Cybersecurity provider Fortinet introduced a free technical curriculum for U.S. high schools, designed to equip students with foundational and advanced cybersecurity skills. The program consists of two annual courses—Cybersecurity 1: Foundations and Cybersecurity 2: Fundamentals—each requiring approximately 180 days or 145 hours to complete.
The curriculum covers networking, cryptography, endpoint security, application security, risk management, and cyber defense. It is structured in a modular format, allowing educators to integrate segments into existing lessons or deliver the full program. The materials include lesson plans and instructor resources, all provided at no cost to schools.
Chicago Public Schools is participating in a pilot project to test the curriculum, according to Fortinet. Daniel Patterson, High School Computer Science Manager for Chicago Public Schools, said the district is evaluating the program to strengthen its cybersecurity offerings and prepare students for college-level courses and future careers in the field.
Fortinet, which serves over 1 million customers globally, stated the initiative aims to address the growing demand for cybersecurity professionals by building skills at the secondary education level. The company did not disclose financial terms related to the curriculum launch.
