The IT Nerd

Infosec Institute, a leading cybersecurity education company, today announced it has partnered with Check Point Software Technologies to bring its award-winning security awareness training and phishing simulator to the Check Point Technology Partner Alliance. Check Point Software is a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions to governments and corporate enterprises globally.

The new partnership equips Check Point Software clients with additional resources to secure the human element of cybersecurity with access to over 2,000 Infosec IQ awareness training modules, phishing simulations, assessments, supporting resources and more. More than 100,000 organizations can now purchase Infosec IQ with Check Point learning credits to boost employee security awareness, reduce business risk and meet compliance.

A Leader in the 2020 Forrester Wave for Security Awareness and Training, Infosec IQ equips organizations with everything needed to prepare employees to detect, report and defeat cybercrime. The platform also features the newly released Infosec IQ Cybersecurity Culture Survey, an innovative way for Check Point customers to measure security culture by analyzing employee attitudes and perceptions towards cybersecurity and security training efforts.

Check Point Cybersecurity Learning Credits (CLCs) enable customers to maximize their cybersecurity investment and easily purchase credits for multiple services. Check Point Software clients can redeem CLCs for many enablement packages, including certification training, pentesting training, exam vouchers, CPX,  consulting, optimization, virtual labs, security awareness and more.

 www.checkpoint.com/training/smartawareness/ to enroll in Infosec IQ and Check Point’s Security Solutions.

Infosec Institute today announced it has partnered with CJHNetwork to upskill and reskill workers impacted by COVID-19. CyberQuest is filling Ireland’s growing cybersecurity skills gap. Founded by IT@Cork Skillnet, CyberQuest was established in November 2020 to help individuals impacted by the pandemic find a career path in cybersecurity. 

The partnership comes as Irish unemployment rates are at record highs due to the impact of COVID-19, which coincides with millions of open cybersecurity roles worldwide. Leveraging cyber education resources from the award-winning Infosec Skills platform, CyberQuest offers free training for six in-demand cyber roles across three competency levels: foundation, intermediate and advanced. The program also includes coaching, mentoring and interview preparation to guide Ireland’s recent graduates and unemployed workers into the cyber career of their choice. 

Since its launch, over 400 trainees have entered the CyberQuest program, with over 60 graduates placed in cyber roles with HP Enterprises, PFH, Arkphire, Bank of Ireland and other leading employers. 

Infosec’s technical skill development platform, Infosec Skills, includes over 1,200 learning resources to assess teams and close skills gaps with hands-on cyber ranges, labs, projects and courses mapped to the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity and the MITRE ATT&CK® Matrix for Enterprise. As part of their reskilling program, CyberQuest selects content from the Infosec Skills library aligned to Ireland’s most in-demand cyber roles in addition to guidance from the NICE Framework, an international resource that provides a set of building blocks for describing the tasks, knowledge and skills needed to perform cybersecurity work.

Learn more about the CyberQuest training program, or explore the Infosec Skills technical skill development platform here.   

CJHNetwork is one of the founding members of the PPA. The Alliance consists of six consultancies working across Ireland and the UK, their common purpose is to increase the capability of people. PPA will extend the Infosec programmes into the UK, starting next month.

Infosec Institute, a market-leading cybersecurity education company, today announced it will host the world’s first Certified CMMC Professional (CCP) Boot Camp this week. A CMMC-AB Licensed Partner Publisher (LPP) and Licensed Training Provider (LTP), Infosec continues to lead the cybersecurity certification training market with over 16 years of success and thousands of certified cybersecurity professionals. CMMC-AB is an independent accreditation entity responsible for establishing, managing, controlling and administering the CMMC assessment, certification, training and accreditation processes for the Defense Supply Chain.

Held from October 11 to October 15, 2021, Infosec’s five-day CCP Boot Camp delivers a comprehensive overview of the new Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification requirements to prepare students for their upcoming CCP certification exam — the first step to becoming a Certified CMMC Assessor. J Kenneth (Ken) Magee, a CMMC-Provisional Instructor will instruct the inaugural CCP boot camp. Magee is a veteran Infosec boot camp instructor who holds over 25 professional certifications. 

Established by the U.S. Department of Defense, the CMMC Model assesses and enhances the cybersecurity posture of the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). It serves to validate the appropriate levels of cybersecurity practices and processes needed to support basic cyber hygiene and protect controlled unclassified information on the Department’s industry partners’ networks.

Following approval from CMMC-AB, Infosec will add an additional Certified Assessor Level 1 Boot Camp to its catalog of over 100 cybersecurity boot camps. Like the Certified Professional Boot Camp, the Certified Assessor Level 1 Boot Camp will provide several days of live, instructor-led training and CMMC-AB-certified course materials alongside on-demand access to 1,200+ cybersecurity training resources inside Infosec Skills. 

Learn more about Infosec’s CMMC curriculum and boot camp schedule. 

Infosec Institute, a leading cybersecurity education company, today announced Roland Cloutier, Global Chief Security Officer of ByteDance and TikTok, as the keynote speaker for their Infosec Inspire conference. Live-streamed on October 18-19, 2021, the two-day event will include live sessions and interactive attendee experiences, connecting hundreds of security leaders and visionaries from across the nation.

The only event of its kind, Inspire is hyper-focused on building a culture of security — equipping cybersecurity leaders with knowledge and insights to develop employee cyber skills, strengthen security awareness and make a lasting impact. Headlining the first day of the event, Roland Cloutier will join a fireside chat with Jack Koziol, CEO and founder of Infosec. As global CSO of ByteDance and TikTok, Roland Cloutier brings an unprecedented understanding and knowledge of security leadership to one of the world’s leading media, social and technology companies. The fireside chat will provide an exclusive look at building a culture of security and transparency, TikTok’s security and privacy journey and the trends expected to shape the future of cyber education.

The live event will explore the biggest challenges facing the cybersecurity industry today, covering topics from the cyber skills and diversity gap to the business value of security education, CMMC readiness and developing security talent from speakers including: 

• Becky Robertson, Vice President of Cybersecurity at Booz Allen Hamilton
• James Beamon, Dean of the CyberEDGE Academy at Leidos
• Leo Van Duyn, Cybersecurity & Technology Workforce Development Strategy Leader at  JP Morgan Chase & Co.
• Mark Cheeks, Director of Cybersecurity, Rotary and Mission Systems at Lockheed Martin
• Shannon McPherson, Director Information Security & Compliance at the Institute of International Education

In addition to speaking sessions, Infosec Inspire will also host its third annual Infosec Excellence Awards ceremony, recognizing this year’s Infosec Accelerate Scholarship recipients, Hall of Fame inductees and Security Awareness Award winners. Inspire attendees will have the first opportunity to see what’s ahead for Infosec Skills and Infosec IQ products as well as provide feedback to help shape the future of product development. 

For more information about this year’s Infosec Inspire conference, visit https://www.infosecinstitute.com/inspire21

Infosec Institute, a leading cybersecurity education company, today announced four new 2021 Infosec Hall of Fame inductees. Established in 2020 to recognize and celebrate the professional successes and industry leadership of Infosec alumni, the Infosec Hall of Fame committees selects top candidates from hundreds of nominations each year.

Hall of Fame inductees were selected based on their career successes and contributions to the cybersecurity industry, as well as their future career goals. The 2021 Infosec Hall of Fame inductees are: 

• Sal Salisbury, Federal Modern Work Solutions Specialist, Microsoft
• Lili-Ann Mitchell, Global Head of Security, Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) and President, Consultation Lili-Ann Mitchell Inc. 
• Jayce Hill, Principal Software Engineer, Microsoft
• Josh Hamit, CIO, Altra Federal Credit Union

Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized during the Infosec Inspire Awards ceremony held on October 19, 2021, during the virtual Infosec Inspire User Conference. The only event of its kind, Inspire is hyper-focused on building a culture of security — equipping cybersecurity leaders with knowledge and insights to develop employee cyber skills, strengthen security awareness and make a lasting impact. Learn more about Infosec Inspire here.

Profiles on each 2021 Infosec Hall of Fame inductees will be released over the coming months and featured on the Infosec website. To follow their stories and receive other Infosec news, subscribe to the Infosec newsletter. 

Infosec Institute, a leading cybersecurity education provider, today announced free cyber education resources and special offers to help organizations and employees stay cyber safe during Cybersecurity Awareness Month (CSAM) and beyond. Hosted every October by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), CSAM aims to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity and provide resources for individuals to be secure online.

In support of this initiative, Infosec is providing free resources, including a comprehensive CSAM security awareness and training kit, a CSAM training webinar for security awareness administrators and a hands-on cyber skills challenge for current and aspiring cyber professionals within the Infosec Skills platform. Additionally, Infosec will offer discounted pricing on instructor-led boot campsthroughout October, making certification more affordable for existing and new cyber professionals.  

CSAM-exclusive offers and resources include: 

• Free Cybersecurity Awareness Month resource kit: This year’s Road to Cybersecurity toolkit provides 17 training resources for organizations to launch a CSAM campaign, foster a culture of security and keep employees engaged throughout October. Designed to make launching a successful and impactful CSAM campaign easy, each toolkit comes with ready-to-use resources from training modules and assessments to posters, newsletters, employee presentations and more. Click here to download the free resource kit. 

• Free Cybersecurity Awareness Month training webinar: This free webinar will provide resources and recommendations on how to run a security awareness campaign that will educate employees during October and beyond. Attendees will have the opportunity to get personalized advice on their programs and leave with actionable insights and easy-to-use materials to kickstart their campaign. Click here to register.  

• Free hands-on cyber skills training during Cybersecurity Career Awareness Week: During the week of October 18, current and aspiring cyber professionals will have the chance to join a hands-on cybersecurity training experience inside the Infosec Skills cyber range. Each activity highlights a different set of cybersecurity skills allowing learners to explore what aspects of cybersecurity are most interesting to them. Additionally, those who complete the challenge can enter to win a $100 Amazon gift card, Infosec hoodie and 1-year subscription to Infosec Skills.  Click here to learn more and sign up. 

• Discounted instructor-led certification boot camps: Infosec’s instructor-led boot camps help cybersecurity professionals earn certifications critical to advancing their careers, maximizing their earning potential and remaining up-to-date on the latest cyber skills. To help make these courses more accessible, those who enroll before the end of October will save up to $1,000 off eligible certification boot camps. Click here to learn more.  

The complementary resources feature Infosec’s award-winning education and training content hosted on the Infosec IQ and Infosec Skills platforms. Infosec IQ security awareness and training empowers employees with the knowledge and skills to stay cyber-secure at work and home with over 2,000 awareness and training resources. Infosec Skills helps cyber professionals upskill and get certified with unlimited access to 1,200+ hands-on cybersecurity courses, labs and cyber ranges.

Learn more about all of Infosec’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month resources here. 

Infosec today announced 12 recipients of the 2021 Infosec Accelerate Scholarship. Established in 2018 to encourage new talent to join the cybersecurity industry and close the growing skills gap, the program awards lifetime access to Infosec Skills to help recipients launch and advance their cybersecurity careers. 

2021 Infosec Accelerate Scholarship winners are: 

Infosec Accelerate Women Scholarship 

• Rachel Jones
• Edelia McDaniel
• Oriana Lau

Infosec Accelerate BIPOC Scholarship 

• La’Neyshia Drew
• Armaan Kapoor
• Jorge Almengor

Infosec Accelerate Military and Veteran Scholarship 

• Ryan Bardes
• Ryan Gordon
• Hugh Shepherd

Infosec Accelerate LGBTQI+ Scholarship 

• Steff Allen

Infosec Accelerate Undergraduate Scholarship 

• Olivia Galluci
• Tyson Rhodes
• Chanthea Quinland

Infosec’s technical skill development platform, Infosec Skills, includes over 1,200 resources to assess teams and close skills gaps with hands-on cyber ranges, projects and courses. Scholarship recipients have access to the newly released Infosec Skills cyber range, where cyber professionals can learn to defend against MITRE ATT&CK® Matrix for Enterprise tactics and techniques, perform penetration tests and write secure code hands-on. Labs inside the cyber ranges guide learners through realistic scenarios inside the operating environments they’d encounter on the job — with clear learning objectives and actionable lessons.

Scholarship recipients will also receive complimentary access to the Infosec Inspire User Conference, where they will be recognized. The only virtual event of its kind, Inspire is hyper-focused on building a culture of security — equipping cybersecurity leaders with knowledge and insights to develop employee cyber skills, strengthen security awareness and make a lasting impact. Learn more about Infosec Inspire here.

Infosec today announced finalists for the 2021 Infosec Inspire Security Awareness Awards recognizing exceptional security awareness and training programs across the nation. Of the many applications received from clients, four finalists were chosen for each of the two award categories — Impact Award and Engagement Award. 

The Impact Award celebrates the successes of Infosec’s most innovative and inspiring clients and partners. Award-winning success stories detail high-impact security awareness and training initiatives that empower employees and foster a strong security culture.

Finalists for the Impact Award include:  

• Inflection Point Systems — Columbia, MD 
• Specialty Steel Works— Hammond, IN

The Engagement Award is a salute to the most engaging and influential security awareness and training programs. These are the programs that go “outside of the box” to harness the power of creativity, learner engagement or gamification to drive lasting behavioral change. 

Finalists for the Engagement Award include:

• Institute of International Education (IIE)— New York, NY
• Johnson County Government — Olathe, KS

Winners will be announced during the Inspire Awards ceremony held on October 19, 2021, during the Infosec Inspire User Conference. The only virtual event of its kind, Inspire is hyper-focused on building a culture of security — equipping cybersecurity leaders with knowledge and insights to develop employee cyber skills, strengthen security awareness and make a lasting impact. Learn more about Infosec Inspire here.

Infosec Institute today announced the release of the next generation of the Infosec Skills cyber range, a scalable training platform where cyber professionals can upskill and reskill inside the operating environments they encounter on the job. Named a 2021 Cyber Defense Magazine Best Product for Cybersecurity Training, Infosec Skills offers 1,200+ hands-on cybersecurity courses and cyber ranges mapped to the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity and MITRE ATT&CK® Matrix.

The cyber skills gap remains prevalent with almost 500 million open cybersecurity positions in the U.S. alone, according to CompTIA. Providing cybersecurity professionals with the tools they need to stay up to date with threats, practice skills in realistic environments and progress their careers is an essential step to close this persistent skills gap. 

Labs inside the new Infosec Skills cyber ranges come equipped with clear learning objectives and actionable feedback based on real-time learner inputs. Infosec Skills learners can practice penetration testing, writing secure code and countering ATT&CK tactics and techniques — hands-on. Infosec Skills cyber ranges require no additional software, hardware or server space, so teams can spend less time configuring environments and more time learning.

According to the Forrester Tech Tide™: Zero Trust Threat Detection and Response, “Cyber range services help cross-functional teams learn best practices of good cybersecurity incident response under pressure. Given the inevitability of a breach and the staffing and skills gap in the security industry, most security teams find value in these services and regular exercises.”

From command line basics to advanced adversarial techniques, Infosec Skills cyber ranges teach cyber teams how to:

• Run red and blue team exercises
• Write secure code by example
• Pass dozens of technical certifications by gaining hands-on domain knowledge
• Attack and defend cloud-based applications
• And much more

The latest generation of Infosec Skills cyber range launches today with 18 new hands-on labs. Over 100 additional labs are scheduled for release by the end of 2021. Try the new Infosec Skills cyber range for free, or learn more about the latest release here.

Infosec today announced the appointment of Paul Shain, president and CEO of Singlewire, and Neil Etheridge, COO of LitLingo, to the company’s Board of Directors. Infosec’s Board of Directors will work closely with the Infosec leadership team to drive profitable growth, execute business strategy and most importantly, deliver the most value to customers.

Infosec’s board members include: 

• Paul Shain, president and CEO of Singlewire, has led the company’s strategic direction since its founding in 2009. Under his direction, the Singlewire team grew from a handful of people to over 100 employees, serving more than 7,000 customers. Paul is a seasoned technology industry executive who previously was senior vice president and executive committee member at CDW, a leading provider of technology products and services for business, government and education. Before CDW, Paul was CEO of Madison-based Berbee Information Networks Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CDW Corporation, acquired by CDW in October 2006. Paul currently serves on the board of directors for Fiduciary Management Inc., American Family Insurance Company, and the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association.

• Neil Etheridge, a 20-year technology industry veteran, focused on bringing cloud computing and AI solutions to address the legal, compliance and culture challenges businesses face around the world. As LitLingo’s COO, Neil leads the company’s go-to-market functions including sales, marketing and customer success. LitLingo builds and deploys machine-learned models involving industry-specific litigation risk, fraud/waste/abuse risk, employment risk, product liability risk, IP risk, customer service optimization and culture analysis and insight. Prior to LitLingo, Neil was CMO for DISCO, a leading legal technology provider, and helped them grow from a series A startup to its most recent valuation of $785M.

• Jack Koziol, Infosec’s CEO and founder, will serve as Chairman of the Board. A pioneer in cybersecurity training and education, Jack founded Infosec in 2004 with the goal of making cybercrime less profitable through education — and frustrating cybercriminals ever since. Before building Infosec from the ground up, Jack worked in the private sector, developing vulnerability and exploitation experience and training members of the U.S. intelligence community, military and law enforcement. 

In 2020, Infosec’s software segment of business reported an 87% increase in annual recurring revenue and a 102% net revenue retention rate. Additionally, the company achieved a Net Promoter Score of 54 — considered excellent by global NPS standards. In 2021, the company received many awards for its online training platforms, Infosec Skills and Infosec IQ, and announced several strategic industry alliances with organizations like Microsoft and Coursera.

Learn more about Infosec here.