Montreal duo launches free cybersecurity training platform

A screenshot of the Cyber101 module page is shown. The website launched today.

Two childhood friends, both entrepreneurs in Montreal, today launched Cyber101, a platform that allows organizations to educate their employees on cybersecurity best practices for free in English and French. It is the brainchild of Benjamin Beauregard, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of divisionX video production agency, and Guillaume Bélanger, President of IT services company Exosource.

With Cyber101, according to the release, “businesses and individuals can instantly improve their cybersecurity posture in less than an hour.

The two said that by taking the course, organizations will:

• Reduce the risk of fraud, data breaches and disruptions
• Comply with insurers' requirements and privacy laws
• Improvement of technological skills of employees
• Demonstrate a serious commitment to cybersecurity to customers and employees.

In a report, Statistics Canada estimates that the proportion of Canadians who are victims of cyber security incidents will increase from 58 per cent in 2020 to 70 per cent in 2022. The most frequently reported incidents were receiving unsolicited emails and fraudulent content.

“Cybersecurity always comes up as an important issue when teaching at the McGill Executive Institute,” said Beauregard. “Guillaume and I created this platform because we believe that education is the key to effectively countering cyber threats.”

Belanger's Cyber101 platform offers “critical tools to help you counter threats in an increasingly hostile environment.”

The tools are contained in nine mini-modules, on-site in “five minutes or less,” and upon completion, anyone who successfully answers a series of questions based on each module receives what the company calls a “personalized certificate of completion.” »

The Cyber101 website states that “every year, millions of businesses and individuals are victims of cybercrime, and the consequences can be catastrophic (identity theft, breach of confidential data, extortion…)

“Cyber ​​security awareness has become an absolute necessity for individuals and businesses. However, quality content is not available to the public. We decided to produce quality training and offer it for free.”