Amazon to Offer Free Cybersecurity Training Materials, MFA Devices

Amazon announced this week that it will soon offer cybersecurity training materials and multi-factor authentication (MFA) devices for free.

The training materials, which focus on security awareness and particularly the threat posed by social engineering, will be offered for free to both individuals and organizations starting in October. The training courses include online assessments and videos, and Amazon says organizations can build on them to create their own materials that better suit their needs.

“Amazon has designed a digestible and succinct curriculum, used with its employees, to anticipate and educate about possible security threats,” Amazon said, adding that, “The materials leverage proven neuroscience and adult learning principles to enhance content retention and are regularly updated as digital attack techniques evolve.”

As for the MFA devices, they will be offered for free to “qualified AWS account holders,” also starting in October.

MFA devices provide the highest level of protection for online accounts, and Amazon says AWS users who will receive its devices will be able authenticate by typing in their password and then touching the security token plugged into their computer’s USB port.

“The free MFA token adds a layer of security to protect customers’ AWS accounts against phishing, session hijacking, man-in-the-middle, and malware attacks. Customers can also use their MFA devices to safely access multiple AWS accounts, as well as other token-enabled applications, such as GitHub, Gmail, and Dropbox,” Amazon said.

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