- Cybersafe Foundation reaches hundreds of African women interested in cybersecurity every year.
- The organisation just announced a partnership with Check Point that will beef up the education that Cybersafe offers.
- Check Point will train teachers and provide students with access to free training and industry recognised certifications.
Back in August a co-ordinated operation saw as many as 14 cybercriminals arrested across the African continent. The joint operation was dubbed Africa Cyber Surge II and it was widely lauded as a success.
Cybercrime has been a staple of the digital world for ages and as more Africans come online every year, the attack surface increases and threat actors have more targets – often with a lower level of digital literacy than in the rest of the world.
In a bid to address this emerging problem, cybersecurity firm Check Point Software Technologies (Check Point) has partnered with Cybersafe Foundation, an African non-profit organisation. Together, the pair will help bring cybersecurity education to more Africans, including women.
One of Cybersafe’s marquee initiatives is CyberGirls which gives women between the ages of 18 and 28 access to a year-long course centred around cybersecurity. The course is free and the 2023 cohort is comprised of more than 500 women.
“Education is fundamental to combating the increasing volume of cybercrime both at home and abroad. Partnerships such as this one is key in closing the skills gap and helping to create a future employee pipeline in the cybersecurity sector. We are thrilled to be partnering with an organization that has had so much success in not only this aspect, but also one which has made a real impact on the lives of their fellows through upskilling and education,” regional director for Check Point in Africa, Pankaj Bhula said in a statement.
For its part, Check Point will give Cybersafe Foundation students access to free training, industry recognised certifications and Cybersafe teachers will be trained by the firm.
“We are extremely proud of the impact our programs have had on the lives of many of our fellows, helping young women gain access to life changing opportunities,” founder and executive director at Cybersafe Foundation, Confidence Staveley said.
“Our partnership with Check Point will contribute immensely to our disruptive educational model by providing free quality cybersecurity training to the CyberGirls community”.
Next month Cybersafe Foundation will host the CyberGirls Hiring Summit 2023. This gives participants the opportunity to meet with prospective employers and recruiters in a virtual event. It also looks like a great event for those looking to beef up their security teams. You can find out more about this summit at this URL.
The fact that Check Point is involved is great news especially when you consider it has partnered with over 160 academic partners in 60 countries. We’re sure that expanding access to educational tools and recognised certifications is going to go a long way to help Cybersafe and its students.
