Fortinet, a global leader in broad, integrated and automated cybersecurity solutions, today announced a multi-pronged effort to raise cybersecurity awareness in the community through public-private collaborations with the Association of Information Security Professionals (AiSP) and Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA). Over 2,000 complimentary copies of Fortinet’s “Cyber Safe” book will be given to all Primary and Special Education (SPED) Schools for Singapore Cyber Day on 8 November, as part of AiSP CyberFest®. Separately, Fortinet has recently been appointed as an Advocate Partner under CSA’s SG Cyber Safe Partnership Programme. Under this programme, Fortinet will work with CSA to assist local organisations to strengthen their cyber resilience through training, education and technology support.
The children’s book “Cyber Safe: A Dog’s Guide to Internet Security”, will be placed in more than 200 school libraries including 186 primary schools and 19 Special Education (SPED) schools where students can access the resource easily. This youth outreach is part of Fortinet’s global CSR commitment to create awareness among children. Co-authored by Renee Tarun, Fortinet’s Deputy CISO and Vice President of Information Security, the “Cyber Safe” book provides an easy-to-understand introduction to possible dangers for children connecting online for school, video games, streaming shows and more.
“Safe cybersecurity education is becoming critical in Singapore as more young students go online for their education, entertainment and communications. The lack of cybersecurity knowledge impedes our ability to spot online scams, fraud, and malicious attacks. At Fortinet, we have been committed to educating, improving lives, and empowering communities through knowledge and necessary skills to deal with cyber threats especially educating youth on good cybersecurity hygiene,” said Jess Ng, Country Head of Fortinet Singapore and Brunei.
In addition, Fortinet is developing a series of videos on cybersecurity awareness to further support AiSP programmes on Cyber Hygiene and Career Advice as part of Digital for Life, Singapore’s national movement to help every Singaporean embrace digital as a lifelong pursuit and to enrich their lives through digital. Under the movement, partners across private, public and people sectors come together to foster a safer internet for everyone. The educational videos will be played in all Primary and SPED schools during the Singapore Cyber Day outreach events. These evergreen videos will educate and engage students in a light-hearted way on topics such as Cyber Identity and Cyber Citizenship, as well as introduce cybersecurity as a potential career path.
After the initial launch, the videos will also be available through CSA and IMDA resources. United Overseas Bank (UOB) also intends to feature these cybersecurity-related resources on its UOB My Digital Space online learning portal. The portal features learning content on a range of educational topics including art, sustainability, financial literacy, and cybersecurity, and can be accessed by students across the region. Additionally, Fortinet is working with Singapore Discovery Centre, as one of the immersion partners in engaging students on the importance of cybersecurity, through N.E.mation! 2022 – an annual inter–school digital animation competition for students and youths to express their thoughts on Total Defence, also in support of the Digital for Life movement.
According to Johnny Kho, President, AiSP, “It is important for youths to be exposed early to the cybersecurity ecosystem and receive proper guidance and support. As an independent cybersecurity association in Singapore, AiSP has been engaging youth through our initiatives and conducting mentorship programmes to advance their understanding on cybersecurity. Singapore Cyber Day will be a great platform to connect young people as part of our community to build a strong and vibrant cybersecurity ecosystem for Singapore.”
This year’s Singapore Cyber Day falls on 8 November 2021 and is organised by AiSP on behalf of the Singapore Cyber Security Inter Association (SCSIA). Fortinet fully supports all initiatives under AiSP’s CyberFest®, and will also participate in AiSP cybersecurity industry activities such as the SME Cybersecurity Conference and the inaugural AiSP Ladies in Cyber Symposium, as part of celebrating SG Women 2021 & International Women’s Day 2022.
Along with support for AiSP, Fortinet’s efforts to enhance cyber resilience in Singapore will continue to grow as Fortinet solidifies the partnership with CSA under the SG Cyber Safe Partnership Programme. As an Advocate partner, Fortinet will contribute actively to raise the cybersecurity posture of enterprises and individuals. Firstly, by providing greater access to award-winning cybersecurity training curriculum, known as the Fortinet Network Security Expert (NSE) programme. Secondly, provide recommendation tools to enterprises on Fortinet’s product portfolio to complement SG Cyber Safe initiatives. Thirdly, advocate cybersecurity best practices and share resources through workshops, whitepapers, webinars and industry outreach.
“Cyber threats do not respect boundaries in terms of sectors or profile of users. Everyone is at risk of being attacked. Cybersecurity must therefore be viewed as a collective responsibility, where everyone – from business leaders, IT teams, employees, down to every individual – must ensure that they are well-informed and equipped to be cyber-secure. Public-private partnership is key to achieving this. CSA is pleased to partner Fortinet to co-develop suitable resources, curate relevant tools as well as to jointly conduct industry outreach, to help individuals and enterprises better safeguard themselves,” said Gwenda Fong, Assistant Chief Executive, Policy & Corporate Development, CSA.
Fortinet’s support for AiSP and CSA is part of Fortinet’s global commitment to solve the cybersecurity skills gap by educating the global community on cyber safety, regardless of age, background, or life experiences. Fortinet has pledged to train 1 million people to help close the cybersecurity skills gap globally across the next 5 years through the Training Advancement Agenda (TAA), answering the call by the U.S. Biden Administration to reduce security risks by helping to develop more cybersecurity talent.
“Cybersecurity is a team sport. Partnership is essential to raise the overall cybersecurity posture within the ecosystem in Singapore. Fortinet will utilise its industry experience to provide self-paced online training, cybersecurity and outreach programs to encourage the adoption of cyber security best practices in this private-public sector collaboration with CSA and AiSP,” said Jim Richberg, Public Sector CISO and VP of Information Security, Fortinet.
Through its NSE Training Institute, Fortinet offers free self-paced cyber awareness courses via NSE 1 and NSE 2 that can further develop foundational cybersecurity skills, complementing the “Cyber Safe” book and the CSA SG Cyber Safe Partnership Programme. In 2020, the NSE Training Institute also launched the Information Security Awareness and Training Service available for free. This service can be used by any organization, including schools, to bring cybersecurity awareness to their non-technical staff.
Additional Resources
- Learn more about Fortinet’s free cybersecurity training, an initiative of Fortinet’s Training Advancement Agenda (TAA) and the NSE Training Institute, or about the Fortinet Network Security Expert Certification Program, Education Outreach Program, Security Academy program, and Veterans program.
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