Day: January 14, 2021

Fortinet Extends Availability of Free Self-Paced NSE Cybersecurity Training Courses to Further Build Industry’s Workforce

Leave a comment

Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), a global leader in broad, integrated and automated cybersecurity solutions, today announced that all self-paced advanced security training courses will remain free beyond 2021. Fortinet is committed to developing a diverse cybersecurity workforce by continuing to offer free security training for anyone around the world.

Rob Rashotte, Vice President, Global Training & Technical Field Enablement at Fortinet said,“With over 800,000 registrations for our free training offerings in 2020, it has become clear that Fortinet’s NSE training is fulfilling a huge need for all levels of security professionals. As such we are committed to continue offering the entire catalogue of self-paced Network Security Expert training at no cost until we see the skills gap trend reverse. Together with our ecosystem of academic and commercial training providers as well as government and NGO partnerships, we will continue  to provide the industry with a diverse, equitable and inclusive pipeline of security professionals.”

Fortinet’s free training initiative provides learners with the following:

  • Access to more than 30 free security courses: These courses are on topics ranging from secure SD-WAN to operational technology (OT) security to cloud security with more courses expected to be added throughout the year. Additionally, pre-recorded lab demos by cybersecurity experts are available for on-demand viewing.

  • Preparation for NSE Certification exams: Most of the free courses are from the official curriculum for the Fortinet NSE Certification Program. Fortinet’s Certification Program is an eight-level program that has issued more than half a million certifications.
  • Continuing professional credits: Through a partnership with (ISC)2, individuals can use their free training completion – as well as any NSE training course – to gain Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits for CISSP and other (ISC)2 designations. Learners earn one credit for every hour of NSE Training Institute training they do with Fortinet.

Increasing Access to Cybersecurity Knowledge

As the pandemic led to the exponential increase of teleworkers, the need for securing remote networks and users became a top priority for organizations. IT teams already challenged with finding security professionals due to the skills gap were faced with an even greater need for expertise to securely transition to a remote workforce.

One way Fortinet responded to this need was by opening its entire Network Security Expert (NSE) Training Institute catalogue of self-paced courses free of charge in April 2020. In doing so, Fortinet provided IT and security professionals the opportunity to learn new skills, reskill or upskill their security knowledge. Since opening these courses to the public, there have been more than 800,000 registrations. Through the course of the year, Fortinet saw an increase in registrations for its cyber awareness training – consisting of the NSE Certification Program’s training levels 1-3 – its mid-levels 4-6 designed for a technical audience and levels 7-8 for advanced expertise.

As the need for enterprise-wide cybersecurity awareness has become such a critical priority for so many organizations, Fortinet also introduced the free Information Security Awareness and Training service. The service leverages the NSE level 1 training and packages it together with a library of awareness assets and administration tools. The service provides organizations with a low barrier, zero cost solution to get started on an enterprise-wide cybersecurity awareness program for all employees. 

A More Diverse and Inclusive Cyber Workforce of the Future

NSE Training Institute partners with global leaders like the World Economic Forum, academic institutions and nonprofits to deliver cyber training to students, veterans, women, minorities and other untapped resources. NSE Training Institute’s extensive ecosystem of public and private partnerships further enables Fortinet to address the skills gap by increasing the access and reach of its award-winning NSE training curriculum.

GMG Sports prepares for digital commerce boom with new omnichannel strategy

Leave a comment

Gulf Marketing Group (GMG)—one of the Middle East’s leading family-owned holding companies—is gearing up for a continued surge in eCommerce demand across its GMG Sports division, in which online sales have more than doubled in volume between 2019 and 2020. The company has now deployed an expanded omnichannel ecosystem that enhances customers’ accessibility to leading sports brands through digital and mobile-commerce platforms.

GMG Sports is currently the largest sports retailer in the MENA region with an international footprint of over 550 sports retail stores, including homegrown brands such as Sun and Sand Sports as well as being a distributor for global brands like Nike, Columbia, Timberland, Vans, and more. The new omnichannel retail ecosystem is now being used by Sun and Sand Sports across the region, with other GMG Sports brands to leverage the same ecosystem in the near future.

While many entities within GMG Sports have had online offerings in the past, the events of 2020 have motivated many consumers to further embrace eCommerce shopping, particularly in retail.  As part of its own digital transformation, GMG Sports has brought new technologies and investments into three key areas: the customer journey, access to inventory across stores, and customer care.

Mohammad A. Baker, Deputy Chairman and CEO of GMG, noted: “As a group, we have always embraced new technology to deliver more engaging and rewarding experiences to consumers. This latest project recognizes that individuals today want even greater access to their favorite stores and brands quickly and conveniently, whether in the shopping mall, via their laptop, or on the go with their smartphone. By strengthening our omnichannel approach, our customers can expect a more consistent and personalized shopping experience backed by intelligent technology.”

Bhavna Buttan, Chief Operating Officer at GMG, added: “Incorporating more scalable digital solutions into our retail operations enables us to not only improve current customer interactions, but anticipate market needs and respond to them swiftly and effectively. That is essential to us as a growing business with demand for our products surging across the region.”

GMG Sports’ omnichannel ecosystem now uses a Salesforce commerce cloud in stores, with AI capabilities from Einstein helping to personalize customers’ experiences. Additional solutions by companies like Akeneo and Fluent are also integrated into the company’s SAP enterprise resource planning system. Customers of Sun and Sand Sports, for example, will be able to access inventory from across all stores as the solution is rolled out over the next 6-8 months. An additional marketing cloud system will also support seamless relationships between brands and customers.

In addition to the sports division, GMG also has a growing presence in other business verticals, including healthcare, food, education, real estate, and logistics. Across the holding group, it has successfully scaled homegrown brands such as Supercare pharmacies, food brand Farm Fresh, and logistics provider Trilogi. GMG has also introduced more than 90 international brands into the Middle East to date.