New office focused on training with expansion of Check Point’s‘Young Professionals Program’
Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a leading provider of cyber security solutions globally, announced the relocation of its Asia Pacific headquarters to 78 Shenton Way. The expanded office was designed with a focus on training and additional space to support its growing team, consisting of staff from the Young Professionals Program. The office will house more than 100 staff located in Singapore, and another 750 employees across 16 countries in Asia Pacific.
Cybersecurity pioneer, Check Point, first set foot in Singapore in 1996 as the Asia Pacific headquarters, with a small team in a serviced office in Suntec City, and steadily expanded to the entire Asia Pacific since. Together with a dynamic ecosystem of over 1,800 partners, Check Point continued to meet current and emerging cybersecurity needs of diverse customers in Asia over the last 25 years. According to Check Point Research (CPR) reports, Asia is the second most attacked region in Q2 2022, at 1,684 weekly attacks per organisation, reflecting a 25% YoY increase, and ANZ experienced 937 weekly attacks per organisation, with a 82% YoY increase. Despite the continuing COVID-19 situation, the company made investments in various markets in the region to support its growth.
“When Check Point was founded in 1993 in Tel Aviv, Israel, the founders’ mission was to make the world a safer and more secure place. Over the years, the company assembled a global team of driven, creative and innovative people who redefined the cybersecurity landscape with cutting-edge technologies to an ever growing global customer base, making connectivity and data secure, reliable, and available everywhere,” says Dr Sharat Sinha, President, Asia Pacific & Japan, Check Point Software Technologies.
Investing in cybersecurity training and development in Singapore
Globally, cyber attacks are on the rise. In the latest Check Point 2022 mid year report on cyber attack trends, research shows that there was a 42% increase in weekly cyberattacks globally with every region experiencing a significant escalation, and ransomware is the number one threat. Making matters worse is the lack of cybersecurity professionals. According to the 2021 (ISC)2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, in Singapore alone, there is a cybersecurity workforce gap of 16,000, and globally a remaining gap of 1.4 million, leaving employers struggling to find qualified, skilled cybersecurity professionals.
In view of the cybersecurity workforce gap and increasing sophistication of cyber attacks, the new office in Singapore has been designed with training as a key focus, where most of the office space is dedicated to hosting in-person, face-to-face training, and practical hands-on sessions to prepare CISOs (chief information security officers), cybersecurity administrators, and company employees to outsmart and prevent cybercrime.
Under a “Check Point Young Professionals Program” for working adults, Check Point has hired and trained more than 20 participants in Singapore. This program is open to working adults with less than five years of work experience interested in pursuing a career in cybersecurity. Under the program, Check Point will hire and train them, as well as assign a mentor to each participant.
“As someone who came from a consumer marketing rather than a technical or cybersecurity background, Check Point Software’s ‘Young Professionals Program (YPP)’ provided me with a good grounding in Check Point Software’s cybersecurity solutions and services, as well as an understanding of the channel ecosystem and sales processes so that I can succeed. While all technical knowledge can seem daunting at first, Check Point Software’s YPP made my learning journey experiential and engaging,” says Jesmine Tan, Renewal Sales Representative, Singapore, Check Point Software Technologies.
“The Check Point Software ‘Young Professionals Program (YPP)’ has provided me with a full slate of knowledge and practical skills where I can learn as I work and apply my learning into real-world scenarios. I learned about the YPP from friends, and the Program seemed interesting enough to leave my previous job. The YPP challenged me to pick up courage and positivity to learn, to apply on the field, and to be adaptable to transient and new scenarios at work,” says Ryan Tan, Security Engineer, Check Point Software Technologies.
As part of Check Point SecureAcademy™ education program, Check Point partnered with Singapore Polytechnic to provide students with hands-on experience in recognizing and resolving IT security threats, and acquire the most updated, real-world cybersecurity skills. Check Point SecureAcademy™, through partnerships with higher learning institutions, is a non-revenue driven worldwide cybersecurity education to prepare students with the vital technology skills they need to secure our future, today. Upon completion of the course, students gain skills and knowledge immediately applicable when they graduate to start their careers, while earning a globally recognised cybersecurity certification, improving their employability anywhere in the world.
In addition, Check Point develops and provides training programs and phishing simulations publicly online for anyone who wants to learn more about cybersecurity topics such as the “Hacking Point” , for security experts to master all types of Penetration Testing (pentesting) techniques, and understand how to better protect the corporate network and resources and the “CISO Academy”, tailored for C-Level Executives or aspirants, to balance the handling of tactical issues such as cybersecurity practices and maximize security, with strategic leadership responsibilities.
“We need to continuously stay ahead of emerging threats and to achieve that, our technology is constantly evolving, incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into our next generation of cybersecurity solution. While technological innovations are important, we recognised the importance of good and competent people helming and running the operations. Therefore, we invest heavily in providing partners, customers and employees with cybersecurity skills and security awareness training to stay secure at work and everywhere,”says Dr Sharat Sinha, President, Asia Pacific & Japan, Check Point Software Technologies.