Bleeping Computer's Malware Removal Training Program Discontinued

Discovered this site while reading Renee Dudley and Daniel Golden's "The Ransomware Hunting Team". In chapter 2, they follow Sarah White's (alias used in the book) journey into the ransomware hunting world. The book says:

Soon afterward, she enrolled in BleepingComputers training program, which assigned reading and exercises in computer security. She came home after school and spent hours on the forums, learning to remove malware. I was so passionate about it, she said. For her final exam, the instructor simulated injecting a type of malware called ZeroAccess into a virtual machine. ZeroAccess had penetrated millions of systems, typically when a victim opened an infected file or link. Sarah removed ZeroAccess, passed the test, and completed her training in eleven months. In 2014, after becoming one of the youngest people to graduate from the program, she joined BleepingComputers malware response team.

What's this training program they speak of? Going through the site, the deal bundles seem to come closest to this. Is this what they're referring to or was this some earlier program that's no longer active?

The Malware Removal Training program is no longer active for new students.

Based on the information provided, it's not clear which specific training program Sarah enrolled in. However, BleepingComputer offers various training and certification programs related to computer security and malware removal, so it's possible that Sarah may have enrolled in one of these programs.

BleepingComputer currently offers several training and certification programs through their BleepingComputer Academy, including courses on malware removal, ethical hacking, and cybersecurity. It's possible that Sarah may have enrolled in one of these courses or a similar program offered by BleepingComputer or another organization.

It's also worth noting that BleepingComputer is a well-known online forum and resource for computer security and malware removal, so it's possible that Sarah may have gained knowledge and experience through participating in the forum and working with other members of the community.

She was part of our Malware removal training program, which has been discontinued. The reason for this is simply that today's malware is no longer something that can easily be removed (think ransomware where prevention is often the only way to protect data because recovery is not possible). Windows and security programs also have become much better at dealing with normal (non-encrypting) ransomware, essentially eliminating the need for online malware removal (especially when compared to 10-15 years ago).

I think hassanizahar is referring to various courses/certification bundles you can purchase via BleepingComputer. These are not organized by us though.

Edited by King_Yoshi, 10 April 2023 - 07:28 PM.