The Certified Cybersecurity Professional course will be delivered by the Australian Institute of ICT (AIICT), a division of DDLS, and will provide an interactive online experience that aims to turn people with zero industry experience into job-ready, frontline cybersecurity analysts.

Jon Lang, CEO of DDLS, commented, "Unemployment levels in cybersecurity are at 0%, and there is huge unmet demand. In Australia alone at present, there are almost 1,000 cybersecurity jobs advertised on the employment website Seek."

According to the November 2018 update to Australia's Cyber Security Sector Competitiveness Plan, Australia needs another 2,300 cybersecurity workers, and that number is expected to grow to 17,600 by 2026. (ISC), one of the world’s largest not-for-profit associations of cybersecurity professionals, estimates a worldwide skills gap of 2.93 million, and 2.14 million of these are in Asia Pacific.

Dr. Erdal Ozkaya, a member of AIICT’s Cybersecurity Advisory Board noted, "With cybersecurity emerging as one of Australia’s most promising growth sectors, these certifications offer professionals a direct pathway to help address the skills shortage in the field."

Jon Lang also highlighted that successful cybersecurity professionals could come from many different backgrounds. "Recent DDLS research shows different roles require different people and different personality types. For example, a student with a background as a business analyst who is highly analytical and data driven would be well suited to a cybersecurity strategist role. Someone with a background as a journalist would be better suited to a cybersecurity forensics role," added Lang.

"Increasingly journalists need to understand cybersecurity to protect their information and their sources, and journalists have strong investigative skills that are valuable in cybersecurity roles."

The course, which is endorsed by the AIICT Cybersecurity Advisory Board, includes three certifications from the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), one of the world’s leading IT-industry trade associations. 

CompTIA certifies more than 220,000 IT professionals every year, and its certifications are recognised by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This allows for the certifications to be globally recognised and ensures a consistently high standard is maintained.

Graduates of the new cybersecurity program will also enjoy ongoing support from AIICT to help them develop their careers in cybersecurity. They can join the AIICT Industry Partner Program, where they are connected with employers recruiting for frontline cybersecurity roles.

The Certified Cybersecurity Professional course had been designed to prepare students for the IT security roles in most demand. The course was developed in collaboration with industry experts, reviewing thousands of live job descriptions and interviewing key employers to create a course that is a reflection of what employers are hiring for right now.

Students will have access to additional course material through the AIICT portal for twelve months from the commencement date of their course. Formal education can be continued as they gain practical experience in areas such as penetration testing, information security architecture, security for cloud computing, and more. At no additional cost, students will have access to learning content covering EC Council’s Certified Ethical Hacking course, providing the tools and techniques commonly used by ethical hackers and information security professionals today.

Moreover, students will have the opportunity to join DDLS’s hiring program, in which they will be put forward for frontline roles in cybersecurity with some of the best hiring businesses in Australia.

Students completing the Certified Cybersecurity Professional course will gain three globally recognised CompTIA certifications:

• CompTIA A+ is the preferred qualifying credential for technical support and IT operational roles.
• CompTIA Network+ helps students develop a career in IT infrastructure covering troubleshooting, configuring and managing networks.
• CompTIA Security+ is a global certification that validates the baseline skills students need to perform core security functions and pursue an IT security career.

The Certified Cybersecurity Professional course comprises online material that students work through at their own pace for up to twelve months. They will be supported by a mentor who will be available at set times each day to answer questions and provide guidance.

The first AIICT Certified Cybersecurity Professional course will commence on 25 November. Enrolments are now open.