Cisco and the Karnataka government have signed an arrangement wherein Cisco would provide 40,000 people with cybersecurity awareness and competence training. The Department of Electronics, Information Technology, and Biotechnology, Karnataka Innovation Technology Society, and the corporation signed the agreement of collaboration. As part of the deal, 50 percent of the 40,000 will be women, helping to address the increased need for cyber expertise as businesses strive to strengthen their defenses against a dynamic and sophisticated threat landscape.

A 'Train the Trainers' program will be part of the deal, equipping college faculty with the know-how and abilities needed to build a strong cyber environment. The initiative will also prioritize raising people' knowledge of cybercrime in order to strengthen their defenses and provide them the tools they need to be safer and more secure online.

With the world going digital first and cybersecurity at the forefront, it is more important than ever to provide people the information and abilities to recognize and react to cyberthreats. According to Harish Krishnan, managing director and chief policy officer of Cisco India and SAARC, "Our collaboration with the Karnataka Innovation Technology Society and the Government of Karnataka Centre of Excellence for Cybersecurity underscores our commitment to empowering disadvantaged sections of society, including students, teachers, and senior citizens, with critical cyber security skills and awareness to protect against threats and be safer online."

Furthermore, Cisco will partner with Karnataka's Centre of Excellence for Cybersecurity to raise cybersecurity awareness and skill levels among students and professionals. Cisco will assist to curriculum development by offering cybersecurity courses through the Cisco Networking Academy.

The demand for a cyber-resilient workforce is critical. We are excited to collaborate with Cisco to provide young people with vital skills and job-ready capabilities to protect themselves and their organizations from threats in an increasingly digitally driven environment, said Ekroop Caur of the Karnataka government's Department of Electronics, IT, and BT.