At the French IUT Networks & Telecom Departments Assembly last June, our training team ran a workshop day to present Stormshield’s products and partnership approach for higher education institutions. Three months later, 19 IUTs joined our Stormshield Academy program and became partners. A look back at a brilliant story of cooperation and trust.
In 2015, in search of a new Security Partnership, an IUT professor contacted us via our website. Shortly after, we intervened to provide training to his students. In the process, two teachers became instructors and acted as true relay points for their colleagues. Of the 29 IUTs in France offering the Networks & Telecom speciality, 19 are currently enrolled in our Stormshield Academy program.
At the origin of the project, Stéphane Frati, Associate Professor at IUT Nice-Côte d’Azur, explains that “The decision to implement Stormshield products in our curriculum was fast and easy for us to make for several reasons: it is not only a French solution, but directly sold by the publisher and most importantly accompanied by a real promise of autonomy.” He further details two benefits for teachers and students: “On the one hand, the possibility of providing training ourselves and awarding diplomas to students proved to be a real advantage. On the other hand, their “French-style lab” instructional approach really suited us more: we don’t describe what students have to do step by step, but we push them to think for themselves to reach a specific goal. In the end, they are better prepared for their future daily lives.”
We don’t describe what students have to do step by step, but we push them to think for themselves.
Stéphane Frati, Associate Professor at IUT Nice-Côte d'Azur
Fabrice Peyrard, Head of the Networks & Telecom Department at IUT Blagnac, also supports this statement: “Stormfield’s equal focus on major accounts and SMEs alike also was a draw for us. On our students’ CVs, this cyber sensitivity and technical knowledge is attractive for any type of company. It therefore represents a strong operational added value.” He elaborated even further on the issue that some Human Resources departments may face when hiring: “To meet the high requirements of technical positions, Human Resources Departments should look for professionals with Bac+2 or Bac+3 degrees rather than engineers. At the end of our course, these students have a very strong operational capacity in their technical background.”
To meet the high requirements of technical positions, Human Resources Departments should look for professionals with Bac+2 or Bac+3 degrees rather than engineers.
Fabrice Peyrard, Head of the Networks & Telecom Department at IUT Blagnac
Recognition of Stormshield training
In addition to the courses offered to teachers, the Stormshield Academy program provides the opportunity for students to integrate certification courses into the curriculum, as well as to equip labs with virtual teaching machines and physical equipment.
Listed in the inventory of the French National Commission for Professional Certification (CNCP), eligible for the Personal Training Account (CPF) and even SecNumedu-FC certified by the ANSSI, these professional certifications strengthen the operational skills of students.
This collaboration between training courses accredited SecNumedu by ANSSI and qualified product publishers by ANSSI contributes to building and promoting a field of excellence in ISS, which can only delight us.
Pascal Chour, Head of the Information Systems Security Training Centre (ISSTC) at ANSSI
What comes next
According to a study conducted by Cybersecurity Ventures, more than 3 million cyber jobs could remain vacant by 2021 due to a lack of qualified candidates. In France, Orange Cyber projects that only 1,000 positions would be filled out of the 6,000 positions currently open. Faced with this shortage of cybersecurity professionals, IUT courses are reinforcing the cybersecurity-dedicated portion of studies every year. The goal is to create a real cybersecurity sector by 2021.
For the time being, more than 30 teachers from various French IUTs are in the process of completing our Stormshield training to – in turn – become autonomous. The next meeting will be in January 2019 at IUT Blagnac for an expert training session dedicated to teachers. These teachers will become certified trainers thereafter and within a year, students will be certified in our Stormshield products at the end of their studies. What better way to be equipped for the job market.
