
Fortinet has announced significant progress in its mission to address the cybersecurity skills shortage. Through its Training Institute programs, Fortinet has trained over half a million people since pledging to train 1 million by the end of 2026.
John Maddison, Chief Marketing Officer at Fortinet said, “Through our longstanding investments to address the cyber talent shortage, Fortinet continues to grow and expand our programs and strategic partnerships by delivering an award-winning cybersecurity training and certification program. Addressing the cyber skills gap is vital to enhancing our society’s collective cyber resiliency and we are committed to developing the current and future cyber workforce through the Fortinet Training Institute. As part of this effort, we remain focused on our pledge to train 1 million individuals in cyber by 2026.”
The demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals continues to rise, with an estimated 4.8 million needed to fill the industry’s workforce gap. Fortinet’s 2024 Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report revealed that 70% of organizations believe the shortage of skilled professionals is increasing their security risks.
Fortinet is at the forefront of addressing this gap by providing award-winning training and certification programs. Recent achievements include:
- Award-Winning Cybersecurity Curriculum: Fortinet’s programs have been recognized with multiple awards, including the 2024 SC Awards for Best Professional Certification Program.
- European Commission Partnership: Fortinet has pledged to offer free cybersecurity training to up to 75,000 individuals in Europe over the next three years.
- Indian Partnerships: Fortinet is partnering with the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and EduSkills Foundation to offer 100,000 virtual internships and free certification programs in India.
- Cyber Bootcamps: Fortinet has hosted cybersecurity and networking boot camps worldwide, including a threat-hunting workshop for participants of the MITRE Embedded Capture the Flag (eCTF) competition.
- Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives: Fortinet is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive cyber workforce through partnerships with organizations like Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) and programs focused on veterans and underserved communities.
Fortinet’s Training Institute delivers training and certifications to IT and security professionals, students, and educators through various programs supported by over 700 partners globally. The company is also involved in public-private partnerships, such as the White House’s National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy, to expand access to cybersecurity training.