ISSP and Toronto Metropolitan University have launched an educational program for Ukrainian students specializing in cybersecurity. In the first phase, three Ukrainian higher education institutions are participating in the project: the National University of "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy," Mariupol State University, and Alfred Nobel University. The program lasts about two months and includes theoretical training, practical tasks, and mentorship from ISSP. The foundation of the program is a course developed by US SANS Institute.
“The SANS course - SEC275: Foundations: Computers, Technology, & Security perfectly complements the first-year students’ curriculum and allows them to explore the cybersecurity sphere in greater depth. Our collaboration with ISSP involves not only such educational programs for students but also engaging company experts in the development of a new bachelor's program in information systems vulnerability analysis,” commented Trokhym Babych, Coordinator of the Cybersecurity educational program at the Faculty of Informatics, the National University of "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy."
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to take a test for free and receive a prestigious certificate recognized and highly valued by employers worldwide. Students must complete the certification by the end of July 2024.
“The ISSP educational program is a unique opportunity for our students to obtain the GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies (GFACT) certificate from the US SANS Institute. Thanks to this program, students can immediately become acquainted in detail with the full range of knowledge they will need in their future profession. The program helps systematize all the knowledge they acquire over four years and identify areas that require additional study,” noted Hanna Martyniuk, Acting Head of the Department of Computer Science at Mariupol State University.
The best students will have an opportunity to undertake an internship at ISSP.
“The global shortage of cybersecurity specialists, according to ISC2, exceeds 4 million people. It is difficult to provide exact data for Ukraine, but we can state that the number of qualified personnel has decreased since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Therefore, it is crucial to strengthen collaboration between universities and businesses, providing students not with abstract theoretical knowledge but with practical skills they can use in the workplace,” admitted Roman Sologub, CEO of ISSP.
This educational program is not the first initiative implemented by ISSP in partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University and the SANS Institute. In 2023, a pilot project Re/start in cyber, aimed at career switchers, has been implemented with the support of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine. The main goal was to provide talented Ukrainians with quality knowledge and practical skills to help them find their first job in cybersecurity.
“The Alfred Nobel University is grateful to ISSP and our partners from Toronto Metropolitan University for organizing the course. The program is very intensive and interesting, with practical cases, theoretical, and video information for a better understanding of the material. The feedback from the students about the program is positive,” noted Yulia Bartashevska, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor, and Head of the IT Department at Alfred Nobel University. She hopes that this is only the beginning of fruitful cooperation and that in the future, there will be an opportunity to expand both the number of involved students and the range of course specializations. “Ukraine has great potential for the development of the IT industry and cybersecurity, and strengthening the training of personnel with the help of international expertise will undoubtedly contribute to improving the qualifications of young specialists, their professional growth, and the emergence of new interesting startups in this field,” continued Ms. Bartashevska.
In 2024, the second phase of the Re/start in cyber educational program is expected to be launched. All details will be announced on the ISSP information resources and project`s page.
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