(ISC)² Blog

Wearing It With Pride: How showing off your (ISC)2 credentials can make a difference

By Tony Vizza, CISSP, CCSP, Director for Cyber Security Advocacy - APAC at (ISC)² “Tony, why did you get into cyber security?,” I am often asked. Truth be told, I had an interest in IT from a very young age. In second grade, my classroom had an early model Apple which the teacher did not know how to use and which I taught her. In high school, I took computer studies as a subject. Following this, I enrolled and completed an undergraduate degree in computer science. My first job after graduation was as a programmer and network administrator within a... Read more →

Six Key Advantages of (ISC)2 Online Instructor-Led Training

(ISC)2 offers comprehensive certification exam prep for every type of learner. Whether you’re studying for the CISSP, CCSP, SSCP or another industry leading (ISC)2 certification, we have exam prep solutions to help you prepare with confidence. Many successful candidates move forward with Official (ISC)2 Online Instructor-Led Training, believing it delivers the best of both worlds – live expert instruction and online convenience for complete flexibility. And now this popular training is being offered at a new lower price. Perfect for distance learning, this hands-on training format offers the structure of real-time class in a virtual setting, with the option to... Read more →

Cyber Threats Are Spiking as Remote Worker Ranks Soar

The number of people working from home is skyrocketing as the COVID-19 pandemic forces companies to close offices and practice social distancing. The sudden explosion of makeshift home office environments is adding to the burden of already overtaxed cybersecurity workers, who now face the massive task of trying to protect a remote workforce against cyber threats. While cybersecurity professionals put in extra hours to handle the situation, the increasing ranks of remote workers are catching the attention of another group – cyber attackers. Cyber criminals are betting that many of these hastily outfitted work-from-home environments will not have the same... Read more →

2020 Global Achievement Awards Open for Nominations

Earlier this week, (ISC)2 announced that nominations are now being accepted for the 2020 (ISC)2 Global Achievement Awards. This awards program replaces the former (ISC)2 Awards Program, which had included the Information Security Leadership Awards (ISLA). The new program creates a unified, global platform for recognition of the most outstanding annual achievements in the field of cybersecurity. For years, (ISC)2 has honored and celebrated deserving cybersecurity professionals from around the world with its awards program, highlighting best practices and those who have gone above and beyond to inspire a safe and secure cyber world. The four categories now open for... Read more →

What is Cryptography?

By Javvad Malik, CISSP Can You Explain Encryption to Me? From: Thomas, Kevin Sent: 24 August 2019 10:43 To: Malik, Javvad Subject: Encryption Jav I’m updating the presentation pack for this months management meeting. Can you send me a short description of encryption so the SLT can better understand the solution. Kev From: Malik, Javvad Sent: 24 August 2019 11:03 To: Thomas, Kevin Subject: Encryption Hi Kevin, Encryption is the process of transforming information using an algorithm to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. The result of the process is... Read more →

Cybersecurity’s Top Needed Skill: Cloud Security

The cloud today has become what Forrester calls “a turbocharged engine powering digital transformation around the world.” Digital transformation is propelling worldwide cloud service market projected growth from $182.4B in 2018 to $331.2B in 2022. Yet the cybersecurity skills shortage threatens safe cloud adoption and cloud security is the number one technology area most impacted by the shortfall. Because of this, many cybersecurity experts are finding themselves pushed by their employers to expand their expertise to the cloud. That was certainly the case for Nanditha Rao, Information Security Senior Advisor and Olayinka “Olay” Ladeji, Senior Principal Program Manager, Cloud Operations.... Read more →

CISSP Engineering Concentration Exam Updates

Earlier in the year, we announced an upcoming update to the CISSP-ISSAP certification exam. Coming in November, the CISSP-ISSEP exam will also be updated. The CISSP-ISSEP is a concentration certification exam for those who already hold the CISSP. The concentration recognizes certification for those who have the keen ability to practically apply systems engineering principles and processes to develop secure systems. Those who hold it have the knowledge and skills to incorporate security into projects, applications, business processes and information systems. When the updated exam blueprint takes effect starting on November 13, 2020, the CISSP-ISSEP exam will be reduced from... Read more →

5 Security Tips for your AWS Account

By AJ Yawn, CISSP Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the industry-leading cloud service provider by any metric you can find doing a quick google search. The shared responsibility model is generally understood by individuals managing production workloads that are hosted on AWS and *most* auditors understand how this impacts a SOC 2 or other compliance assessment (if your auditor asks you about the physical security of an AWS data center, close your laptop, leave the conference room and run away really fast!). AWS has developed several services and features to help manage the security of an organizations’ AWS account and... Read more →

Free cyber resources for children during COVID-19

Hundreds of thousands of people have been asked to work for home with little information as to when things will be back to normal. Likewise, children are having to stay at home to avoid the spread of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Parents around the world are in the hunt for resources that can entertain and educate their children without breaking the bank or having to go outside. To help with this burden, the nonprofit Center for Cyber Safety and Education is offering, until the end of April, free access to its Garfield eLearning program. Children ages 6-12 will be able... Read more →

(ISC)2 Membership of More Than 150,000 is Helping to Close the Skills Gap

ISC)² continues to grow as it recently surpassed a milestone of 150,000 certified cybersecurity professionals in 175 countries. This is good news considering the data in the 2019 (ISC)2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study indicates that the cybersecurity workforce needs hire 4.07 million professionals globally to close the skills gap to better defend organizations. “We’re extremely proud of our association’s growth over the past 30 years to support the profession and reach this member milestone,” said David Shearer, CEO, (ISC)². “However, we can’t stop now. The cybersecurity workforce still needs to grow by 145% globally in order to close the widening skills... Read more →