Just over a year ago, cybersecurity was brought to our attention in a big way, with the hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment. Movie fans across America heard about the security breach, which seemed to be instigated by the Seth Rogen/James Franco comedy, “The Interview” – and subsequently led to increased interest in the film.
Cybersecurity issues are not limited to the entertainment industry, however, and the Sony hack, while certainly one of the most well-known, is not the only cybercrime in corporate America. Recent reports indicate that the average global cost of cybercrime against consumers is $113 billion, and the average cost incurred by U.S. companies from cybercrime was $12.7 million in 2014 – a 96 percent increase over five years. Almost half of U.S. companies had some kind of security breach in 2013 and 2014, and eight out of 10 U.K. IT decision makers reported a data or cybersecurity breach in 2015. Just this summer, it was reported that a hack of Office of Personnel Management databases compromised 22.1 million people.
Cybersecurity is one of the most significant, if not the most significant, threat faced by the modern organization. However, according to a 2015 survey by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), only 38 percent of ISACA members say they are prepared for a cyberattack.
Training can help, especially since IT security breaches are often caused by human error. In fact, it’s one of the most important and effective ways to combat cybersecurity threats. Cybersecurity is also a growing job field; there are over 300,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the U.S., and by 2020, that number is expected to grow to approximately 1.5 million. Training is needed to fill those gaps.
A new partnership between two U.K. companies aims to strengthen cybersecurity training with courses and certifications. QA, a learning services organization, is now the exclusive U.K. training partner of NotSoSecure, which identifies and prevents threats and offers “ethical hacking” courses to prevent cyberattacks.
NotSoSecure introduced its “Advanced Infrastructure Hacking” training this summer at BlackHat Las Vegas. The four- to five-day workshop, currently scheduled for sessions in London and New York City, was developed because of NotSoSecure’s perception of a gap in the market for advanced training in penetration testing on infrastructure (locating security flaws in infrastructure). The course was developed to be aligned with industry standards and certification programs based on the belief that “what counts is accredited learning from a practical perspective” rather than simply depending on a university degree. This focus on practical professional education instead of, or in addition to, a degree is a trend seen in other areas of the IT training market, such as coding bootcamps.
QA, meanwhile, will be expanding its existing IT training portfolio by offering NotSoSecure courses and workshops. The company boasts “the only end-to-end cyber curriculum in the U.K.,” including cyber certifications, cyber assurance and cyber defense. QA’s over 60,000 clients will also have access to NotSoSecure’s advanced cyber training.
Increased cyberattacks have made such business deals attractive to leaders. Shortly after the Sony hack was announced last year, Mergers & Acquisitions reported that “as companies consider filling their strategic gaps and as demand for better computer security percolates,” the rate of cybersecurity acquisitions would remain high, citing several recent acquisitions of cybersecurity businesses by companies including Veritas Capital, Lockheed Martin and IBM. In fact, one of the magazine’s “12 Important Tech Deals of 2014” was Belden Inc.’s $710 million acquisition of cybersecurity provider Tripwire.
Earlier this year, Raytheon and Vista Equity Partners formed a cybersecurity company by combining Websense (a Vista portfolio company) and Raytheon Cyber Products. Raytheon chairman and CEO Thomas Kennedy said then, “The market for advanced cyber solutions that protect and defend global industry and infrastructure is rapidly growing.” The total value of the venture was estimated at $2.3 billion.
“FastCompany” recently published 20 predictions for the next 20 years. Number 16 on its list: “Cybersecurity will be costly.” With the ubiquity of technology, no one is immune to cyber threats, meaning that “every enterprise will need cyberprotection in ways that haven’t historically been budgeted for.” QA and NotSoSecure are betting that training will be an important part of that budget. They just might be right.
