Security Bootcamp: Philippines Edition — How Fortinet and Holy Angel University Are Training the Next Cyber Defenders

The Philippines has a cybersecurity problem. Fortinet and Holy Angel University think they have the fix — and they’re treating it like a national bootcamp.

MISSION OBJECTIVE
Close the country’s cybersecurity skills gap and train the next generation of digital defenders before cybercrime costs spiral further out of control.

CURRENT THREAT LEVEL

• 94% of Philippine organizations were breached in 2023.
• 77% say it’s because they don’t have enough skilled cybersecurity staff.
• 84% can’t find candidates with the right tech certifications.

THE TRAINING GROUNDS
Holy Angel University in Pampanga is now an official Fortinet Academic Partner.
The campus will host a Cyber Innovation Lab loaded with Fortinet’s advanced security tools, where students will:

• Simulate real-world attacks.
• Perform malware analysis.
• Practice network and web defense strategies.

THE CURRICULUM
The core of the program is Fortinet’s Network Security Expert (NSE) certification:

• Integrated into HAU’s computing courses.
• Offered as a continuing education program for non-students.
• Led by Fortinet-certified instructors, backed by guest lectures from industry experts.

THE RECRUITMENT DRIVE
Fortinet isn’t just targeting current students. The program is open to:

• Career shifters looking to enter the cybersecurity field.
• IT professionals upgrading their skills.
• Educators building cybersecurity literacy.

THE WIDER ALLIANCE
HAU joins a growing network of Philippine universities under Fortinet’s Academic Partner Program, including Our Lady of Fatima University, Mapúa University, and Mindanao State University-Sulu.

THE ENDGAME
By expanding skills-based training over the next five years, the partnership aims to:

• Reduce the country’s breach rate significantly.
• Supply employers with certified talent ready for immediate deployment.
• Establish the Philippines as a Southeast Asian hub for cybersecurity expertise.

THE COMMANDERS SPEAK
HAU’s OIC University President Leopoldo Jaime Valdes says the partnership is about “equipping students with skills to combat evolving threats.”
Fortinet Philippines Country Manager Bambi Escalante calls it a direct response to “an urgent need to rethink how talent is identified, trained, and certified.”

BOOTCAMP STATUS: ACTIVATED
The first wave of trainees has entered the lab. The countdown to a stronger, more secure digital Philippines has begun.