In an exclusive interview, Vishal Prakash Shah, Founder and CEO of Synersoft Technologies, sheds light on the growing relevance of the BLACKbox Certified Professional (BCP) program—a unique certification initiative designed to empower individuals from varied educational and professional backgrounds with practical cybersecurity skills.
Rooted in real-world applications and tailored for the MSME sector, the BCP program is transforming how small and medium enterprises safeguard their digital ecosystems. From eligibility and training to scalability and global aspirations, Shah delves into how Synersoft is bridging the cybersecurity gap at the grassroots level.
1. What are the eligibility criteria and training modules involved in becoming a BLACKbox Certified Professional, and how are they tailored for different educational backgrounds?
The BLACKbox Certified Professional (BCP) program is designed to be inclusive and accessible, catering to individuals across various educational and professional backgrounds. Whether a participant is an IT student, a recent graduate, a working professional, or already associated with an MSME using BLACKbox, the program accommodates diverse learning needs through its structured, four-tiered certification model.
The eligibility criteria are intentionally broad: a basic understanding of IT concepts is recommended, but not mandatory. The program starts at Level 1 with foundational modules that provide hands-on experience with BLACKbox, making it ideal even for newcomers to the tech industry.
Each subsequent level builds upon the previous one:
- Level 2 focuses on pre-installation planning and requirement analysis. • Level 3 sharpens troubleshooting and support skills post-installation. • Level 4 (BlackBelt) offers supervised on-site deployment experience.
Training modules cover practical use cases in data centralization, VPN configuration, DLP, backup, and disaster recovery—ensuring participants are industry-ready regardless of their academic starting point.
2. How does Synersoft ensure the credibility and industry relevance of the BCP certification in a rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape?
Synersoft maintains the credibility and industry relevance of the BCP certification through a dynamic, feedback-driven curriculum that evolves alongside its core product— BLACKbox. The training content is tightly synchronized with each version release of BLACKbox, ensuring that certified professionals are always up to date with the latest features, configurations, and security protocols.
The curriculum development is informed by three critical inputs:
- Product evolution and updates managed by the versioning team, • Real-world insights from the customer support desk, and
- Field deployment learnings from on-site engineers.
This ensures that the certification is not just theoretical but rooted in practical, market relevant scenarios. Additionally, our Learning Management System (LMS) and live BLACKbox console access provide hands-on training, reinforcing both credibility and competence in the eyes of MSME employers.
3. What distinguishes the BCP program from other cybersecurity certification initiatives available in the market today?
The BCP program stands apart from conventional cybersecurity certifications through its product-centered, holistic, and MSME-focused approach. While most programs teach isolated IT functions—like firewall management, endpoint security, or networking—the BCP certification is based on mastering BLACKbox, an integrated “IT-in-a-Box” solution.
This makes BCPs uniquely capable of managing a full IT ecosystem—covering everything from secure data storage and remote access to compliance, productivity monitoring, and disaster recovery—without needing separate tools or specialized roles.
Furthermore, the program is structured to promote employability and entrepreneurship. Certified professionals are equipped not only for jobs but also to work independently as consultants and service providers in the MSME ecosystem—a support model rarely seen in other certification frameworks.
4. How does the program contribute to the cybersecurity preparedness of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through its certified professionals?
Certified BLACKbox professionals play a vital role in bolstering cybersecurity preparedness across India’s MSME sector. These professionals are trained to handle a full spectrum of IT security functions—ensuring that SMEs can implement, operate, and maintain essential safeguards without needing large internal IT teams.
By deploying BCP-certified individuals, SMEs benefit from:
- Centralized and secure data management,
- Preventive controls against data loss and leakage,
- Efficient disaster recovery mechanisms, and
- Ongoing compliance with regulatory or customer-specific requirements.
In essence, BCPs act as the digital guardians for MSMEs, translating complex cybersecurity measures into consistent, practical protection at the grassroots level—exactly where it’s needed most.
5. In what ways does Synersoft plan to scale or evolve the BCP program in the next 2–3 years to address the growing demand for cybersecurity in India and beyond?
Over the next 2–3 years, Synersoft plans to scale the BCP program in both reach and impact by adopting a multi-pronged expansion strategy:
- Geographical reach: We aim to onboard training partners across tier-2 and tier-3 cities, bringing the program closer to aspiring professionals in emerging business regions.
- Digital scaling: A more advanced LMS platform will enable self-paced, interactive learning with simulation-based exercises, live cases, and adaptive assessments.
- New formats: We are developing short-format content, including micro certifications and crash courses, to upskill working professionals quickly.
- Global potential: Given the increasing international interest in BLACKbox, especially in developing economies with growing MSME sectors, we are exploring regional versions of the BCP program tailored for global deployment.
Ultimately, our vision is to create a grassroots-ready, cybersecurity-literate workforce that scales with BLACKbox adoption and supports secure digital transformation across borders.
