Fortinet Partners with Egypt's NTI to Empower 6,000 Young People in Cybersecurity

Egypt's cybersecurity sector is really focused on growing its digital talent pool by boosting partnerships between government bodies and global technology companies. This is all part of a bigger plan to raise digital awareness and prepare a generation that can confidently tackle the growing challenges in the cyber world. A great example of this is Fortinet's involvement as a technology partner in the third edition of the Cybersecurity Superhero Academy. This is a fantastic national initiative led by the National Telecommunication Institute (NTI), with the full support of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT). The 2026 edition of the Academy aims to train over 6,000 participants in essential cybersecurity and digital safety skills. This makes it one of the biggest national programs dedicated to spreading cyber culture and building capabilities among young people across Egypt. It's pretty amazing that the number of participants expected in this current edition will match the total number of people trained in the previous two editions combined! This really shows how quickly the program is growing and how much impact it's having in different governorates. The Academy will run from July to September 2026, using NTI branches and Egypt's Digital Innovation Hubs, known as "Creativa," in 17 different governorates. It's designed for children and young people aged 8 to 17, as well as university students and recent graduates. The training program is all about boosting awareness of cybersecurity, digital safety, how to use the internet safely, protecting your data and privacy, and recognizing and fighting off cyber threats. Plus, it's also going to help participants learn more about artificial intelligence and other cool emerging technologies. As part of its contribution to this initiative, Fortinet is providing NTI with educational content from its Fortinet Security Awareness Curriculum. This content has been used to create a special one-week training program. The goal is to give participants fundamental cybersecurity knowledge, help them adopt safe digital habits, and make them better at protecting their data and acting responsibly in the digital world. The program also uses a fun, interactive learning approach that includes workshops, hands-on exercises, practical labs, and group projects. This really helps develop both the technical and personal skills needed to thrive in today's digital economy. Khaled Fawzy, the Senior Director for Fortinet in Egypt, Libya, and Sudan, shared that spreading cybersecurity awareness needs to start early in life to build a safer digital future. He highlighted that this partnership with NTI and the Cybersecurity Superhero Academy for Youth shows Fortinet's dedication to offering educational resources that help children and young people gain the skills they need to navigate the digital world safely. He also added that this initiative is a continuation of Fortinet's efforts to help close the cybersecurity skills gap and support the development of a new generation of cybersecurity experts and digital innovators. The Academy is put into action through a collaborative partnership model that brings together the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the National Telecommunication Institute, the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA), and the Egyptian Computer Emergency Readiness Team (EG-CERT). They're also working with several global technology companies, innovation partners, and community organizations. This strong collaboration helps build a sustainable national system for spreading cybersecurity awareness, enhancing digital culture, and developing human talent. Fortinet's involvement is part of its global strategy to support cybersecurity education and training, nurture digital talent, and boost cyber resilience. Ultimately, this all helps speed up a secure digital transformation.