Microsoft Bolstering Its Attack Simulation Training Service with SANS Institute Learning Modules -- Redmondmag.com

Microsoft Bolstering Its Attack Simulation Training Service with SANS Institute Learning Modules

By Kurt Mackie
11/07/2022

Microsoft indicated last week that it'll be bringing a SANS Institute training series to Microsoft 365 Defender for Office 365 users of its Attack Simulation Training service.

Attack Simulation Training lets IT pros send simulated phishing attacks to end users that are based on actual phishing attacks, but lack the malicious payloads. Microsoft released Attack Simulation Training last year, based on Terranova Security's approach to probing potential security issues with end users.

Microsoft's addition of SANS Institute training modules will be coming to Microsoft 365 Defender for Office 365 users "in the coming months." The training materials, which apparently are a video series, weren't described by Microsoft. However, the SANS Institute's announcement from October described them as a 12-module "SANS Security Awareness" course that is "targeted at IT systems and/or network administrators who contribute to the overall security of an organization."

The learning modules being added to Attack Simulation Training will prepare IT pros for "more advanced learning in future SANS coursework," the SANS Institute announcement explained. The venerable SANS Institute offers "more than 60 courses," which are taught both in-person at events and offered as on-demand resources.

Microsoft is adding the SANS Institute learning resources because its Attack Simulation Training component will "soon to be expanding beyond social engineering topics." The SANS Institute training modules will help IT pros in organizations "large and small," Microsoft indicated:

IT system administrators and network administrators have to acquire and use a broad and deep set of complex cyber security information in order to successfully protect their organizations. It can be difficult to find good training and Microsoft believes that this new set of training modules will help all of our organizations, large and small, upskill their administrative staff.

Attack Simulation Training is available to organizations having "Microsoft 365 E5 Security or Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 2" licensing, Microsoft indicated.

About the Author

Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.

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