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Fortinet has inked a deal with South Australia’s Department of Education to deliver its Security Awareness and Training initiative for staff throughout the state.
The program started in the second half of the year and provides tailored information to more than 15,500 staff members across the state’s government schools.
Information provided through the program covers an understanding of cyber security principles, compliance requirements and industry and regulatory standards relevant to educational settings.
Staff members are expected to gain skills in protecting student data, secure online platforms and mitigate cyber threats by recognising phishing attempts, identifying fraudulent emails and understanding the importance of multifactor authentication through real-world scenarios.
The initiative follows a pilot program between Fortinet and the Department, which saw more than 600 individuals complete modules within the first two months. The vendor also claimed that enrolments are doubling each week.
“Fortinet’s partnership with the Department for Education in South Australia for security awareness, training and phishing, marks a first within the education sector in Australia and recognises the critical role educators play in safeguarding sensitive information and maintaining secure digital environments,” said Fortinet Australia country manager Dale Nachman.
Additionally, according to Daniel Hughes, chief information officer for the Department, the program is looking to expand in the future from staff to student education.
“A pilot with select students is underway, and early participants are set to become peer advisors as the initiative expands to more schools in 2025,” he said.
Fortinet’s upskilling of SA’s Department of Education comes months after it announced in September it would equip Victoria Police veterans with essential cyber security skills through the Fortinet Training Institute’s Veterans Program.