(ISC)² Blog

Small Businesses Not the Weakest Link in the Supply Chain, Study Shows

A new (ISC)2 study suggests that small businesses may get too much attribution for causing security breaches for their large enterprise clients. While it’s true that enterprises have suffered breaches caused by third parties, they are more likely a result of actions by a large partner, not a small business. The Securing the Partner Ecosystem study, which polled respondents both at large enterprises and small businesses, revealed about one third of enterprises (32%) have experienced a breach caused by a third party, but in these cases, large partners are more likely to blame (54%) than small business partners (46%). Only... Read more →

Cybersecurity Falls Short in Organizations Undergoing Digital Transformation

While C-level executives understand the need for cybersecurity as their organizations undergo digital transformation, they aren’t prioritizing it enough, according to a recent Deloitte report based on a survey of 500 executives. The report, “The Future of Cyber Survey 2019,” reveals a disconnect between organizational aspirations for a “cyber everywhere” future and their actual cyber posture. One area where this is evident is in budgeting, with organizations allocating only 14% of their digital transformation budgets to cybersecurity. Further evidence is how often cyber appears on the agendas of company board meetings. Cybersecurity makes it to the agenda of 49% of... Read more →

Cybersecurity Awards for Leading Professionals

Nominations are now open for the 2019 Information Security Leadership Awards Americas. The awards will be presented during a ceremony at (ISC)² Security Congress on Wednesday, October 30 at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando and will be open to All-Access pass attendees. As this is the first global event in (ISC)² history, it is expected to be the largest Security Congress ever, with as many as 4,000 attendees. The ISLA Americas nominations are open to (ISC)² members and non-members alike who are working in North, South and Central America. The deadline to submit all nominations... Read more →

Writing Cybersecurity Articles - Setting Up Your Writing Process

by Dr. Chris Veltsos, CISSP, member of (ISC)² Advisory Council of North America Writing can be one of those professional development win-win activities that not only brings joy to the person engaged in it, but also brings knowledge, value — and yes, in some cases even joy — to the reader. All of us remember reading a particularly well-crafted sentence and thinking to ourselves “wow, that was well written.” You might have even thought “gee, I wish I could write like that.” Well, you probably can, but unlike in the movies, it probably won’t come to you in a full... Read more →

Additional Recognition for Cybersecurity Certifications

Following the signing of a Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) signed last year that confirms the American National Standards Institute’s (ANSI) standing as an internationally respected accrediting body with rigorous standards, all nine (ISC)² cybersecurity certifications are now recognized by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). The MLA applies to IAF accrediting bodies, including ANSI, and shows that the organizations they accredit all meet the same rigorous standards. According to a press release issued by ANSI, “Regional Accreditation Group members of IAF are admitted to the IAF MLA only after a most stringent evaluation of their operations by a peer evaluation team... Read more →

Be Part of the Workforce Study!

The (ISC)² Cybersecurity Workforce Study is conducted to assess the cybersecurity workforce gap, better understand the barriers facing the cybersecurity profession, and uncover solutions to issues facing the industry. The 2.93M workforce gap number has been reported on far and wide, but the gap is just one part of the report. It’s important that we focus on finding answers to the problems facing cybersecurity practitioners, management and organizations. In just a few weeks, we will be conducting our next round of research and we want to hear from you! We need the opinions and insights from professionals on the front... Read more →

GDPR – One Year On

by Dr. Sanjana Mehta, Head of Market Research Strategy - EMEA May 25 marks the first anniversary since the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force. After a two-year preparation process, the regulation came into effect a year ago tomorrow, harmonizing data security, data protection, data retention and data usage laws across the EU member states. It also has significant ramifications for companies outside the EU that hold personal information relating to EU citizens and organizations. Failure to comply with the GDPR can and will result in fines and other legal sanctions. The GDPR has already had... Read more →

Going for (ISC)² Certification? Get the facts before you choose a training provider.

Whether you’re going for CISSP, SSCP, CCSP or another elite (ISC)² certification, the training route is an excellent way to prepare. (ISC)² certifications are highly regarded in the cybersecurity industry, and countless training companies offer exam prep for them. With so many options, it can be unnecessarily hard to make the right choice. Often, we think the more choices we have, the better. But too many cybersecurity training options have created confusion and led to false claims that border on unethical as companies compete for your business. When it comes to assertions trainer providers make about their courses for our... Read more →

(ISC)² Provides Insight to Congressional Subcommittee on Diversification in the Cybersecurity Workforce

On May 21, (ISC)² COO Wesley Simpson was invited to join a panel of experts for testimony in front of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security. The hearing, titled “Growing and Diversifying the Cyber Talent Pipeline” was a forum for committee members to ask witnesses for their observations and input on methods for growing the U.S. cybersecurity workforce and also for encouraging more minorities to join the profession. Mr. Simpson was joined on the panel by three other witnesses representing Grambling State University, The National Cybersecurity Institute at Excelsior College and McAfee. (ISC)² was approached by the... Read more →

Investing in the Next Generation of Cybersecurity Leaders

by Dr. Mansur Hasib, CISSP, PMP, CPHIMS Program Chair, Cybersecurity Technology, The Graduate School, University of Maryland University College In order for any discipline to advance and grow, each generation of established thought leaders must mentor and invest in the next generation. The new generation can infuse new ideas, varied approaches, and innovative new ways to explain and present material. This is exactly what happened in a dramatic way at the 2019 Secure Summit DC hosted by (ISC)² . John McCumber and Susan Lausch of (ISC)² invited me to organize a contingent of 30 graduate cybersecurity students and recent graduates... Read more →