Cisco and OAS to Finance Cybersecurity Innovation Projects in Latin America

The initiative endowed with US $150,000, continues the partnership that created the Cybersecurity Innovation Councils, announced in August 2019.

This effort Includes free cybersecurity courses targeting at least 100,000 students through the Cisco Networking Academy program

Washington, May 13, 2020 – The Organization of American States (OAS) together with Cisco, announced today the opening of a fund of US$150,000 to finance innovation projects in Latin America. The fund seeks to foster creativity and innovation in the execution of cybersecurity projects in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The process and requirements to submit projects will be announced soon.

As part of these efforts, the OAS and Cisco also announced the launch of the second phase of the free cybersecurity courses, with the support of Cisco’s Networking Academy program. The courses, which were available in 2019, now include a digital insignia program that will allow participants to get a certificate upon the successful completion of the coursework. These insignias are for their personal and professional use on social networks to expand their career possibilities.

The 2020 academic offering, which will be available in Latin America from May 13 to August 30, will contain two free courses: Introduction to Cybersecurity and Cybersecurity Essentials. The former will provide students basic knowledge of how to navigate the internet safely, as well as an overview of career opportunities in the field, while the latter delves deeper into specific cybersecurity aspects, such as threat detection and defense. Both courses will be available in Spanish, Portuguese, French and English at https://www.oas.org/es/sms/cicte/cursos-cisco/

The Secretary for Multi-Dimensional Security (SMS), Farah Urrutia, said “Educational initiatives that respond to current technological challenges and contribute to training cybersecurity professionals are of utmost importance for the future of the region and for our aspiration to provide more rights for more people. This collaboration between the OAS and Cisco is a great example of how the public and private sectors can jointly meet the needs of continued training and promote best practices in the industry.”

“Our Cisco team is working hard to ensure that even during these uncertain times, learning and training do not stop,” said Laura Quintana, Vice President and General Manager of Cisco Networking Academy. “We are supporting thousands of educators worldwide who are embracing remote teaching with Cisco Webex, and the Cisco Networking Academy is providing inclusive global online access to IT and cybersecurity courses from our learning portfolio, opening up a world of possibilities to people in the digital economy.”

The innovation fund initiative and the free courses with digital insignia are part of the Cybersecurity Innovation Council’s initiative, signed by the OAS and CISCO in 2019. The partnership aims to promote educational resources that can help to close the professional skills gap in cybersecurity, as well as to promote the adoption of cybersecurity practices in light of the demands for remote work in the region.

About OAS

The Organization of American States (OAS) is the main political forum in the region, bringing together all the independent nations of the Western Hemisphere to jointly promote democracy, strengthen human rights, promote peace, security, and cooperation and advance in achieving common interests. Since its origin, the OAS has had the main objective of preventing conflicts and providing political stability, social inclusion and prosperity in the region through dialogue and collective actions such as cooperation and mediation.

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide technology leader that has been making the Internet work since 1984. Our people, products, and partners help society securely connect and seize tomorrow’s digital opportunity today. Discover more at newsroom.cisco.com and follow us on Twitter at @Cisco.

Press Contacts:

Militza González
CISCO
milgonza@cisco.com

Gabriela Montes de Oca
OEA
GMontesdeoca@oas.org

Participation of Jordi Botifoll President of Cisco in Latin America

Laura Quintana Vice President and General Manager of Cisco Networking Academy, during the meeting