Childhood friends from Montreal unveil Cyber101, a free platform offering essential cybersecurity education in English and French. (Cyber 101 Module Page)
Two childhood friends hailing from Montreal have joined forces to launch Cyber101, a pioneering platform dedicated to providing organizations with free cybersecurity education in both English and French. Benjamin Beauregard, CEO of the video production agency divisionX, and Guillaume Belanger, President of Exosource, an IT services company, unveiled their brainchild today.
According to a press release, Cyber101 aims to equip businesses and individuals with essential cybersecurity knowledge in less than an hour. By engaging with the platform, organizations can mitigate the risks of fraud, data breaches, and disruptions, while also meeting the criteria set forth by insurers and privacy laws. Moreover, participants can enhance their technological skills and demonstrate a firm commitment to cybersecurity to both clients and staff.
Statistics Canada's findings underscore the urgency of such initiatives, indicating a notable increase in the proportion of Canadians falling victim to cybersecurity incidents from 58% in 2020 to 70% in 2022. Among the most frequently reported incidents are unsolicited emails and fraudulent content.
Benjamin Beauregard highlighted the significance of cybersecurity education, drawing from his experience teaching at the McGill Executive Institute, where cybersecurity consistently emerged as a critical concern. He emphasized the pivotal role of education in effectively combating cyber threats.
Guillaume Belanger emphasized that Cyber101 offers indispensable resources to navigate an increasingly hostile digital landscape. The platform comprises nine succinct modules, each requiring five minutes or less to complete. Upon finishing these modules, participants are assessed through a series of questions and awarded a personalized completion certificate.
The Cyber101 website underscores the alarming frequency of cybercrime incidents and the catastrophic consequences they entail, including identity theft and confidential data breaches. The founders stress that while cybersecurity awareness is imperative, quality educational content remains inaccessible to many. Hence, they've embarked on a mission to provide high-quality training at no cost.
