Cybesecurity solutions firm Fortinet introduced its new free Information Security Awareness and Training service for organizations looking to educate employees about the increasing risks of cyberattacks.

The Information Security Awareness and Training service, the latest initiative as part of the Network Security Expert (NSE) Training Institute, is for any organization looking to implement or replace their information security awareness program and was designed to align to NIST guidelines for NIST 800-50 and NIST 800-16.

NSE Certifications, which are comprised of eight levels, have qualified for The International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC)², credit for individuals looking to maintain their Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) credentials. This credit furthers the value NSE Certifications provide current and future security professionals.

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“Organizations need to ensure their employees know how to identify and protect against all types of cybersecurity threats,” said Rob Rashotte, VP of Global Training and Technical Field Enablement at Fortinet. “From 2018 to 2020 the number of insider threats increased 47% according to a Ponemon Institute Report, making these threats a top concern.”

Fortinet is expanding its NSE Training Institute’s free training offerings with the introduction of the Information Security Awareness and Training service.

Free Information Security Awareness and Training service for organizations: With social engineering attacks continuing to plague organizations, CISOs realize the importance of prioritizing employee training as part of their cybersecurity strategies to help address insider threats.

NSE training courses qualify for (ISC)² credits for continued learning: Courses in Fortinet’s eight-level certification program, as well as additional training courses, will now count toward credits for individuals looking to maintain their CISSP or other accreditations with (ISC)². This collaboration will further propel security professionals seeking continued learning opportunities to keep their skills relevant and up to date in the face of a rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape.

Closing the skills gap with NSE Certifications: The NSE Training Institute’s flagship NSE Certification Program recently reached a significant milestone, issuing more than half a million certifications worldwide. With its eight levels of certifications, the NSE Certification Program bridges the cybersecurity skills gap, from cybersecurity fundamental education courses (NSE 1-3), technical product training (NSE 4-6), advanced solution-based training (NSE 7) and the elite cybersecurity expert recognition (NSE 8).

Free NSE training

In the wake of the health pandemic, Fortinet made all its self-paced advanced NSE security courses available for free enabling anyone to learn new skills or augment existing skills: from IT professionals to students to veterans and job seekers. As organizations rapidly transitioned to a remote workforce, which requires specialized skills to properly secure remote access and new environments being spun up, Fortinet saw a significant uptick in demand for its NSE training and certifications.

By extending access to its NSE training with free courses, Fortinet sought to create more career pathways for those wanting to further advance their security knowledge or start a career in cybersecurity. These free training courses also prepare learners toward a path to receive Fortinet’s award-winning NSE Certifications to further help them stand out to employers and spur career growth. A recent Fortinet skills gap survey found that 82% of organizations prefer to hire candidates with certifications and 94% of respondents believe their certifications have better prepared them for their current security role.