Cisco has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Karnataka Innovation Technology Society (KITS). The collaboration aims to train 40,000 individuals in cybersecurity skills and awareness, with a focus on ensuring that half of the trained workforce are women.
This initiative comes in response to the increasing demand for cybersecurity talent as organisations seek to strengthen their defences against a rapidly-evolving threat landscape. These collaborative efforts also represent a significant advancement in Cisco’s mission to address the digital skills gap and prepare India’s workforce for the future job market.
As per recent Cisco Study, majority of organisations anticipates cybersecurity incidents disrupting their operations in the near future. Additionally, with a significant shortage of cybersecurity professionals, the importance of skill development is clear.
Therefore, this partnership underscores a shared commitment to equip students with the necessary cybersecurity skills to address the growing security challenges.
The collaboration will include a ‘Train the Trainers’ programme aimed at empowering college faculty members with the knowledge and skills needed to build a resilient cyber ecosystem. Additionally, efforts will be made to raise cyber awareness among citizens to enhance their online safety and security.
Furthermore, the collaboration’s focus on empowering various segments of society, including students, educators, and senior citizens, to defend against cyber threats and ensure a secure online environment.
Along with this, Cisco will collaborate with the Government of Karnataka Centre of Excellence for Cybersecurity to promote cybersecurity awareness and skill development among students and professionals. This will involve providing cybersecurity courses through the Cisco Networking Academy and organising webinar sessions and knowledge workshops covering a range of topics from basic to advanced levels.
The aim of this partnership is to achieve gender inclusivity by ensuring that 50 per cent of beneficiaries are women.