Fortinet Extends Availability of Free Self-Paced NSE Cybersecurity Training Courses to Further Build Industry’s Workforce

Rhea-AI Summary

Fortinet has announced that it will continue to offer its entire catalogue of self-paced Network Security Expert training at no cost indefinitely, responding to the severe cybersecurity skills gap. In 2020, over 800,000 registrations were recorded for these free training offerings. The program includes more than 30 security courses that cover topics such as cloud security and operational technology. Fortinet collaborates with various partners to develop a diverse cybersecurity workforce and provides access to NSE Certification exam preparation and CPE credits through (ISC)².

Positive

• Over 800,000 registrants for free training courses in 2020.
• Continued commitment to providing free self-paced security training.
• More than 30 courses offered on diverse topics, including cloud and OT security.
• Collaboration with academic and commercial training providers enhances workforce diversity.

Negative

• None.

In Response to Widening Cybersecurity Skills Gap and Strong Demand, Fortinet to Continue Offering Entire Catalogue of Self-paced Network Security Expert Training at No Cost for the Foreseeable Future

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Rob Rashotte, Vice President, Global Training & Technical Field Enablement at Fortinet
“With over 800,000 registrations for our free training offerings in 2020, it has become clear that Fortinet’s NSE training is fulfilling a huge need for all levels of security professionals. As such we are committed to continue offering the entire catalogue of self-paced Network Security Expert training at no cost until we see the skills gap trend reverse. Together with our ecosystem of academic and commercial training providers as well as government and NGO partnerships, we will continue to provide the industry with a diverse, equitable and inclusive pipeline of security professionals.”

News Summary
Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), a global leader in broad, integrated and automated cybersecurity solutions, today announced that all self-paced advanced security training courses will remain free beyond 2021. Fortinet is committed to developing a diverse cybersecurity workforce by continuing to offer free security training for anyone around the world. Fortinet’s free training initiative provides learners with the following:

• Access to more than 30 free security courses: These courses are on topics ranging from secure SD-WAN to operational technology (OT) security to cloud security with more courses expected to be added throughout the year. Additionally, pre-recorded lab demos by cybersecurity experts are available for on-demand viewing.
  
• Preparation for NSE Certification exams: Most of the free courses are from the official curriculum for the Fortinet NSE Certification Program. Fortinet’s Certification Program is an eight-level program that has issued more than half a million certifications.
• Continuing professional credits: Through a partnership with (ISC)2, individuals can use their free training completion – as well as any NSE training course – to gain Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits for CISSP and other (ISC)2 designations. Learners earn one credit for every hour of NSE Training Institute training they do with Fortinet.
  

Increasing Access to Cybersecurity Knowledge
As the pandemic led to the exponential increase of teleworkers, the need for securing remote networks and users became a top priority for organizations. IT teams already challenged with finding security professionals due to the skills gap were faced with an even greater need for expertise to securely transition to a remote workforce.

One way Fortinet responded to this need was by opening its entire Network Security Expert (NSE) Training Institute catalogue of self-paced courses free of charge in April 2020. In doing so, Fortinet provided IT and security professionals the opportunity to learn new skills, reskill or upskill their security knowledge. Since opening these courses to the public, there have been more than 800,000 registrations. Through the course of the year, Fortinet saw an increase in registrations for its cyber awareness training – consisting of the NSE Certification Program’s training levels 1-3 – its mid-levels 4-6 designed for a technical audience and levels 7-8 for advanced expertise.

As the need for enterprise-wide cybersecurity awareness has become such a critical priority for so many organizations, Fortinet also introduced the free Information Security Awareness and Training service. The service leverages the NSE level 1 training and packages it together with a library of awareness assets and administration tools. The service provides organizations with a low barrier, zero cost solution to get started on an enterprise-wide cybersecurity awareness program for all employees.

A More Diverse and Inclusive Cyber Workforce of the Future
NSE Training Institute partners with global leaders like the World Economic Forum, academic institutions and nonprofits to deliver cyber training to students, veterans, women, minorities and other untapped resources. NSE Training Institute’s extensive ecosystem of public and private partnerships further enables Fortinet to address the skills gap by increasing the access and reach of its award-winning NSE training curriculum.

Additional Resources

• Learn more about Fortinet’s free training offerings in this blog and here.
• Learn more about Fortinet’s Network Security Expert (NSE) Training Institute, including its free cybersecurity training initiative, the NSE Certification Program, Security Academy Program and Veterans Program.
• Read more about Fortinet’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.
• Find out how the Fortinet Security Fabric platform delivers broad, integrated, and automated protection across an organization’s entire digital infrastructure.
• Learn more about FortiGuard Labs threat intelligence and research and the FortiGuard Security Subscriptions and Services portfolio.
• Read more about how Fortinet customers are securing their organizations.
• Engage in the Fortinet User Community (Fuse). Share ideas and feedback, learn more about our products and technology, and connect with peers.
• Follow Fortinet on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. 

About Fortinet
Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT) secures the largest enterprise, service provider, and government organizations around the world. Fortinet empowers our customers with complete visibility and control across the expanding attack surface and the power to take on ever-increasing performance requirements today and into the future. Only the Fortinet Security Fabric platform can address the most critical security challenges and protect data across the entire digital infrastructure, whether in networked, application, multi-cloud or edge environments. Fortinet ranks #1 in the most security appliances shipped worldwide and more than 480,000 customers trust Fortinet to protect their businesses. Both a technology company and a learning organization, the Fortinet Network Security Expert (NSE) Training Institute has one of the largest and broadest cybersecurity training programs in the industry. Learn more at http://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, or FortiGuard Labs.

FTNT-O

Copyright © 2020 Fortinet, Inc. All rights reserved. The symbols ® and ™ denote respectively federally registered trademarks and common law trademarks of Fortinet, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates. Fortinet’s trademarks include, but are not limited to, the following: Fortinet, the Fortinet logo, FortiGate, FortiOS, FortiGuard, FortiCare, FortiAnalyzer, FortiManager, FortiASIC, FortiClient, FortiCloud, FortiCore, FortiMail, FortiSandbox, FortiADC, FortiAI, FortiAP, FortiAppEngine, FortiAppMonitor, FortiAuthenticator, FortiBalancer, FortiBIOS, FortiBridge, FortiCache, FortiCam, FortiCamera, FortiCarrier, FortiCASB, FortiCenter, FortiCentral,FortiConnect, FortiController, FortiConverter, FortiCWP, FortiDB, FortiDDoS, FortiDeceptor, FortiDirector, FortiDNS, FortiEDR, FortiExplorer, FortiExtender, FortiFone, FortiHypervisor, FortiInsight, FortiIsolator, FortiLocator, FortiLog, FortiMeter, FortiMoM, FortiMonitor, FortiNAC, FortiPartner, FortiPortal, FortiPresence , FortiProtect, FortiProxy, FortiRecorder, FortiReporter, FortiScan, FortiSDNConnector, FortiSIEM, FortiSDWAN, FortiSMS, FortiSOAR, FortiSwitch, FortiTester, FortiToken, FortiTrust, FortiVoice, FortiVoIP, FortiWAN, FortiWeb, FortiWiFi, FortiWLC, FortiWLCOS and FortiWLM.

Other trademarks belong to their respective owners. Fortinet has not independently verified statements or certifications herein attributed to third parties and Fortinet does not independently endorse such statements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing herein constitutes a warranty, guarantee, contract, binding specification or other binding commitment by Fortinet or any indication of intent related to a binding commitment, and performance and other specification information herein may be unique to certain environments. This news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve uncertainties and assumptions, such as statements regarding technology releases among others. Changes of circumstances, product release delays, or other risks as stated in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, located at www.sec.gov, may cause results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in this press release. If the uncertainties materialize or the assumptions prove incorrect, results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. Fortinet assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, and expressly disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Media Contact:	Investor Contact:	Analyst Contact:
Stephanie Lira	Peter Salkowski	Ron Davis
Fortinet, Inc.	Fortinet, Inc.	Fortinet, Inc.
408-235-7700	408-331-4595	415-806-9892
pr@fortinet.com	psalkowski@fortinet.com	rdavis@fortinet.com

A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e214282c-edda-457b-96d0-9f79ad19934c

FAQ

What is Fortinet's current offering for cybersecurity training?

Fortinet is offering its entire catalogue of self-paced Network Security Expert training at no cost indefinitely to address the cybersecurity skills gap.

How many people registered for Fortinet's free training courses in 2020?

In 2020, over 800,000 individuals registered for Fortinet's free training courses.

How many free courses does Fortinet offer?

Fortinet offers more than 30 free security courses covering various cybersecurity topics.

Can participants earn certification credits through Fortinet's training?

Yes, participants can earn Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits for CISSP and other (ISC)² designations through Fortinet's training.

What types of topics are included in Fortinet's free training?

The free training covers topics such as secure SD-WAN, operational technology (OT) security, and cloud security.