The march of digitalisation is relentless. Every individual, organisation, and society is undergoing digital transformation. Many, even most, of us are already leading digital-first lives. India registered more than 88 billion digital transactions in FY 2021-22, a number that will increase substantially in 2022-23. Work, education, entertainment, shopping, and socialising are all transitioning to digital channels and delivery mechanisms.
Cybersecurity Talent Deficit – An Opportunity for the Ambitious
The growth in digital activity has been accompanied by growth in digital attacks. AV-TEST registers over 450,000 new cyberthreats every day. Businesses are trying to build cybersecurity teams to counter these cyberattacks but are hamstrung by the growing talent deficit in cybersecurity. India is projected to have a shortage of 1.5 million skilled cybersecurity candidates by 2025; that number expands to 3.5 million across the world.
The accelerating need for cybersecurity specialists coupled with the growing talent deficit creates lucrative opportunities for ambitious students who are willing to add industry-recognised cybersecurity qualifications to their resume.
Creating Cybersecurity Facilities in Colleges
Accessing cybersecurity opportunities requires development of cybersecurity skills that focus on threat research, as all cyber incidents need to be investigated and analysed before they can be resolved. Cybersecurity solution vendors also prefer to recruit candidates who are familiar with malware research.
Universities and colleges that wish to develop in-demand skills in their students should, therefore, offer
- Malware labs for students to conduct malware research
- Malware research programmes to train and certify students in malware research
Both of these will require industry partnership to ensure that students acquire job-oriented skills and industry-recognised certifications.
K7 Malware Analysis Training Programme
The K7 Malware Analysis Training Programme functions as a partnership between K7 and an educational institute to combine the malware research credentials of K7 with the academic credentials and access to students enjoyed by the institution, with the goal of providing career-building training in malware research with world-class facilities and infrastructure for students to practise and hone their skills.
Courses
- Windows Basics & Dynamic Analysis
- Basic Static Analysis
- Advanced Static Analysis – Reverse Engineering
- Android Malware Analysis
- Advanced Android Analysis
Programme USPs
- Training modules will be delivered to students by instructors who have been trained by K7, delivering cybersecurity knowledge that is in-sync with industry advancements and best practices
- Student assessment will be performed by staff authorised by K7, ensuring students meet the high standards set by K7
- Successful candidates will receive a certificate of competency from K7 Academy, ensuring they gain industry-recognised certification
Programme Components
The K7 Malware Analysis Training Programme comprises
- Lab Approval and Setup – K7 Academy guides the college on establishing the lab, provides approval once the lab is created, and will continuously monitor the lab setup. K7 will also provide
- Tools of the trade
- Malware samples
- Train the Trainer – College staff receive training from K7 Academy through the same syllabus, practical assignments, and assessments that will apply to students, ensuring they have a thorough understanding of malware research and are well equipped to guide their students
- Guest Lectures – Authorised personnel from K7 Academy will provide lectures to faculty and students on the latest developments in cybersecurity
- Student Contribution to K7 – Students who have attained sufficient skills and certification will be allowed to contribute to K7’s malware research that will be used to protect K7’s 25+ million customers worldwide
Programme Benefits
The K7 Malware Analysis Training Programme, integrating research programmes with malware research facilities, offers several benefits to both the institution and the student.
Benefits to Colleges
- Improved Ranking – Educational institutions that offer malware research courses (with associated increase in research graduates and Ph.D. candidates) can advance their ranking and enjoy greater accreditation opportunities
- Best-in-Class Curriculum – The curriculum from K7 is designed based on real-world cyberthreats and the lab is modelled to mimic the functionality and structure of malware labs in the industry, ensuring the institution is regarded as the best choice for prospective malware researchers
- Industry-relevant Skill Development – The increasing demand for malware analysis specialists ensures that colleges with well-designed malware research courses will be able to enable professional development of students through development of skills that are required by employers
- Enhanced Faculty Profile – The college faculty will be directly trained by K7 cybersecurity experts, improving their capabilities and enhancing their academic profile
Benefits to Students
- Hands-on Experience – Career prospects are governed by experience in malware research and students who have the opportunity to analyse malware in a lab environment that simulates real-world conditions and context will have an advantage over their peers
- Instant Feedback – Students conducting malware research receive instant feedback on their threat analysis from faculty that have been trained by K7, allowing them to quickly improve the accuracy and effectiveness of their research
- Latest Technology and Tools – The K7-designed courses emphasise familiarity with the latest technology and tools, enabling students to become proficient with the resources they will encounter in the workplace
- Rewarding Opportunities – Students who successfully complete the malware analysis programme will be well equipped to enter and thrive in the rapidly expanding cybersecurity industry, and will be sought-after by
- Anti-malware companies
- Enterprises with in-house security teams
- Incident Response solution vendors
- The government
K7 Academy’s training programmes are designed based on K7 Computing’s 30+ years of expertise in cybersecurity. Contact Us to learn more about how we can help your college offer job-aligned malware analysis training to your students.