However, there are a couple of significant problems with our industry: First, information security needs are growing faster than skilled personnel are learning. Second, the cost of training has increased outrageously over the past decade.
The first issue has been discussed for almost as long as I have been involved in information security. Even Alan Paller of the SANS Institute has been speaking about the skills gap for over a decade! The second issue is even worse as it makes it harder to fix the first. Training costs for a single class often exceed $5000 without even factoring in travel and the time away from work. So how do we fix this?
At Secure Ideas, we have decided that it is our responsibility as active practitioners to help fix this lack of affordable training and help address the skills gap. To that end, we are committed to the following for 2019:
- First, we want to announce our Professionally Evil Spring Break event. This 3-day event, March 19-21, 2019, will host two classes; Professionally Evil Network Security and Professionally Evil Application Security. The first will focus on network penetration testing and the second focuses on application security and assessments. Either class is only $750, discounted to an early bird price of $600 until January 18, 2019. Moreover veterans, active duty military and first responders get either for 50% off.
- Second, our Secure Ideas Training site has recorded classes starting at $25 each and vets get them for free! And our webcasts will continue to be run as often as we can.
- Third, we will continue to support and release our open-source training products such as SamuraiWTF and the Professionally Evil Web Penetration Testing 101 course.
We hope that together we can all help increase the skills of our industry and provide affordable training for all. Let us know if you have any questions or if you would like us to run a private training for your organization.