People interested in a career in cybersecurity now have a new opportunity to earn a foundational certification. In January 2022, (ISC)two announced the start of registration for its new Entry-Level Cybersecurity Certification Pilot Program to address the job gap in the countryside.
Best known for his Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification, (ISC)two is an organization comprised of certified cybersecurity professionals with more than 17,000 members and 150 chapters worldwide.
Designed to cope with growing need For qualified cybersecurity professionals in the market, the Entry Level Cybersecurity Certification will assess participants in multiple domains including network security and access control. There are currently approximately 4.19 million cybersecurity professionals in the world. According to (ISC)two, 2.72 million more professionals they are necessary for companies to effectively protect their assets.
(ISC)two CEO Clar Rosso said the new certification is designed to make it easier for students and career changers to start a career in cybersecurity.
“(What) we have learned in recent years by looking at what is happening in the market is that people have a hard time getting into the profession,” Rosso said. “At the same time, we desperately need people in the cybersecurity profession.”
Engineering sophomore Mike Green, president of Wolverine –– a UM cybersecurity and hacking club that organizes the Wolverine Security Conference –– believes in the importance of cybersecurity in people’s daily lives.
“(Cybersecurity) is very relevant and will continue to be very relevant,” Green said. “It’s one of those things that’s not going to go away.”
To develop this new certification, (ISC)two reached out to employers to understand the skills needed for an entry-level cyber security job for a person with no experience. (ISC)two created the test with questions designed to measure an individual’s basic skills and is now in its pilot phase.
During the pilot phase, participants will be able to take the exam twice. Your test results are then used to validate the test and help psychometrists and test creators at (ISC)two ensure that the new Entry Level Cyber Security Certification tests an individual’s basic skills and produces replicable results.
“If we find during the pilot that there is a question that everyone got wrong, our team will go back and look at it and say…do we need to rewrite the question? Is the content not correct? Ross said.
(ISC)two expects the Entry-Level Cybersecurity Certification to launch by the summer of 2022 and is aiming for approximately 10,000 people to achieve this certification by the end of the year.
Although there are increase In university programs that offer cybersecurity degrees, the Entry-Level Cybersecurity Certification would give cybersecurity employers a clear picture of the skills a candidate for the position possesses. Overall, Rosso believes that receiving certification will increase a student’s employability.
“(The program) is a trusted brand in the market,” Rosso said. “Hiring managers are going to say, ‘Oh, (the candidates) have earned it. I know what that is, which means I know what exact skills they have… That’s the person I want to hire.’”
To help people prepare for the Entry Level Cyber Security Certification (ISC)two It is offering live and recorded review sessions taught by (ISC)two instructors Upon receiving a certification offered by (ISC)twoan individual becomes a member of the association.
The (ISC)two Western Michigan Chapter It is a chapter that aims to grow cybersecurity professionals and companies at the local level. John Weller, President of the (ISC)two The West Michigan Chapter and Chief Information Security Officer at TrackCore, Inc., is a CISSP Certified Cybersecurity Professional. Weller said his (ISC) certificationstwo they have enabled him and his colleagues to communicate more effectively.
“(ISC)two it provides a great foundation and a great taxonomy and framework for us around the world to improve our security,” Weller said. “If I can have a conversation with many colleagues using the same words and meaning the same, they understand each other much better and more easily.”
Weller also said that being part of the (ISC)two The West Michigan chapter helped him through the daunting experience of starting a career in cyber security.
“When I started in cybersecurity about eight years ago, I was pretty overwhelmed by the amount of risk our organization was experiencing,” Weller said. “In meetings with (ISC)two and other local organizations, I learned to realize that we are all on a journey to maturity and none of us had fully figured it out, so it was reassuring to know that we weren’t that far behind. We were with the pack.
Daily news reporter Tina Yu can be reached at tinapyyu@umich.edu.