By ; Nahla Muqalad
SANS Institute, the global leader in cyber security training and certifications, has announced SANS Middle East April 2020 CyberCast, a hands-on, virtual event to be held from April 11 to April 16, 2020. The week-long immersion training event has been newly scheduled to meet demand in the region and, like all SANS training, will provide delegates with the skills needed to defend their organizations against security breaches and prevent future attacks at a time of increased activity among cyber criminals.
As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to expand globally and regionally, SANS remains committed to bringing exemplary cybersecurity training to students across the world. SANS Institute has therefore modified several of their live events into virtual CyberCasts, allowing those now confined to their home or office environment to still train and maintain the necessary cybersecurity skills. In addition to the live, interactive sessions delivered directly from the exceptional faculty of SANS instructors, students will get much more to ensure they are challenged. This will include access to free SANS@Mic talks (bonus sessions during which instructors will cover current topics and new SANS courses), online Netwars challenges, Capture the Flag challenges and much more.
"Cyber threat actors are always looking at opportunities to exploit organizational vulnerabilities. The ongoing global health outbreak has stretched government, public sector, and private sector resources to the limit across the Middle East.
Cybersecurity readiness and monitoring are likely moving down the everyday check list of top executive management leaders in both critical infrastructure and large enterprises across the GCC and other Middle East countries. However, it’s important cybersecurity remains a top priority at a time when cyber criminals are stepping up their activities.” explained Ned Baltagi, Managing Director, Middle East & Africa at SANS Institute. He continued: “SANS Institute has selected this suite of courses based on the requirements of these times to enable security professionals to keep their skills sharp. As always with a SANS course, delegates can apply their learning from day one back at work."
The CyberCast courses will include:
SEC401: Security Essentials Bootcamp Style by Ian Reynolds
SEC504: Hacker Tools, Techniques, Exploits, and Incident Handling by Ronald Hamann
SEC511: Continuous Monitoring and Security Operations by Maxim Deweerdt
FOR500: Windows Forensic Analysis by Jason Jordaan
"We have already observed an increase in cyberattacks, in particular Phishing attacks that seek to take advantage of human emotions. It is during times like these that we need to be extra careful and keep all our wits about us. SANS CyberCast ensures that you are kept up to date with recent attacks and how to defend against them - all from the comfort of your home. Through this program and as a SANS certified instructor, I hope to be contributing towards the common goal of keeping everyone secure. That was my motivation to start teaching and it has only ramped up by having the opportunity to teach remotely during these challenging times," explains Maxim Deweerdt, an instructor during Middle East April 2020 CyberCast.
"Innovation and adaptability are not only at the foundation of the SANS organization, but are also at the core of any Cyber Security Professional. We have to constantly adjust, adapt and overcome challenges to ensure that our critical infrastructure, private and public sectors and our fellow citizens remain secure.
This is why I am thrilled to be able to continue to train and inspire Cyber Defenders through SANS CyberCasts. This online format gives students the ability to follow a SANS course from the comfort of their homes and offices and gives me the opportunity to interact with them as if we were meeting live. There will always be people out there that will abuse our vulnerabilities during challenging times - let's not give them that opportunity," added Maxim.
"SANS has offered online training options for more than 15 years. The platforms we are providing during Middle East 2020 CyberCast have been well and truly battle-tested to ensure they can deliver the exceptional hands-on cybersecurity training that the community expects.
At SANS, we have trained thousands of students on these platforms that deliver the same learning outcomes as traditional live training," concluded Ned Baltagi.
Students can sign up for GIAC certification at a reduced rate in conjunction with some of the courses at this event. Once a certification option has been purchased, students will have four months after the event concludes to successfully pass the associated online exam. Students can also extend their learning by adding an OnDemand Bundle to the course at a reduced rate. An OnDemand Bundle gives four months of online access to e-learning program, lecture video or audio files, quizzes and labs.
