Microsoft-ASEAN Foundation gear up for the ASEAN Cybersecurity Skilling Programme

  • Goal is to create plus nurture future cybersecurity leaders and advisors
  • Training to be sent to 30k underserved youths in seven countries

Increased reports of cyber threats bring up an interesting opportunity – higher demand for cybersecurity skills.

First the good news. The Covid-19 pandemic has turbo charge life in Southeast Asia (SEA) to the digital economy, quicker than has been predicted. How quick, a person ask?   Microsof company CEO, Satya Nadella place it succinctly when he mentioned Microsoft saw two years of digital change for better in two months.

Now the not so good news. With additional and more of life moving online, poor actors smell opportunity, and are striking. Based on Cyber Signals , a brand new quarterly cyber danger intelligence brief  through Microsoft, between The month of january and December 2021, Microsoft Defender pertaining to Endpoint blocked greater than 9. 6 billion malware threats focusing on enterprise and customer devices, while Microsoft Defender to get Office 365 obstructed more than 35. 7 billion phishing as well as other malicious e-mails targeting enterprise and customers.

Read Furthermore:   Empowering A Secure Digital Experience Through Diverse Efforts

Increased reports of cyber threats bring up a fascinating opportunity – higher demand for cybersecurity skills.   According to the Planet Economic Forum (WEF) report 2021 , there is a global gap of over 3 million cyber protection workforce, with 2 million in the Asian countries Pacific region by yourself. Last year, Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab, TOP DOG of CyberSecurity Malaysia also noted that will Malaysia needs 20, 000 cybersecurity knowledge workers by 2025.

As consumers, companies, and governments arrive at grips with the growing risks they encounter in the online world, some global tech gamers are acting in the proactive manner to deal with the threat.

One such illustration is Microsoft’s collaboration with the ASEAN Foundation to launch the  ASEAN Cybersecurity Skilling Programme   (ASEANCSP), that was announced in Feb  this year, during the “Cybersecurity in ASEAN: Lessons for Youth and How the COVID-19 is Shaping the Every-Evolving Digital Landscape” webinar.

Explaining its inspiration to back up the inaugural ASEANCSP, Abbas Kudrati, Chief Cybersecurity Officer, Asia Pacific cycles, Microsoft, said, “We live in an increasingly linked world. That means possibilities for hacking are usually everywhere too. We’re seeing a huge lack of cybersecurity talent all over the world and as an industry, it’s our responsibility to do business with educational institutions, help all of them stay updated on cybersecurity curricula and be sure students are equipped with skills that are current. We have been proud to be working with the ASEAN Basis to create and foster future cybersecurity market leaders and advisors across our markets. ”

The webinar was just the warm-up act as ASEANCSP aims to combat cybercrimes in the region by raising awareness and creating higher cybersecurity knowledge in the region.

Using a training of trainers (ToT) approach to accelerate the impact, the programme aims to deliver ToT on cybersecurity in order to 560 youths, educators and NGO and CSO facilitators in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam in collaboration with local implementing partners.

This particular cybersecurity content will be part of the 10-hour training session for each country’s learn trainers who, through August to Dec 2022, will then provide cybersecurity training in order to 30, 000 underserved youths in the seven countries as a way to lead to the creation of a safe digital environment in ASEAN.

In Malaysia, ASEANCSP partners are the Girls Guide Organization Malaysia and Universiti Putra Malaysia which will deliver the cybersecurity training to 120 master trainers that will then cascade the particular cybersecurity literacy right down to 6, 000 youngsters across the nation.

They consist of youth living with disabilities, youth from minorities group, unemployed youngsters and youth that are exploring a career in cybersecurity.