MiDO Academy and Nclose: Educating students about cyber security from grassroots level

Stephen Osler, Co-Founder and Director at Nclose.

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Nclose is a proud funder and partner of the MiDO Academy, an organisation dedicated to promoting cyber security education. The aim is to empower students from a grassroots level with the knowledge and skills required to navigate the digital landscape securely and pursue careers in cyber security. The MiDO Academy was founded by Dale and Verity Simons of MiDO Technologies, a black-owned business specialising in creative, cutting-edge ICT solutions for educational institutions. 

“Dale and I had many conversations about the challenges with regards to cyber security in southern Africa,” says Stephen Osler, Co-founder and Business Development Director at Nclose. “It was never the matter of lack of passionate people; it was a lack of formal and informal educational facilities with a focus on cyber security and providing opportunities to enter this industry. Another key factor was promoting digital enablement, and Dale was already working with informal educational facilities, but the idea was to take it to the next level and get students into the workforce. I introduced Dale to Anna Collard (Know Be4), a longstanding partner of Nclose, and through two passionate creatives with the right connections, the MiDO cyber academy was born,” adds Osler.

“Nclose actively helps by providing funds, transport for students and sponsoring masterclasses focused on cyber security. However, what we really love is it’s not just about educating students on just cyber security skills, but also how to use those skills to engage with businesses and elements within their own business they join – prepping them not just with cyber security skills, but also the soft skills to be a valued member in the workplace. The fundamental focus is to empower youth to enter the workforce, and this is where the team at MiDO Academy shine,” says Osler.

Nclose firmly believes in the MiDO Academy team's capabilities and their shared vision to make this educational initiative a resounding success. The foundation's experienced professionals, who are experts, passionate and dedicated about cyber security education, will go on to foster the next-generation cyber professionals from academy to workplace. Their holistic approach aligns perfectly with Nclose's commitment to raising awareness about cyber security from an early age.

“Stephen and Martin are early supporters of the MiDO vision and NClose has been invested in my development as a leader, while ensuring MiDO has the required resources. This support has empowered MiDO to boldly pursue sustainability and impact,” says Dale Simons, Co-founder and Managing Director of MiDO.

“With the MiDO Academy and its Cyberlab, we have the opportunity to create learning pathways out of poverty for marginalised youth. Security threats are not only affecting enterprise organisations, but have a devastating effect on individuals and small to medium businesses. Our purpose is to enable resilient, cyber safe citizens to be the strongest defence against cyber crime.”