Fortinet partners with South Australia for cybersecurity programme

Fortinet has announced a partnership with the Department for Education in South Australia to provide a comprehensive Security Awareness and Training programme for more than 15,500 staff members at government schools throughout the state.

The initiative, which commenced in the second semester of 2024, aims to enhance cybersecurity awareness and capabilities among school staff in alignment with rigorous training requirements for educators in Australia.

Dale Nachman, Country Manager, Australia, at Fortinet, stated, "Fortinet's partnership with the Department for Education in South Australia for security awareness, training, and phishing, marks a first within the education sector in Australia and recognises the critical role educators play in safeguarding sensitive information and maintaining secure digital environments. The Security Awareness and Training initiative equips all staff in government schools with the skills needed to navigate the evolving cybersecurity landscape effectively."

The programme's development follows insights from the 2024 Fortinet Security Awareness and Training Global Research Report, indicating that nearly 70% of organisations found employees lacked basic security awareness, underlining the necessity for targeted training initiatives.

Practical training modules offered to educators involve real-world scenarios, enabling them to recognise phishing attempts, identify fraudulent emails, and understand the importance of multifactor authentication to protect student data and secure online platforms.

This initiative builds on a pilot programme that demonstrated significant benefits, with more than 600 individuals completing training within the first two months and enrolment numbers doubling weekly. Fortinet has an overarching aim to train one million individuals in cybersecurity by the close of 2026.

Peter Crescitelli, Chief Information Security Officer at the Department for Education in South Australia, remarked, "The partnership between the Department for Education in South Australia and Fortinet reflects a shared commitment to education and security, built on the foundation of ongoing dialogue, trust, transparency, and innovation. By collaborating with a leading cybersecurity organisation in Fortinet, which prioritises continuous improvement, agility, and open communication, the Department for Education is helping to provide secure digital learning environments for all staff across our schools. This relationship strengthens the Department for Education's ability to meet evolving cybersecurity challenges while maintaining our focus on fostering a safe and enriching learning experience."

Daniel Hughes, Chief Information Officer at the Department for Education in South Australia, noted the success of the programme thus far, saying, "The success of this program has already exceeded expectations, with its expansion from staff training to future student education proving transformative. A pilot with select students is underway, and early participants are set to become peer advisors as the initiative expands to more schools in 2025. This program reflects a shared commitment between the Department for Education in South Australia and Fortinet to an enduring partnership driven by innovation that includes governance and compliance for artificial intelligence, further enhancing the initiative's impact as part of the forward-looking roadmap."

With the growing threat landscape, educational institutions face increasing risks from cybercriminal activities, especially as student data is highly valued on the dark web. The targeted cybersecurity awareness training is therefore deemed essential to enhance the cybersecurity defence of South Australian government schools.

"With the exponentially growing threat landscape, educational institutions have become a prime target for cybercriminals, who focus on students due to the value of their data on the dark web," said Dale Nachman. "This has created a lucrative market, making targeted cybersecurity awareness training for all staff in government schools in South Australia more critical than ever. With a focus on compliance and best practices, Fortinet's Security Awareness and Training program empowers educators to strengthen their cybersecurity posture, contributing to a safer and more secure digital learning environment for all."