Entry-level security professionals and those still in school often need a way to differentiate their skills—and to that end, ISACA has launched the Cybersecurity Fundamentals Certificate.
Intended for university students and recent graduates, entry-level security professionals and those seeking a career change, the certificate is aligned with the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) and the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework. It tests for foundational cybersecurity knowledge in five areas:
· Cybersecurity concepts
· Cybersecurity architecture principles
· Cybersecurity of networks, systems, applications and data
· Incident response
· Security of evolving technology
The certificate differs from ISACA’s four certifications—CISA, CISM, CGEIT and CRISC— which require a minimum number of years of relevant professional experience in addition to passing an exam. But, candidates must pass a proctored exam.
“Candidates with a proven level of cybersecurity knowledge are in strong demand worldwide, given today’s global cybersecurity skills crisis,” said Robert Stroud, international president of ISACA and vice president of strategy and innovation at CA Technologies, in a statement. “ISACA’s Cybersecurity Fundamentals Certificate helps organizations quickly identify candidates with a foundational level of cybersecurity knowledge, while helping the most qualified job seekers distinguish themselves.”
The association also said that it will launch two cybersecurity training courses—Implementing the NIST Cybersecurity Framework Using COBIT 5 and COBIT 5 Assessor for Security—as well as cybersecurity teaching materials and a cybersecurity student handbook.
“A recent poll of ISACA student members showed that fewer than half believed they would have adequate cybersecurity knowledge to do the type of job they are seeking after graduating college,” said Stroud. “ISACA aims to close that gap with valuable resources that will help individuals build cybersecurity skills and knowledge, and help enterprises develop their cybersecurity workforces.”