Hacker attacks occur every 39 seconds and affect 33 percent of Americans each year. Forty-three percent of cyber-attacks target small businesses. Sixty-four percent of companies have experienced web-based attacks, while 62 percent have been victims of phishing and social engineering attacks, and 59 percent have fallen prey to malicious code and botnets. Since 2013, data breaches have enabled the theft of more than 3 million records each day.
These are just a few alarming cybercrime statistics courtesy of Cybint Solutions, a web-based cyber security education and training company. Fortunately, the organization offers several certification programs that not only help financial, legal, and other professionals protect their data and that of their clients, but may enable them to increase their earning potential as well.
RewardExpert spoke with Roy Zur, the founder and CEO of Cybint Solutions, about his company’s history and the certifications it offers.
An Advantageous Collaboration
Founded in 2012 as a collaboration between military-trained cyber security experts and business professionals, Cybint Solutions has grown to become an international leader in cyber education and training.
“My background is as a cyber military expert,” Zur explained, “but I’m also a lawyer and an MBA graduate. My colleagues and I wanted to integrate the cyber intelligence and business worlds to educate other industries that need cyber knowledge.”
Though they began training professionals at large financial institutions, their client base has since expanded to include private companies and government agencies around the world. Students are often financial professionals working at banks, credit unions, and insurance companies as well as legal professionals employed by law firms and government agencies.
“We also have students from the corporate world, including managers, directors, and board members who want to gain a better understanding of cyber security in order to make better business decisions,” Zur added.
A High-Level Understanding of Cybercrime
Introduced in late 2017, Cybint Solutions’ Cyber Security Protection Certification (CSPC) and Cyber Intelligence Certification (CIC) programs were developed by some of the world’s foremost experts in the field.
“The CSPC course educates students about cyber security threats,” Zur explained. “They learn how to identify threats and what to do to protect against them even if they’re not cyber security professionals. This includes understanding human behavior and social engineering as well as types of malwares and security when using mobile devices and wi-fi connections on the go.”
Zur said the CIC course covers the proactive use of cyberspace and the information one can find within it.
“Topics include how to use cyber intelligence research methods for better due diligence and online investigations,” he added. “For example, you can use the techniques learned to avoid giving credit to people who are using fake identities, or avoid working with companies that hide information.”
Cybint Solutions recommends that professionals complete both certifications.
“Take them together and you’ll gain a higher-level understanding of cybercrime from both the protection and the intelligence side,” said Zur. “These certification courses are designed for professionals who want to get as much education as they can in the shortest period of time. Every learning unit takes less than 10 minutes, making it possible to complete them while you’re on the go or on breaks at work.”
While the self-paced, interactive certification courses cost $790 each if taken separately, they can be bundled at a 25 percent discount.
“You don’t just get access to the course content,” Zur noted. “You also get new learning units and a toolbox of protection and intelligence resources for 12 months.”
Cyber Skills Employers and Clients Value
Zur said that virtually every industry can be affected by cyber breaches and intrusions, and employers—particularly in the financial and legal markets—are increasingly expecting the professionals working for them to have the skills necessary to identify and avoid cyber security threats.
“These certifications not only allow these professionals to better protect their own organizations and data but also to differentiate themselves from their competitors with services that better protect their clients’ data.”
To learn more about Cybint Solutions and the CSPC and CIC programs offered, visit www.cybintsolutions.com.