USAID and DICT Launch Training to Improve Cybersecurity Talent and Expertise in the Philippines

(Left photo) Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Cybersecurity Bureau Director Jose Carlos Reyes, USAID’s BEACON Cybersecurity Skills Specialist Nathanael Alcain, USAID Philippines Office of Economic Development and Governance (OEDG) Deputy Director Eric Florimon-Reed, and USAID’s BEACON Chief of Party John Garrity during the virtual launch of CPIT. (Right photo) Engr. Alcain served as facilitator of the first CPIT webinar with more than 600 online participants.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Better Access and Connectivity (BEACON) Project in partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), launched the Cybersecurity Proficiency Improvement Training (CPIT) on March 17, 2023.

The CPIT is a joint undertaking of USAID’s BEACON and DICT to help improve cybersecurity talent and expertise among government professionals in the country. The CPIT is a free webinar series that consists of monthly introductory trainings, short courses, and seminars that aim to enhance the knowledge and skills of participants on various cybersecurity topics and domains. The selected topics are easy to understand and relate to real-world use cases, making them practical for implementation.

More than 600 online participants, comprised mostly of government personnel, took part in the virtual launch and the first webinar entitled “Embarking on the Journey: The Universe and Fundamentals of Cybersecurity.” DICT Cybersecurity Bureau Director Jose Carlos Reyes, USAID/Philippines Office of Economic Development and Governance (OEDG) Deputy Director Eric Florimon-Reed, and USAID’s BEACON Chief of Party John Garrity delivered messages of support during the webinar. USAID’s BEACON Cybersecurity Skills Specialist Nathanael Alcain facilitated the webinar which covered the fundamentals of cybersecurity.

Last month, USAID’s BEACON and DICT also launched the Entry-level Cybersecurity Certification (ECC) to cultivate interest and career growth in the field of cybersecurity.

The ECC avails of the International Information System Security Certification Consortium’s (ISC)² new entry level certification called Certified in Cybersecurity. (ISC)² is a global non-profit organization that specializes in training and certifications for cybersecurity professionals.

The launch of the CPIT and ECC mark an essential step toward improving cybersecurity talent and expertise among Philippine government agencies to be able to address increasingly complex cybersecurity threats.

Visit this registration page to know more about the CPIT and ECC.