Important
Tuition for this course is fully covered for eligible participants through generous funding from Mastercard. To apply, select one Sept. 9, 2026 course section under upcoming dates and proceed to checkout, where you will be prompted to create a Continuing Education student account before completing a short online application. Admission is competitive, and not all applicants will be accepted. See prerequisites and eligibility for details. Applications close July 31, 2026 at 11:59 pm MT. Successful applicants will be notified on Aug. 7, 2026, with registration confirmation required by Aug. 12, 2026. The course begins Sept. 9, 2026 with a live-online kick-off session.
For more information, contact ConEdAdvising@sait.ca.
Overview
Cyber threats affect organizations of all sizes, yet many small businesses and non-profits operate without the resources or technical teams available to larger organizations. Leaders are often expected to make decisions about digital risk without the language, frameworks, or support needed to do so confidently. This course helps you understand how cybersecurity connects to leadership, governance, and organizational resilience so you can make informed decisions that protect your organization.
SAIT Cybersecurity Learning Collective, powered by Mastercard, is a 10-week, 80-hour course designed for small businesses, non-profits, and social enterprises across Western Canada. You will develop the knowledge needed to recognize cyber risk, respond to incidents, and guide cybersecurity decisions within the realities of a small organization. The course is designed for non-technical leaders and focuses on practical leadership decisions rather than technical skills.
Learning combines flexible online self-study with scheduled interactive sessions that allow you to apply concepts to your own organization. Online modules provide foundational knowledge, while live online sessions held every other week give you opportunities to discuss real scenarios with instructors, guest experts, and peers facing similar challenges. Near the end of the course, you’ll participate in a one-day live cyber incident simulation at the SAIT Downtown Cyber Range in Calgary, where you'll practice responding to a realistic cybersecurity crisis.
Throughout the course, you will build a Cybersecurity Action Plan tailored to your organization. By the end of the course, you will have an implementation-ready plan that aligns cybersecurity practices with your mission, governance responsibilities, and operational capacity. After the course, you'll also receive continued support through expert coaching sessions and the SAIT Cybersecurity Learning Collective, an online community administered by SAIT that provides ongoing learning, peer connection, and cybersecurity resources.
This course is ideal if you:
- lead a small business, non-profit, or social enterprise with fewer than 99 employees in Western Canada
- are a member of equity-deserving communities, including women, Indigenous peoples, people of colour, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, newcomers to Canada, and people with disabilities
- want to better understand cyber risk and protect your organization's data, operations, and reputation
- are responsible for organizational decisions related to technology, security, or digital operations
- want practical guidance that fits the realities and resource constraints of a small organization
- value learning alongside other leaders facing similar cybersecurity challenges.
Our partners
Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry working to power economies and empower people in more than 200 countries and territories. SAIT is proud to partner with Mastercard to deliver the SAIT Cybersecurity Learning Collective, powered by Mastercard. Through Mastercard’s generous support, this course expands access to cybersecurity learning and helps organizations in Western Canada strengthen their digital resilience.
To participate in this course, you must:
- be in a leadership role within a small business or non-profit organization, and
- be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident, and
- be able to commit to the 10-week course, comprising approximately three to four hours per week of combined learning activities, including:
- self-paced online study
- live online sessions held once every two weeks (three hours per session on weekday evenings), and
- a one-day, in-person Cyber Range experience.
Your organization must be:
- a small business, non-profit, or social enterprise with fewer than 99 employees, and
- based in Western Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, or Saskatchewan).
The program is designed for non-technical leaders, and no prior cybersecurity or IT experience is required.
Upon successful completion of this course, you’ll be able to:
- analyse and prioritize cyber threats relevant to small businesses and non-profits using mission-aligned risk frameworks
- design a comprehensive cyber incident response plan that includes crisis communication protocols, stakeholder notification, and business continuity measures
- evaluate cybersecurity investments, assess organizational fit and capacity, and develop a board-level business case for approval
- facilitate organizational culture change that strengthens cybersecurity awareness through training, policy development, and sustained communication
- establish governance systems that support continuous cybersecurity improvement, monitoring, and capability development.
To request a course outline, contact ConEAdvising@sait.ca.
Upcoming dates
Select an available section and add it to your cart. When you're ready, proceed to check out to sign into your student account and complete your registration.
Don't have a student account? Let's set one up!
Registration closes seven days before the start date for on-campus, online scheduled, and blended courses, and one day before the start date for online self-paced courses.
After you've completed this course
Upon successful completion of this course, you'll receive a shareable digital badge. You'll also be able to self-print a proof of completion document from your Continuing Education student account.
Costs
Textbook and reading list
Included in the purchase of this course, you'll receive access to online course content in Brightspace (D2L).
Technology
To be successful in this course, you’ll need:
- Access to your own computer or laptop with standard hardware/software requirements
- Functional webcam and microphone
- Internet access.
Additional information
Included in this course:
- Five, three-hour live online group sessions led by a SAIT cybersecurity expert every other week
- One-day live cybersecurity incident simulation at the SAIT Downtown Cyber Range in Calgary
- Optional: Up to 10 hours of one-on-one online sessions with your SAIT instructor to support implementation of your action plan, available for up to six months after course completion
- Free online access to the SAIT Cybersecurity Learning Collective community.
Related courses you may like
This course applies to the following certificate programs:
- Certification type
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Course
- Certification type
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Micro-Credential
- Certification type
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Micro-Credential
Train your team
Interested in group training opportunities for this course? Tell us about your organization's needs, and one of our training consultants will contact you within one business day.
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SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.
We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta.