Fortinet has long been committed to developing a skilled and inclusive cybersecurity workforce. As the skills gap widens and employers worldwide struggle to find the needed professionals to fill critical roles, attracting new talent to the field has never been more vital.
The Fortinet Training Institute’s ecosystem of public and private partnerships is one way that Fortinet aims to address the skills gap by increasing the access and reach of our cybersecurity certifications and training. As Women’s History Month ends, we highlight select partners and programs that focus on providing greater access to training, education, and career opportunities for women interested in jump-starting or advancing a career in cybersecurity.
Expanding Our Long-Standing Partnership with Women in CyberSecurity
Fortinet has worked closely with Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS), an organization dedicated to recruiting, retaining, and advancing women in cybersecurity, for the past four years. Through this partnership, Fortinet supports year-round initiatives and events, including providing learners access to our Network Security Expert (NSE) certification training, to help women worldwide start or advance careers. Here are several examples of how Fortinet and WiCyS work together to advance this shared goal.
The Fortinet Networking Fundamentals Bootcamp
Networking knowledge is vital for anyone beginning a cybersecurity career. It provides a solid foundation to accelerate their learning journey.
WiCyS was the first Fortinet Education Outreach partner to pilot the Networking Fundamentals Bootcamp in the fall of 2023. The boot camp includes self-paced training modules and weekly live instructor-led sessions during multiple time slots to provide learners maximum flexibility. Given the success of this effort, Fortinet hosted two additional boot camps in 2024, with active participation from WiCyS members as well as several other Fortinet Education Outreach program partners, including Cercle des Femmes de la CyberSecurite and Women4Cyber, in both sessions. The next boot camp begins in June 2025.
Networking Opportunities for Women in Cybersecurity
In addition to providing hands-on training and education, Fortinet and WiCyS collaborate to offer various networking opportunities. For example, WiCyS India members met last month at the Fortinet office in Gurgaon to learn and discuss ideas and tips for advancing their careers in the cybersecurity field. Topics discussed ranged from career opportunities in cyber and skills gap challenges.
The Annual WiCyS Conference
WiCyS will host its annual conference from April 2 to 5 in Dallas, Texas, bringing together women and allies in cybersecurity from academia, research, government, and industry. Fortinet is a proud event sponsor, which features keynote speakers, technical presentations, panel discussions, networking sessions, a career fair, and more. Fortinet technical trainers will also lead a session during the conference, “The Hands-on SOC Workshop: Mastering Cyber Threat Detection and Response,” an immersive experience where attendees will navigate the daily responsibilities of SOC analysts by rotating through red, blue, and purple team roles.
As the cybersecurity industry works collectively to attract new talent, our partnerships with organizations like WiCyS play a fundamental role in growing the cyber workforce. Lynn Dohm, WiCyS executive director, recently remarked on the value of this collaboration, saying, “At WiCyS, we know that strengthening the cybersecurity workforce starts with creating opportunities for connection, mentorship, and career growth. Fortinet’s commitment to fostering these spaces, especially through events like their International Women’s Day celebration, helps bring these opportunities to life. By working together to showcase real-world experiences, highlight career pathways, and provide meaningful networking opportunities, we’re making cybersecurity more accessible and strengthening the workforce for the future.”
A Multi-Faceted Approach to Driving Education and Career Opportunities for Women in Cybersecurity
In addition to Fortinet’s partnership with WiCyS, we collaborate with global organizations dedicated to empowering women and advancing their professional growth in cybersecurity.
LATAM Women in Cybersecurity (WOMCY) works to increase opportunities for all Latina women in the cybersecurity industry. WOMCY creates learning cohorts around the Fortinet NSE program for its members, a unique offering that provides role-based certification paths in security operations to help expand career opportunities for and advance the participants’ technical skills. When the program launched in March, more than 400 learners registered in the first week. In partnership with WOMCY, Fortinet is proud to be the vendor that offers the courses and exam vouchers to run the initiative at scale, providing programming in Spanish and Portuguese.
Fortinet also works closely with numerous chapters of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) worldwide. Earlier this month, Fortinet sponsored and participated in a high tea event in collaboration with the Vancouver ISACA chapter. At “Don’t Chai Away: Sip & Solve Equity,” speakers and attendees had meaningful discussions focused on driving workplace equity in technology and leadership spaces, overcoming common workplace challenges, and breaking barriers to create a more equitable and inclusive work environment. Attendee Katie Hearn, senior associate director of advancement, faculty of applied sciences at Simon Fraser University, reflected on the event, saying, “It was so inspiring to hear from incredible women and to be in a space where people are committed to making tech more equitable and inclusive. I’m incredibly grateful to Fortinet for all they do to support our students and your work to support underrepresented groups in the field.”
Additionally, Melonia Da Gama, director of marketing and business development at the Fortinet Training Institute, hosted a webinar through the New England chapter of ISACA. The webinar, “Uncovering the Gaps: Addressing the Cybersecurity Skills Shortage,” offered an overview of the current cybersecurity landscape, examined the organizational changes driven by the skills gap, and explored actionable ways to attract new talent.
Building the Cyber Workforce of Tomorrow
Strong partnerships and dedicated cybersecurity education initiatives are essential to expanding the workforce and creating more opportunities for women and other underrepresented populations to enter and excel in the field. Investing in these collaborative initiatives today lays the foundation for creating a stronger workforce ready to tackle the most pressing cybersecurity challenges.
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