EDB ties up with Kaspersky Lab
MANAMA: Bahrain’s Economic Development Board (EDB) has collaborated with Kaspersky Lab to bring cyber security-related course material sourced from global cyber security experts to faculty and students of Bahrain University and Bahrain Polytechnic.
The collaboration will help authorities raise the level of cyber readiness and prepare a mechanism to ensure skilled and qualified talent are available for the needs of the kingdom.
According to a statement from the EDB, the course material, compiled by Kaspersky Lab from their global experience, is enhanced with real-world scenarios that cyber security specialist professionals may face on a regular basis.
The non-branded content ensures that students gain the understanding of the technology and the process rather than learn about company-specific solutions. The EDB and Kaspersky Lab will also seek to include this course material in additional relevant curricula in the kingdom, with a view to broadening the available skill base in coming years.
In the first phase, Kaspersky Lab is rolling out immersive training sessions for teachers and trainers to elevate their expertise, and two of these have already been delivered in 2018. These ‘Train-the-Trainer’ sessions include advanced insights and deep-dives into subjects, such as security monitoring and cyber threat hunting; malware reverse engineering; and incident response and digital forensics. Each subject requires four training days to complete, and Kaspersky Lab is giving this training to around 25 selected trainers.
EDB executive director of ICT John Kilmartin, said: “A core element of the national security plan is cyber security preparedness and response capabilities, and this initiative directly strengthens our future generations of qualified talent who will drive the cyber security of the kingdom.
“We strongly believe that there is greater value in empowering professionals with real-world information rather than theoretical knowledge, and Kaspersky Lab’s contribution of specialist content will boost the level of awareness and preparedness for the benefit of the nation.”
Kaspersky Lab managing director, META, Amir Kanaan said, “Our research has found that 73 per cent of organisations worldwide cite a shortage of IT security professionals, and Frost and Sullivan says that demand could outstrip supply by 2020. At Kaspersky Lab, we believe that it is up to the industry to step up and address this, together with academia.
“Countries in the GCC region are particularly prone to cyber threats, and more organisations are being impacted on a regular basis. This illustrates the need for strong awareness and a stronger talent pipeline in at-risk nations. At Kaspersky Lab, we have successfully delivered similar initiatives in countries such as the Netherlands and Spain, and we are very happy to provide our content and inputs to teachers and students in Bahrain.”
Source: http://www.gdnonline.com/Details/442596
