Intelligent CISO Issue 29 | Page 44

industry unlocked Sandra Wheatley, SVP, Customer Marketing, Threat Intelligence and Influencer Communications, Fortinet It’s no secret that there is a major skills gap in the cybersecurity industry and technology vendors are aiming to plug it through their education efforts. Fortinet is integrating its Network Security Expert training and certification curriculum with IBM’s SkillsBuild, a digital platform for users to develop technology and professional skills, including cybersecurity. FORTINET PARTNERS WITH IBM TO PROVIDE NEW CYBERSECURITY SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAMME FFortinet and IBM will focus on creating new cybersecurity career pathways by training traditionally untapped candidates and connecting learners to employers. This collaboration underscores Fortinet’s Corporate Social Responsibility commitment to closing the cybersecurity skills gap through global collaborations and its Network Security Expert (NSE) Training Institute’s Security Academy Programme. Sandra Wheatley, SVP, Customer Marketing, Threat Intelligence and Influencer Communications at Fortinet, said: “To further address the cyberskills shortage, we’re excited to partner with IBM to integrate Fortinet’s Network Security Expert training and certification curriculum with IBM’s SkillsBuild digital platform. As both a technology company and learning organisation, Fortinet will work with IBM to make it easier for anyone to start a career in cybersecurity regardless of their background, previous access to education or life experiences.” Growing demand for cybersecurity professionals Cybersecurity is a high growth area and the global pandemic has further boosted the industry’s demand. An (ISC) 2 poll found that 81% of respondents view security as an essential function as employees are working remotely due to COVID-19. As the demand for cybersecurity professionals continues to rise, so does the need to attract a broader, more diverse workforce into the field. In fact, a recent Fortinet survey found that 68% of organisations struggle to recruit, hire and retain cybersecurity talent. With the global pandemic, this challenge has significantly increased. Fortinet and IBM join forces to further develop the cybersecurity workforce Fortinet and IBM’s partnership will help address this issue through SkillsBuild, a digital platform that provides jobseekers, including those with long-term unemployment, refugees, asylum seekers, veterans and students, with career fit assessments, training, personalised coaching and the experiential learning they need to enter or re-enter the workforce. SkillsBuild will now include cybersecurity curriculum from Fortinet’s NSE Training Institute for jobseekers looking for a career in security. Through SkillsBuild’s new curated cybersecurity content leveraging Fortinet’s NSE training and certification curriculum, Fortinet and IBM aim to: • Provide cybersecurity training that develops skills, reskills and upskills: Now more than ever, there has been an increase in jobseekers, including those who are unemployed and impacted by the pandemic. SkillsBuild’s content, based on Fortinet’s training curriculum, can 44 Issue 29 | www.intelligentciso.com