The tech sector, in general, is often far too focused on speeds and feeds to the detriment of the end goal, driving overall customer success. And the cybersecurity industry is no exception. Vendors tout a laundry list of features and functions and are put through the paces to see how fully their technology checks all the boxes and aligns with an organization’s need. But there’s a critical aspect that buyers sometime overlook – the vendor’s effectiveness with respect to customer success. Great customer support is the foundation for customer success and includes responsiveness and timeliness, but training and learning solutions are also important to help you get immediate return on investment. 

Reinforcing ThreatQuotient’s long-standing commitment to partner with clients to ensure their success, last week we announced a new online certification program as part of ThreatQ Academy with the goal of closing a common gap between deployment of tools and end user proficiency. Our new online training portal for clients and partners complements our existing virtual and onsite instructor-led training offerings, providing access to modules available in a custom catalog of online self-paced training. Now, ThreatQ Academy supports virtually any operational need, and allows clients and partners to gain a faster return on investment from the ThreatQ Platform. 

At ThreatQuotient, we view cybersecurity jobs as a continuous learning experience, and the need for training resources in the industry is critical as skills shortages continue to plague organizations. The latest numbers put the cybersecurity talent gap at nearly 756,000 in the U.S. alone, and 3.4 million globally. And in ThreatQuotient’s 2022 research report, State of Cybersecurity Automation Adoption, senior cybersecurity professionals cited employee retention and closing the security skills gap as high priority issues. A vendor’s commitment to customer success is critical to ensure organizations can address these priorities and get the most value from their security investment.

ThreatQ Academy directly addresses skills shortage concerns by enabling stronger staff retention and supporting existing employees with training that allows them to grow and gain skills for more security operations roles. Students using on-demand training via ThreatQ Academy Online will also gain immediate access to new content and features as soon as they are published. This provides a shorter lead time for gaining the most up-to-date information about ThreatQ’s tools in comparison to existing virtual or onsite instructor-led training. Additionally, users can provide feedback via surveys, and administrators can view reports and track training status.

ThreatQ Academy students will be challenged to demonstrate comprehension of the course objectives. For select courses, students will be required to take an exam at the end of the course. Passing scores will receive a ThreatQ Certification of Completion. 

Modules currently available within ThreatQ Academy Online include: 

• ThreatQ Security and Intelligence Operations is centered on utilizing the ThreatQ platform in daily operations. Through hands-on, in-platform exercises, participants have the opportunity to apply the skills they have acquired during the course. Exercises are tailored to align with individuals’ roles within the organization and will address various real-world scenarios.
• ThreatQ Platform Administration is designed to provide knowledge on how to deploy and monitor the ThreatQ platform. It is intended for ThreatQ Platform System Administrators and requires a basic understanding of Linux-based operating systems, networking, and virtualization technologies such as VMware.
• Cyber Threat Intelligence Foundations covers the intelligence lifecycle, fundamental threat analysis for security operations and incident response, and the integration of multiple sources of intelligence. The course emphasizes the different intelligence sources accessible to the client, the process of selecting and evaluating relevant information, and conducting basic stakeholder analysis to determine the best course of action for the organization.

Additional modules will be available in the portal as they are developed, along with more interactive coursework and social media sharing of achievements. 

We believe customer success is critical and a big reason why clients refer to us as a true partner, not simply their vendor. Let us show you how we can help your organization maximize existing resources and contribute to the continued professional development of your security operations workforce. To learn more, go to ThreatQ Academy.