SANS Institute, an international leader in cyber security training and certifications has unveiled SANS Middle East April 2020 CyberCast, a hands-on, virtual event to be take place from April 11 to April 16, 2020. The week-long immersion training event has been newly planned to meet demand in the region and, like all SANS training, will offer delegates with the skills needed to defend their organizations against security breaches and save from future attacks at a time of increased activity among cyber criminals.

As the COVID-19 outbreak remains to extend worldwide and locally, SANS continues to be dedicated to bringing exemplary cybersecurity training to students throughout the globe. SANS Institute has therefore modified a number of their live events into virtual CyberCasts, enabling those now confined to their home or office environment to still train and hold the essential cybersecurity skills. In addition to the live, interactive sessions delivered directly from the exceptional faculty of SANS instructors, students will get much more to make sure they are challenged. This includes access to free SANS@Mic talks (bonus sessions during which instructors will cover current topics and new SANS courses), online Netwars challenges, Capture the Flag challenges and much more.

"Cyber threat actors are always searching for possibilities to exploit organizational vulnerabilities. The ongoing international health outbreak has stretched government, public sector, and private sector resources to the limit throughout the Middle East. Cybersecurity readiness and monitoring are likely moving down the everyday check list of top executive management leaders in both critical infrastructure and large enterprises throughout the GCC and other Middle East countries. However, its essential cybersecurity continues to be a top preference at a time when cyber criminals are stepping up their activities. explained Ned Baltagi, Managing Director, Middle East & Africa at SANS Institute. He continued: SANS Institute has selected this suite of courses based on the needs of these times to allow security experts to keep their skills sharp. As always with a SANS course, delegates can apply their learning from day one back at work."

The CyberCast courses will include:

SEC401: Security Essentials Bootcamp Style by Ian Reynolds
SEC504: Hacker Tools, Techniques, Exploits, and Incident Handling by Ronald Hamann
SEC511: Continuous Monitoring and Security Operations by Maxim Deweerdt
FOR500: Windows Forensic Analysis by Jason Jordaan

"We have already observed an increase in cyberattacks, especially Phishing attacks that seek to take advantage of human emotions. It is during times like these that we need to be more careful and keep all our knowledge about us. SANS CyberCast makes sure that you are kept up to date with current attacks and how to defend against them - all from the comfort of your home. Via this program and as a SANS certified instructor, I hope to be making contributions towards the common goal of keeping everyone secure. That was my motivation to begin teaching and it has only ramped up by having the chance to teach remotely at the time of these challenging times," explains Maxim Deweerdt, an instructor during Middle East April 2020 CyberCast.

"Innovation and adaptability are not only at the base of the SANS organization, but are also at the core of any Cyber Security expert. We have to continuously adjust, adapt and overcome challenges to make sure that our critical infrastructure, private and public sectors and our fellow citizens remain secure. This is why I am delighted to be able to continue to train and inspire Cyber Defenders through SANS CyberCasts. This online format gives students the ability to follow a SANS course from the comfort of their homes and offices and gives me the possibility to interact with them as if we were meeting live. There will always be people out there that will abuse our vulnerabilities during challenging times - let's not give them that opportunity," added Maxim.

"SANS has provided online training options for more than 15 years. The platforms we are offering during Middle East 2020 CyberCast have been well and truly battle-tested to make sure they can deliver the exceptional hands-on cybersecurity training that the community expects. At SANS, we have trained thousands of students on these platforms that deliver the same learning outcomes as traditional live training," concluded Ned Baltagi.

Students can sign up for GIAC certification at a minimized rate in conjunction with some of the courses at this event. Once a certification option has been purchased, students will have four months after the event concludes to successfully pass the associated online exam. Students can also extend their learning by adding an OnDemand Bundle to the course at a reduced rate. An OnDemand Bundle gives four months of online access to e-learning program, lecture video or audio files, quizzes and labs.