Cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility in an organization these days. Approximately 85 per cent of online security breaches occur among non-IT employees and these breaches may remain undetected for 197 days on average. Hackers who exploit security vulnerabilities for monetary gain know this, and target rank-and-file employees to gain access to an organization’s critical computer networks.
Centennial College and xahive have teamed up to create micro courses aimed at non-technical staff to teach them how to defend themselves and their organization from cyberattacks and cybercrime. Centennial’s Cybersecurity Governance courses tailored for non-IT employees are unique in Canada.
“There are lots of cybersecurity courses out there, but few are geared for non-IT employees. Staff working in hospitals, finance, legal, entertainment and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can all benefit from basic cybersecurity governance training – it’s a great way to protect your organization from cybercrime,” says Sem Ponnambalam, President and co-founder of Ottawa-based xahive.
The two-hour courses delivered online at students’ convenience use easy-to-understand terms so that anyone from the shipping department to the board of directors can follow the lessons on their personal device. Centennial presently offers two courses – Cybersecurity Governance 101 and Cybersecurity in the Healthcare Sector – with three more being added in January 2020.
Upon completion of each micro course participants receive a digital “badge,” which may be attached to their LinkedIn profile. The courses can be white-labeled for both academia and organizations, including professional bodies in Canada, the U.S. and Europe.
“With regulations in North America and Europe becoming much more stringent, especially as they relate to cybersecurity education and governance, these micro courses help organizations of all sizes to meet those cybersecurity and privacy requirements,” says Kevin Deveau, Chair, Distance and Online Learning at Centennial College.
The easy-to-scale online training makes it simple to deliver across an entire organization. Employers who normally may not qualify for cybersecurity insurance may in fact qualify and may see a reduction in their cybersecurity insurance fees as a result of having employees participating in these courses.
Learning to prevent cybercrime in the workplace is knowledge that’s both timely and important to prospective employers. Students and graduates in any discipline can benefit from the courses by adding their new skills to their résumé, making them more competitive in the job market.
Learn more about Centennial’s Cybersecurity micro courses by going online. Centennial College offers discount options for group/employer enrolments.