
Auckland's Unitec Institute of Technology (Unitec) is the first member of the New Zealand arm of the Palo Alto Networks Cybersecurity Academy.
The academy was established to provide technology and resources to help equip students with cybersecurity knowledge and skills they will need to succeed in today’s threat landscape.
At a global level, 70 per cent of cybersecurity professionals claim that their organisation is impacted by the cybersecurity skills shortage.
“The cybersecurity challenges posed by today’s digital society mean we have an ever-increasing need for advanced skills in this area," said Misti Landtroop, managing director for Palo Alto Networks New Zealand
"Teaming up with Unitec will help develop the next generation of cybersecurity talent and bridge the skills gap in New Zealand."
The academy offers faculty training, hands-on labs, modularised curricula and virtual firewalls for use in Unitec's diploma in cybersecurity, level six, and will supply content for micro-credential courses for full time workers.
On completing the course, students will be eligible as either a Palo Alto Networks certified cybersecurity entry-level technician or a certified network security administrator.
“As the workforce grapples with immense change this year, Unitec remains heavily focused on strategic industry collaborations that equip our students with the most up-to-date real-world intelligence, as well as the hardware and tools to support knowledge development,” said Dila Beisembayeva, lead of Unitec’s Centre for Digital Innovation and Skills.
Palo Alto Networks' Cybersecurity Academy now includes more than 1100 partner institutions in over 70 countries.