Class in Session – A New Critical Infrastructure Cyber Program from OPSWAT

In the past four years, cybersecurity has seen an increase in unfilled jobs – with staggering numbers estimating that by 2021 the number will reach upwards of 3.5 million. This unfortunate reality by no means suggests that there is a shortage of work to be done. In fact, and to the contrary, cyber attackers have increased not only the number of attacks, but also the sophistication of attacks by deploying advanced techniques to bypass traditional security tools and human controls. Unfortunately, for critical infrastructure cybersecurity, the threats are even more paramount as nation states and criminal groups with various financial and non-financial motivations look to attack the industries that are mission critical to our daily lives.

In response to the threats and workforce shortage, I’m pleased to announce OPSWAT’s latest initiative – OPSWAT Academy, a new critical infrastructure protection (CIP) cybersecurity training and certification program. OPSWAT Academy comes after much discussion with our customers and partners, hearing their needs, and recognizing that action must be taken in order to build the next generation of CIP cybersecurity experts needed to protect the critical infrastructure we all depend so much on.

What is OPSWAT Academy Critical Infrastructure Certification Program?

Designed for everyone from OPSWAT customers and partners to current and aspiring cybersecurity and IT professionals, OPSWAT Academy provides on-demand education that reflects the real-world responsibilities needed by CIP cybersecurity experts. The master certification – OPSWAT Critical Infrastructure Protection Associate (OCIPA) - is based on our zero-trust mentality and has four specific certifications corresponding with discipline levels.

Recently, I got on camera to discuss who the certification is for and why the training is important to the future success of the critical infrastructure cybersecurity profession.

“I think OPSWAT Academy is going to reshape what a critical infrastructure protection cybersecurity program is all about - where we focus on the practical aspects required to effectively implement cybersecurity solutions.”

Unlike legacy CIP cyber certification programs, OPSWAT Academy will help participants excel at applying the technologies, processes and procedures required in CIP cybersecurity – no matter what background or skills a participant may have. This hands-on approach allows anyone - from a risk manager to an operations manager to a cybersecurity analyst within any one of the 16 different critical infrastructure industries - to grow a base-knowledge of the complex interoperability structure between industrial control systems (ICS) and other external or internal networks.

What will I learn in the cybersecurity training program?

At OPSWAT, our philosophy is to trust no file, trust no device. This is also the foundation for the Academy’s curriculum. Specifically, we built the Academy around The Purdue Enterprise Reference Architecture, or the Purdue Model, which establishes data security best practices between ICS networks, organization’s networks, the internet, and the cloud. OPSWAT Academy’s curriculum includes but is not limited to:

● CIP cybersecurity technologies that protect files during data transfer including Deep Content Disarm and Reconstruction (Deep CDR), File Based Vulnerability Assessment, Multiscanning and more.

● CIP cybersecurity technologies that ensure devices accessing critical infrastructure networks meet security compliance standards, such as Endpoint Compliance, Endpoint Malware Detection, Endpoint Vulnerability Assessment, Cloud Based Access Security, and more.

● The nuances of protecting interoperability between ICS and external networks.

Ultimately, OPSWAT Academy will better prepare young professionals for a career in CIP cybersecurity while also enhancing the skills of professionals and stakeholders so they can more effectively do their job. At the end of the day, however, we want every participant to walk away understanding the need for a zero-trust mentality in all things CIP cybersecurity.

For more information about OPSWAT Academy and to register, please visit opswat.com/academy and download our eBook, The Evolution of Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Training.