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Cengage Group Acquires Infosec for Cybersecurity Training

The $190 million merger aims to combine their online education programs and expand professional development training for IT security professionals, given the projected need for them in both the public and private sectors.

The global ed-tech company Cengage Group is adding cybersecurity training to its portfolio with the acquisition of technology training company Infosec, according to a news release today.

The announcement said the $190.8 million merger will make Infosec’s catalogue of over 1,400 hands-on cybersecurity courses the property of ed2go, Cengage Group’s business for online classes and career training for adults, with the goal of expanding their availability through Cengage’s partnerships with hundreds of community colleges and universities.

In public statements about the merger, CEOs of both companies cited the urgency of preparing a future workforce for IT security jobs in increasingly high demand.

“The cybersecurity industry is at a critical inflection point where the skilled labor shortage could have far-reaching and lasting effects on business and personal safety. At the same time, it provides an opportunity for un- or under-employed workers who can upskill or reskill for career advancement. With our scale and resources, more cybersecurity professionals will have access to an affordable and faster option to develop the skills they need,” Cengage CEO Michael Hansen said in a statement. “The online, employer-paid cybersecurity training segment is currently a $1 billion market, with expectations that it will grow to $10 billion annually by 2027. Combining Infosec with our already-successful Workforce Skills business will provide top-line growth, expand our base of recurring revenue and accelerate our opportunity within the space.”

According to the news release, Infosec has trained more than 100,000 cybersecurity professionals and improved cybersecurity literacy among 5 million people since its founding in 2004. Infosec Founder and CEO Jack Koziol said in a public statement that the company’s focus on career and skills training make it a good match with Cengage Group.

“Building on ed2go’s history in online training, Infosec will benefit from Cengage Group’s scale and expertise, which means we can reach more cybersecurity professionals and employers that are looking to not only grow their careers but to keep businesses, governments and people safe from cyber threats,” Koziol said in a statement.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has ranked information security analysts among the fastest-growing occupations over the next decade, with an employment growth rate of 33 percent as public- and private-sector employers grapple with an increase in cyber attacks coinciding with the rise of telework during COVID-19. Additional research from Cengage found that 78 percent of workers who recently resigned from jobs used online training courses or certificate programs to obtain new jobs in high-demand fields.