The GECC is the governance and advisory arm of our global education efforts which is integral to our international rollout of SMB1001 for SMEs, i.e. more than 90% of globalised economy. Responsible for annually translating SMB1001 into Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) and relevant curricula, the GECC oversees our global education efforts to proliferate cyber capability uplift for SMBs.
At its core, the GECC ensures all outputs meet the needs of SMBs and Technical Support Specialists, while aligning with national policies on cyber capability uplift. The GECC is comprised of international education and training organizations with significant experience and expertise in developing and delivering fit-for-purpose educational courses, tools and platforms at a national and international level.
The GECC is established by the DSI Executive to:
- Oversee the strategy for national and regional rollout of implementer and SMB training based on the DSI dynamic standard SMB1001,
- Develop and refresh a Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) based on the SMB1001 and to commission Curriculum Development Taskforces (CDTs) for the creation of relevant curricula aligned with the CBK, and
- Ensure that the developed curricula meet the unique needs of Technical Support Specialists and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and that the CBK is vendor neutral.
The logos used are trademarks of their respective owners. The members have been arranged in alphabetical order by their organization name with the exception of the Chair member.
Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA)
Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson is Director, Cybersecurity Member Programs at GTIA and serves as Director of the GTIA Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO). He is a cybersecurity compliance strategist with extensive experience working with MSPs, MSSPs, and information technology solution providers (ITSPs). A former CISO, MSP and MSSP leader, and long-time advocate for peer collaboration, Chris helps ITSPs improve cybersecurity maturity, operational resilience, and responsible AI adoption through practical governance, measurable outcomes, and industry best practices. At GTIA, he leads cybersecurit... read more
Pax8 Academy
Maria Armstrong
Maria started working in the IT industry over 30 years ago, working in all areas of the channel, Vendors, MSPs and Distribution. Starting in channel sales, and working through various leadership roles, bringing insights into how to leverage and improve the client-partner-distribution-vendor relationships. With a number of years in leadership positions, Maria has knowledge and passion for business governance, and a particular skillset in sales operations. Her role as the Manager of Academy for Pax8 APAC brings her skillset to the MSPs through the training, peer groups, and coaching offered by t... read more
TAFE Queensland
Jackie French
Jackie French is the Director for the Faculty of Creative Arts and Digital Design at TAFE Queensland’s Brisbane Region and has worked in education for 25 years. Jackie is passionate about teaching and learning. Jackie has a Master’s Degree in Information Security and Computer Crime and worked within the UK High Tech Crime Unit on her Master’s thesis “Data Visualisation”. Jackie has held a variety of teaching and senior management positions within vocational and higher education organisations in Australia and overseas. Jackie’s passion is cybersecurity, and one of her recent flagship projects t... read more