A ‘cyber academy’ has launched #ProjectThankYou in an effort to make the UK more cyber resilient.
The London-based Global Cyber Academy, delivering formal accredited, online Diploma education to working-adult students, begins with its first cohort of UK-based students this October. The Academy will be providing a flat 40pc course fee reduction for every single UK Blue Lights or Armed Forces application โ including for veterans.
Chief Executive of the Academy, Richard Bingley, said: โMoney is tight for emergency workers, and our armed forces, and for the government too. Yet, the UK economy and infrastructure are now under industrial-scale threats from cyber-criminals and external state-backed harassment. Weโve got a duty as educators to step up and help.
โThereโs little point just educating a tiny fraction of the workforce. Our Academy is in a unique position to offer mass accredited education across our entire security and emergency-services base, and thatโs exactly what weโre offering to do.
โThe only way to stop industrial-level cyber crime is to introduce industrial-level education, particularly for those who are tasked to defend us. Our Academy is thankfully in a position to give something back and in our own way say a big โthank youโ to public servants who help look after us.โ
The Academy came up with the idea after trying to apply to be registered with the UK Ministry of Defenceโs Enhanced Learning Credits (ELCAS) scheme. This would have enabled service personnel to access funding and earn advanced credits for studying.
โBut because our Academy was only formed earlier this year it did not qualify for ELCAS admission. We didnโt hit the two-year operating rule. It was a bizarre situation, because certified police investigators, senior qualified academics and international book authors had written and filmed our course content. Also, our Diploma programmes are issued by a UK-Ofqual-approved awarding body, therefore they go through tons of formal quality vetting. Yet we couldnโt reach in to our own natural audience. The situation within UK policing is similar where only a selected few receive funded cyber training. So, we all just said โforget itโ, we set this thing up to help people, and help build a resilient society, and thatโs exactly what weโre going to do!โ
The Level 3 Diploma (online) in Cyber Security Management and Operations begins on October 9, and enrols monthly thereafter. Modules include: Threat and Risk; Network Architecture, Communications and Protocols; Mobile Data Risks and IoT; Investigations and Incident Response; Solutions: Future-Proofing your Business; EU GDPR and Data Security.
A Level 4 Diploma (online) in Cyber Security begins on October 16, and enrols monthly. Modules include: Threat and Risk; Network Security and Data communications; Databases and Programming; Incident Response, Investigations and Forensics; Security Strategy Laws, Policies and Implementation; Banking and Finance (elective) or Cyber Wars (elective).
A Level 5 Diploma covering Cryptography is available from February which maps directly into a final year Cyber Security degree programme at a UK University.
#ProjectThankyou applicants receive a course fee discount of 40pc on all Diploma applications up to January 31.
Delivery is self-paced and flexible with videos, audio, exercises and real-world formal assessments.
โBasically, wherever you are in the world, you can log on and learn. We have students based in most of the worldโs seven continents. Our WhatsApp student chat groups are keeping us awake at night!โ
Academic support class workshops are run every other month in London and filmed for those who canโt attend. Industry network meetings with policy-makers and key recruiters are held each month in London.
Will students get a job at the end? A recent study of Chief Information Officers reported a โrecruitment crisisโ in cyber security. The UK economy now spends an estimated ยฃ7bn on cyber security. This figure is approaching ยฃ200bn globally. These stats are likely to grow even more exponentially now that EU GDPR is in force.
โAlthough no promises can be made, most public sector and business organisations are massively recruiting into cyber and information security roles. Existing security professionals need to be in an educational position to exploit this sea-change. The validation of a formal cyber Diploma and close contact with recruiters is really going to help an individualโs market position, for sure.
โThese courses provide a pathway for the individual to stay relevant and upskill, and for our country to be much more cyber resilient. In difficult times, this surely is a win-win scenario.โ
For course details visit the Global Cyber Academy website: https://www.globalcyberacademy.com/.
