committed to closing the cyber skills gap and raising cyber awareness through our TAA initiative and Training Institute programs. Last year we committed to training 1 million people on cybersecurity by 2026 and so far we’re tracking ahead of our goal for the year toward this pledge.” 

The Cyber Skills Gap is a Business Imperative

According to Fortinet’s global 2022 Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report, a lack of cybersecurity skills and/or awareness is responsible for 80% of breaches. Furthermore, 64% of organizations experienced breaches that resulted in revenue loss, recovery costs, and/or fines. Given the gravity of the cyber skills gap and its direct impact on organizations’ bottom lines, business leaders recognize cyber training and awareness as a critical component of their security strategy.

To address this top-of-mind concern, Fortinet’s Training Advancement Agenda (TAA) and Training Institute programs are focused on providing security professionals with the company’s award-winning training curriculum, as well as expanding learning and career opportunities for anyone interested in cybersecurity, regardless of background or life experience. These efforts, along with Fortinet’s focus on attracting more diversity to the industry as part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, are contributing to Fortinet’s progress toward its pledge to train 1 million people over the next five years to help close the skills gap.

The Evolution of Fortinet’s Technical Training to Advance Skillsets

Increasing the technical skill sets of security professionals is a critical component of Fortinet’s efforts to close the skills gap. Fortinet promotes continued learning to advance security knowledge and expertise through the Fortinet Training Institute’s NSE Certification program by:

• Expanding access to expert technical training with updates to NSE level 8 certification: The practical hands-on exams for the prestigious NSE level 8 certification will now be available online, making it more accessible to professionals around the world seeking to achieve or maintain their designation. NSE level 8 certification will also be extended to three years, reflecting the NSE 8s’ collaboration with Fortinet and extensive industry knowledge.
  
• Acknowledging the expertise of NSE level 8 with new Charter Members group: Fortinet has created the NSE 8 Charter Member designation for a small group of people who have been NSE level 8 certified since the first NSE 8 exam in 2016. Charter Members will continue to collaborate closely with Fortinet as the company evolves the award-winning NSE Certification program to meet the growing needs of the cybersecurity industry.

• Showcasing partner expertise through the Ultimate Fabric Challenge (UFC) Global Championship at Accelerate 2022: Following a half-day cybersecurity skills-based competition, the winners of the inaugural UFC Global Championship were announced at Accelerate 2022. This competition tests Fortinet partners’ cyber skills while also providing them with the opportunity to compete for cash prizes, including $10,000 for the grand prize winner. Ben Le Huray of Australia won the Global Championship, followed by Rafael Rosseto dos Santos of Brazil and Bart Sikkes of the Netherlands (3rd place).

Expanding Career Opportunities and Educating the Future Cyber Workforce through the Fortinet Training Institute    

Fortinet is narrowing the skills gap by educating more people in cybersecurity and creating more opportunities for various people, regardless of background and experience, to have access to Fortinet’s training. Fortinet provides learning opportunities for various populations – including students – through its Training Institute programs to help better prepare the future cyber workforce.

• Increasing access to training through partnership with Degreed: Fortinet has partnered with Degreed, the upskilling platform that connects learning to opportunities, to become an official Content Provider via One-Click. This partnership will make Fortinet’s training available for Degreed’s 7 million users, expanding access to Fortinet’s award-winning training curriculum. Fortinet is providing self-paced access to NSE level 1 through NSE level 7 training, expanding Degreed’s cybersecurity offerings.
  
• Extending reach of training through Academic Partner program collaborations: With over 400 Authorized Academic Partners, Fortinet makes its award-winning curriculum available to students worldwide through academic partnerships. Fortinet continues to expand its academic partnerships, recently adding partners from Spain, New Zealand, Morocco, Singapore, and others, totaling more than 90 countries and territories.