Four-day virtual program delivers practical training on CIS IG1 Safeguards and awards co-branded certification
TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With AI accelerating the pace and complexity of cyber threats, organizations must prioritize strong cyber hygiene. To help meet that need, ConnectSecure, a leading provider of vulnerability and compliance management solutions, is launching a new training program developed in partnership with the Center for Internet Security, Inc. (CIS).
The Essential Cyber Hygiene Fundamentals bootcamp provides practical skills and repeatable processes needed to translate security guidance into action. Grounded in the CIS Critical Security Controls (CIS Controls), the program helps participants strengthen essential cyber hygiene, build resilience, and advance ConnectSecure's mission of moving defenders from reactive security to proactive, trusted protection.
The first bootcamp takes place August 18–21, 2026, and will be delivered virtually through four half-day sessions. The program will be offered monthly to give cybersecurity professionals ongoing opportunities to strengthen foundational security skills and improve cyber resilience.
The curriculum focuses on the CIS Implementation Group 1 (IG1) Controls and Safeguards, widely recognized as the starting point for establishing essential cyber hygiene.
“The CIS Controls were designed to help organizations focus on the actions that matter most for reducing cyber risk,” said Phyllis Lee, CIS Vice President of Security Best Practices Content Development. “Through this collaboration with ConnectSecure, we are providing practitioners with hands-on guidance for implementing CIS IG1 Safeguards and establishing a strong foundation of essential cyber hygiene that will improve security outcomes across organizations of all sizes.”
Participants will learn how to translate foundational security principles into operational practices they can implement consistently across organizations of all sizes.
“Strong cyber hygiene remains one of the most effective ways organizations can reduce risk and improve security outcomes,” said Ryan Seymour, Vice President of Consulting and Education at ConnectSecure and lead instructor for the program. “This bootcamp is designed to help practitioners move beyond theory and build practical, repeatable security processes aligned with industry-recognized CIS guidance.”
The bootcamp is intended for security practitioners at all experience levels and is vendor-agnostic, making it relevant regardless of which vulnerability management or cybersecurity platform an organization uses. The program complements ConnectSecure’s existing administrator training by focusing on foundational cybersecurity principles that help participants build applicable skills rather than platform-specific best practices.
Participants who successfully complete the program and pass the final examination will receive a co-branded CIS and ConnectSecure certificate of completion, along with a co-branded Credly digital badge recognizing their achievement. In addition to instruction from ConnectSecure experts, CIS representatives will participate throughout the bootcamp to provide additional expertise on key topics and best practices, adding value to the learning experience.
The launch represents an important milestone in ConnectSecure’s ongoing commitment to cybersecurity education and professional development. By combining ConnectSecure’s expertise in vulnerability management with CIS’s globally recognized cybersecurity framework and guidance, the program aims to help organizations establish stronger security foundations and improve long-term resilience.
About ConnectSecure
ConnectSecure empowers MSPs, IT professionals, and organizations to assess risk, build recurring revenue, and navigate the challenges of an ever-evolving cyber threat landscape. Focused on addressing the needs of service providers and internal IT teams supporting small and mid-sized businesses, ConnectSecure delivers tools to identify and remediate vulnerabilities, manage compliance requirements, and strengthen overall security posture. The company is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, and operates in 14 countries.
About CIS
The Center for Internet Security, Inc. (CIS®) makes the connected world a safer place for people, businesses, and governments through our core competencies of collaboration and innovation. We are a community-driven nonprofit, responsible for the CIS Critical Security Controls® and CIS Benchmarks®, globally recognized best practices for securing IT systems and data. We lead a global community of IT professionals to continuously evolve these standards and provide products and services to proactively safeguard against emerging threats. Our CIS Hardened Images® provide secure, on-demand, scalable computing environments in the cloud. CIS is home to the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center® (MS-ISAC®), the trusted resource for cyber threat prevention, protection, response, and recovery for U.S. State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial government entities, and the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center® (EI-ISAC®), which supports the rapidly changing cybersecurity needs of U.S. election offices.
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