Check Point Software’s education program SecureAcademy has grown by 123% since 2020 with over 30 partners gained in the last 12 months and a total of 20,000 students qualified since its launch in 2017

As technology continues to advance and the threat landscape becomes increasingly sophisticated, businesses are being pushed to breaking point. On the one hand, cybercriminals have shifted gear in the last twelve months, with a notable increase in the volume and success rate of cyberattacks. While on the other hand, there is a well-documented lack of skilled professionals, with over half of cybersecurity workers claiming the skills gap could be worse than the total worker shortage, according to ISC2. To address the shortfall, stakeholders – including educational institutions, government agencies, and private enterprises – need to collaborate and develop effective training programs that promote cybersecurity awareness.

SecureAcademy was born out of this demand for training pathways that cater to individuals looking to enter the cybersecurity field, by supporting students of higher education institutes and non-profit organisations worldwide. The Program provides them with vital cybersecurity skills and learning resources. These courses include earning real world experience in multiple fields of cybersecurity such as Cloud, Networks and EndPoints. While its main purpose is to deliver courses to learners free of charge, the program’s wider mission is to reduce the shortage of skilled workers and deliver on Check Point’s promise of making the internet safer for all.

SecureAcademy has now achieved a major milestone, having educated over 20,000 students through its network of more than 170 academic partners worldwide. In total, students have dedicated more than 300,000 hours (or in another means of measurement, about 34 years!) to SecureAcademy’s self-paced content and to the over 150  amount of certification  courses ever taught, with most taking about 24 hours to complete. This follows the recent expansion of the program into the Canadian market with the University of Calgary, the ninth university collaboration there. In 2023 alone, SecureAcademy have seen over 700 students who have been certified and ready to join the cybersecurity industry, to start or progress their career.

Building careers in cybersecurity with SecureAcademy

Collaborating with these world-class higher education institutes such as Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU) in Europe, New York University (NYU) in the US and the National Taipei University of Technology, the goal of putting students through the SecureAcademy certifications is for them to start a career in the industry after graduation. Check Point offers many opportunities for individuals looking to start their journey in cybersecurity, with good progression within the organization. Two new recruits joined the company from the University of South Carolina having completed their SecureAcademy courses during their study.

“SecureAcademy cultivated an environment of profound learning that inspired me to delve deeper into the realm of cybersecurity. These steps have guided me to a landscape of continuous edification and invaluable mentorship, pushing towards excellence. Without SecureAcademy lighting the way, embarking on this transformative journey would have been unimaginable.”

– Jacob May, Sales, Check Point Software Technologies, Americas

“SecureAcademy distinguishes itself as an exemplary program within the space of academia/cybersecurity by providing students with immeasurable value, at virtually no cost. A common issue students face in their higher education years is discovering their passion and finding an internship to bolster their resume. Within the cybersecurity industry, a recurring theme is the feedback from employers, lamenting a lack of experience amongst candidates vying for internship positions labeled as ‘entry-level’.

SecureAcademy strives to address this challenge by affording students invaluable real-world exposure to cybersecurity fundamentals, as well as a professional certification, within the framework of your tuition. Finding their passion together with an accredited certification will make them an attractive candidate, and work on their networking skills within a Fortune 500 company, all in one semester. I would not be in the position I am in today, if not for taking the Check Point SecureAcademy course offered at the University of South Carolina 2 years ago. Thank you, and I am extremely proud to be an alum and employee at Check Point Software Technologies.”

–Aidan Silverman, Security Engineer, Check Point Software Technologies, Americas

Through SecureAcademy, students have access to free courses and heavily discounted exams while benefiting from hands-on experience with Check Point’s technology to learn how to administer the solutions in the real world.

SecureAcademy is a part of the Infinity Global Services organization at Check Point. Infinity Global Services (IGS) offers end-to-end cybersecurity solutions that are tailored to our customer’s needs, help fortify their defenses, optimize threat response and elevate the cyber security maturity of the organization.

For more information, visit the website: https://www.checkpoint.com/mind/secureacademy/.

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