New cybersecurity leadership program to be offered under the BlackBerry Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (CCoE) in Kuala Lumpur, with full-tuition scholarships available for women

CYBERJAYA, Malaysia, March 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) and Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst ("the Catalyst"), Toronto Metropolitan University's national center for training, research and innovation, announced today a new partnership that, for the first time, will offer the Catalyst's world-class CLIC (Certifications for Leadership in Cybersecurity) program in Malaysia. To help close the gender gap in the Malaysian cyber industry and support career growth for Malaysian women, the Catalyst is also teaming up with SANS Institute to provide full CLIC scholarships to three qualified Malaysian women candidates. The CLIC Malaysia program will commence in May 2024, with registration now open.

As BlackBerry prepares to officially open its new Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (CCoE) in Kuala Lumpur on March 26, this new partnership with the Catalyst will advance BlackBerry's commitment to support Malaysia and other countries in the Indo-Pacific region and bolster these nations' cybersecurity capacity and resilience.

CLIC is an intensive, six-month cybersecurity training and certification program designed to provide the skills needed to launch or elevate a career in cybersecurity. The program allows graduates to earn two globally recognized SANS GIAC (Global Information Assurance) certifications. Participants will also benefit from access to the Catalyst Cyber Range, (a unique cybersecurity training and testing platform), gain career mentorship from leading cyber experts, and training across wider skill sets including cybersecurity ethics, organizational strategy, regulatory compliance, and translating cyber risk into business risk.

"Toronto Metropolitan University is thrilled to support its national cybersecurity center, the Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, as it expands its cutting-edge training programs to Malaysia," said Mohamed Lachemi, President and Vice-Chancellor, Toronto Metropolitan University. "As we continue to champion global cyber resilience, this exciting venture reinforces our commitment to fostering innovation, collaboration, and excellence in cybersecurity. Together with BlackBerry, we are shaping a secure digital future for individuals and organizations worldwide."

This new partnership with the Catalyst is another milestone in BlackBerry's landmark cybersecurity deal with the Government of Malaysia, announced at the APEC Summit in San Francisco in November 2023. BlackBerry also recently partnered with SANS Institute to offer a range of SANS courses at the BlackBerry Malaysia CCoE, which have already commenced. BlackBerry and its partners will showcase the wide range of courses and certifications on offer at the state-of-the-art CCoE facility when it officially opens its doors next week.  

John Dimitropoulos, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development, Strategy, and Business Development at BlackBerry concluded, "BlackBerry's new partnership with Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst represents a significant development in our long-term commitment to help Malaysia build cybersecurity capacity and fortify digital defenses. Expanding upon our recent SANS Institute partnership, we are offering Malaysia's cyber workforce unprecedented access to globally certified training courses and networking events through our BlackBerry Cybersecurity Center of Excellence in Kuala Lumpur to expand the cyber talent pool, upskill workforces and support a thriving ecosystem of learning."

Matthias Chia, Director of Strategy & Business Development, Asia Pacific, SANS Institute added, "At the forefront of cybersecurity workforce development, SANS proudly pioneers extensive initiatives that carve out opportunities for women aiming for career advancement within this critically in-demand field. Our partnership with Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst to introduce these scholarships for women through the BlackBerry Cybersecurity Center of Excellence signifies a profound step forward in our unwavering commitment to cultivating gender diversity within the cybersecurity realm. This initiative not only champions the professional development of Malaysia's female cyber-warriors but also sets a benchmark for inclusive excellence in cybersecurity education and career readiness globally."

For more information about the new BlackBerry CCoE, please visit here. To register interest in Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst's CLIC training program in Malaysia, visit here. For more information about applying for the scholarship positions, visit here.

About Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst

Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst is Toronto Metropolitan University's national center for training, innovation and collaboration in cybersecurity. Headquartered in Brampton, Ontario, and offering programs and services across Canada, the Catalyst empowers individuals and organizations to seize the opportunities and tackle the challenges of cybersecurity. Together with our partners and collaborators, we work to realize a vision of healthy democracies and thriving societies, powered by secure digital technologies.

Through our groundbreaking training and certification programs; unique innovation programming for start-ups and scale-ups; first-of-its-kind cyber range; and wide-ranging public education programs, the Catalyst helps drive Canada's global competitiveness in cybersecurity.

About SANS Institute

The SANS Institute was established in 1989 as a cooperative research and education organization. Today, SANS is the most trusted and, by far, the largest provider of cybersecurity training and certification to professionals in government and commercial institutions worldwide. Renowned SANS instructors teach more than 60 courses at in-person and virtual cybersecurity events and OnDemand. GIAC, an affiliate of the SANS Institute, validates practitioner skills through more than 35 hands-on technical certifications in cybersecurity. The SANS Technology Institute, a regionally accredited independent subsidiary, offers master's and bachelor's degrees, graduate certificates, and an undergraduate certificate in cybersecurity. SANS also delivers a wide variety of free resources to the InfoSec community, including consensus projects, research reports, webcasts, podcasts, and newsletters; it also operates the Internet's early warning system–the Internet Storm Center. The many security practitioners at the heart of SANS, representing varied global organizations from corporations to universities, working together to support and educate the global information security community. www.sans.org

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides intelligent security software and services to enterprises and governments around the world. The company's software powers over 235M vehicles. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company leverages AI and machine learning to deliver innovative solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, safety and data privacy solutions, and is a leader in the areas of endpoint security, endpoint management, encryption, and embedded systems. BlackBerry's vision is clear - to secure a connected future you can trust.

BlackBerry. Intelligent Security. Everywhere. 

For more information, visit BlackBerry.com and follow @BlackBerry.

Trademarks, including but not limited to BLACKBERRY and EMBLEM Design are the trademarks or registered trademarks of BlackBerry Limited, and the exclusive rights to such trademarks are expressly reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. BlackBerry is not responsible for any third-party products or services.

Media Contacts:
BlackBerry Media Relations
+1 (519) 597-7273
mediarelations@BlackBerry.com 

Catalyst Media Relations
+1 (416) 525-6842
catalystpress@torontomu.ca

Jenn Elston, SANS Institute: press@sans.org