Fortinet looking to close skills gap in local cybersecurity industry

Skills shortage in the cybersecurity industry has led US-based Fortinet – a global leader in the field – to offer its expertise to local businesses with the aim of upgrading their Information Technology (IT) capabilities.
During the Technology Conference, organised by the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) on Thursday, Regional Account Manager for Fortinet, Bhagwat Persaud spoke on the skill shortages in the industry.
Fortinet has made a commitment to train one million people by 2026. Technical workshops have been facilitated in Guyana to equip businesses with tools to employ proper cybersecurity mechanisms.
Fortinet is a leader in cybersecurity and networking innovation with more than 13,000 employees in several countries. Its networking solutions are the most deployed, most patented, and most validated in the industry.
“In the cybersecurity industry, Fortinet has made a commitment to closing the skills gap by supporting organisations through this challenging period of skill shortages by pledging to train one million people by 2026. We are on our way to achieving that before that time. What we have been doing in Guyana is doing technical workshops specifically focused on cybersecurity for business enterprises and small enterprises as well,” Persaud outlined.
Fortinet has inked an agreement with the College of Science and Technology in Trinidad and Tobago, where the training platform will be provided to young professionals in cybersecurity. Bhagwat said the intention is to collaborate with institutions in Guyana as well.
“Guyana is on the rise and we also need and are looking forward to working with institutions in Guyana to utilise our Fortinet Academy and contribute to the training and development of professionals in cybersecurity,” the company said.
According to the World Economic Forum, cybersecurity is among the top strategically-emphasised skills for the workforce. Yet, there is a shortage of 3.4 million cybersecurity experts to support today’s global economy.
Meanwhile, Keen360 assists both public companies and private agencies in solving business and social problems using technology. Keen360 Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Zahid Khan shared that while external threats were commonly discussed, internal threats were equally relevant.
“Simple things like password sharing, which could be a company culture, and it’s a way of maybe cutting costs, that poses a threat,” he noted.