(ISC)² Blog

Insufficient Staffing Hindering States’ Cybersecurity Efforts

Inadequate cybersecurity staffing is the second-largest barrier faced by state governments in their attempts to overcome cybersecurity challenges, according to a newly released Deloitte study. Insufficient budget was the biggest barrier reported, and interestingly, the lack of availability of cybersecurity professionals was cited as the fifth largest barrier. Inadequate staffing has been a prevalent issue for years. (ISC)2’s 2019 Cybersecurity Workforce Study estimates the shortage of needed skilled professionals is more than 4 million worldwide. This creates challenges for CISOs as they focus on protecting their organizations. The Deloitte study, which is based on responses from 51 U.S. states and... Read more →

CISSP Exam Retake Policy Change

Beginning on October 24, 2020 there is an update to the (ISC)² exam retake policy which applies to the CISSP, as well as all other (ISC)² exams. For each of the CISSP, CAP, CCSP, CSSLP, HCISPP, CISSP-ISSAP, CISSP-ISSEP, CISSP-ISSMP and SSCP certification examinations, there are two independent rules that govern exam retake attempts. If you don’t pass the exam on your first attempt, you may retest after 30 test-free days. If you don’t pass the exam on your second attempt, you may retest after 60 test-free days from your most recent exam attempt. And finally, if you don’t pass the... Read more →

Share Your Expertise – Help Develop (ISC)² Exams

(ISC)² regularly updates all exams to ensure that our certifications remain current and relevant in a rapidly changing profession. We can’t do that without you, the members who have earned the certifications. Throughout the year, we hold examination development workshops to update and refresh exam content. Currently, these workshops are virtual, usually last 2-3 days and are eligible for as many as 21 CPE credits. We are particularly in need of members to help us with the following certifications: CISSP-ISSAP CISSP-ISSEP CISSP-ISSMP CAP CSSLP HCISPP SSCP You must hold the certification in question in order to participate in the workshop... Read more →

The Need For Eyes Everywhere – Asset Security

A Playing Field Without Any Boundaries Have you ever been assigned the task of asset security in an organization? At first glance, asset security seems pretty simple, almost boring. After all, what’s the big deal tracking some laptops and mobile phones. However, once you dive into the details of what an asset is, you may quickly find yourself with the feeling that the entire earth has become overtaken by quicksand. The asset security responsibilities of an information security professional can be so vast, as to leave one feeling that they have no firm footing. Assets are anything that imparts value... Read more →

How to Get the Experience You Need to Pursue SSCP Certification

By David Bisson All IT professionals who want a lucrative career should consider expanding their skill set to include security. Now is an opportune time to do so, because security is continuing to grow in importance for businesses and organizations. As noted in “Why Add Security to Your Skill Set and How to Do It,” about 44% of corporate boards participate in their organization’s digital security strategy. An even greater proportion (58%) receive security briefings on at least a quarterly basis. Boards are paying greater attention to security so that they can help keep their organizations out of the headlines.... Read more →

The Digital Future Needs Cybersecurity Leaders

We’re sure you have heard this before: the rate of technological change is accelerating. It is unpredictable and unprecedented. As the World Economic Forum acknowledges, the fourth industrial revolution brings “developments in previously disjointed fields such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing and genetics and biotechnology [that] are all building on and amplifying one another.” This unprecedented disruption of society by technology introduces many changes in the workforce as well. In the words of the World Economic Forum “more than a third of the desired core skill sets of most occupations will be comprised of skills... Read more →

Why Does the CISSP Exam Change?

Updating the CISSP exam – and all (ISC)² exams for that matter – is a vital part of the certification lifecycle. It ensures that our certifications remain current and relevant in a rapidly changing profession. This, along with our CPE requirements, helps ensure that CISSPs demonstrate their expertise across the latest cybersecurity processes and best practices no matter when they earned their certification. The administration and rigorous controls to manage the entire lifecycle of our certification exams within (ISC)² are considerable. We have a teams of content developers all holding CISSPs, psychometricians and an array of leading partners to methodically... Read more →

Greetings From The New (ISC)2 CEO

Dear (ISC)² Members and Associates: I hope you, your families and your colleagues are well. Back in August, (ISC)² Board of Directors Chairperson Dr. Kevin Charest, CISSP, shared the news with you that I was selected as our association’s new CEO. I am honored by this opportunity. I stand in admiration of the enormity of the responsibility each of you have every day to secure organizations around the world, and I am excited about what we will accomplish together. I have spent the majority of my career helping professional associations deliver on their value-promise to members. I look forward to... Read more →

The Human Element of Zero Trust

One weak link in a chain is all that’s needed to topple a cyberdefense. Sometimes this comes down to an errant line of code in a hastily developed API, inadequate penetration testing, or old, unpatched, exploitable code hidden deep within a legacy system. But more often than not, it’s because of the actions of an individual – a single person who clicks on a malware payload within a phishing email, or who allows someone to physically access a workplace unchallenged, or whose work-from-home office features a Wi-Fi router that was never properly secured. Effective cybersecurity demands a zero trust platform.... Read more →

(ISC)² Board of Directors Election Results

Last month, (ISC)² held its annual election for new members to join its Board of Directors. Four candidates won and have accepted seats on the board effective January 1, 2021. The new board members will be: Eiji Kuwana, CISSP (Japan) Samara Moore, CISSP (United States) Jill Slay, CISSP (Australia) Lisa Young, CISSP (United States) The 13-member board is comprised of (ISC)² members – all volunteers – who provide strategy, governance and oversight for the organization, grant certifications to qualifying candidates and enforce adherence to the (ISC)² Code of Ethics. The newly elected board members will join the ranks of other... Read more →

Not All Life Savers Wear White Coats

by Anastasios Arampatzis During the COVID-19 public health crisis, cyber criminals took advantage of people’s growing need for information about the pandemic to launch an increased number of attacks against healthcare providers. The exponential growth of these cyberattacks is posing a considerable threat to civil society, government institutions, and most particularly, the healthcare sector. Despite a wake-up call following the WannaCry crisis, healthcare cybersecurity still lags. As a result, in this time of emergency, cyberattacks may not only have an economic and reputational cost, they may also have an impact on human life. To help healthcare organizations focus on the... Read more →