OPSWAT Issues Its First 2,000 Certifications To Cybersecurity Professionals To Help Close The Skills Gap In The Critical Infrastructure Protection Market

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- OPSWAT, a leader in critical infrastructure protection, today announced that more than 2,000 certifications have been issued to current and aspiring cybersecurity professionals from the OPSWAT Academy certification program, its new critical infrastructure protection (CIP) cybersecurity training and certification program that launched in late September 2019. OPSWAT Academy was established to tackle the increasing challenge of unfilled demand for cybersecurity professionals and the gap left by alternative programs that focus too much on theory and concepts rather than a hands-on approach to CIP training.

"One of the greatest vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure today is the grave deficiency of highly trained, qualified individuals needed to protect our nation's 16 CI sectors. We introduced OPSWAT Academy to tackle this problem" said Dan Lanir, vice president of customer success at OPSWAT. "Issuing over 2,000 certifications in the first four months doubles our initial projections and demonstrates that this type of experiential approach to cybersecurity training strikes a chord with both existing and aspiring CIP cybersecurity professionals."

OPSWAT Academy provides beginner, intermediate and advanced on-demand CIP cybersecurity education strategically designed to reflect real-world responsibilities and technical proficiencies rather than relying on theory alone. Specifically, the certification program helps prepare the workforce – whether a current cybersecurity professional, a student, or an employee within a critical infrastructure industry – for mission critical jobs that are now, more than ever, needed to combat advanced cyber threats.

"While there are quite a few training programs now focused on the CIP market, I signed up for OPSWAT Academy because of its focus on the practical applications and technologies that can be immediately applied to my professional development," said Shane Mahney, General Manager for EMT Distribution.

Since its launch, OPSWAT Academy has expanded to include five modules – all of which closely follow the Purdue Model, which establishes best practices on maintaining data security between ICS networks, enterprise networks, the internet, and now the expanded perimeter of the cloud. Looking ahead, OPSWAT plans to grow the certification program to include Network Access Control (NAC) and Software-Defined Perimeter (SDP) content in order to further expand their zero trust philosophy.

For more information about OPSWAT Academy and to register, please visit https://www.opswat.com/academy. Download our eBook, The Evolution of Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Training, at https://info.opswat.com/ebook-evolution-of-critical-infrastructure-training.

About OPSWAT
OPSWAT protects critical infrastructure. We assume that any file or device entering, traversing, or leaving an enterprise could be a risk. To do this, we provide cyberthreat platforms that not only detect threats, they prevent them. Our platforms deliver a truly secure process for transferring files and devices to and from critical networks. OPSWAT provides this process to over 1,500 customers worldwide. For more information on OPSWAT, visit http://www.opswat.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

SOURCE Opswat