In order to effectively defend ourselves and our organisations’ critical assets, we need to increase the global cybersecurity workforce.

According to the research compiled by Fortinet, 80% of organisations experienced at least one breach in the last 12 months that they could attribute to a lack of cybersecurity skills or awareness. This is something that cannot be ignored.

In this podcast, TechCentral speaks to Paul Williams, country manager for SADC and the Indian Ocean Islands at Fortinet, about the company’s pledge to address the gap through its Training Advancement Agenda (TAA) and NSE Training Institute programmes.

Fortinet is committed to tackling the challenges revealed in this report, and all other evidence, through various initiatives, including the Academic Partner programme and the Education Outreach programme to drive a skilled, inclusive and diverse cybersecurity workforce.

At a grassroots level, we are all capable of applying the basic principles of avoiding cybersecurity threats – Williams elaborates on several. But the youth coming out of secondary and tertiary education should explore a career opportunity that may really appeal to them. Access to a vast amount of this learning is FREE!

This is an accessible career path – no matter what the individual’s background may be. If it interests them and they become passionate about it, they will become an asset to any organisation.

Fortinet has pledged is to train a million professionals to increase cyber skills and awareness and make a dent in the skills gap by 2026. What’s yours?