(ISC)² Blog

Looking for Resources on Privacy? You’ve Come to the Right Place

Happy Data Privacy Day! The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) designates January 28 as a day to empower individuals and encourage businesses around the world to respect privacy, safeguard data and enable trust. In honor of the effort to inspire dialogue and empower learning about how personal information is used, collected and shared in our digital society, following is a list of helpful (ISC)2 resources and activities focused on privacy best practices. Professional Development Institute courses The PDI is a portfolio of more than 40 continuing cybersecurity education courses that is free to (ISC)2 members. Among the wide array of... Read more →

Biden Administration Seeks $9 Billion for Emergency Cybersecurity Improvements

The new President’s administration is asking Congress to allocate U.S. $9 billion in emergency funds to fortify the federal IT and cybersecurity infrastructure. Although cybersecurity didn’t get much attention during the presidential campaign, the move indicates that protecting federal systems from cyber attacks is a key priority and focus area for the new administration. The spending proposal is part of a COVID-19 response package proposed by the Biden administration. The sense of urgency to strengthen cybersecurity stems from a massive data breach in December 2020, which affected a number of federal agencies, including the U.S. Treasury Department and U.S. Department... Read more →

Evolution vs. Extinction

What cybersecurity professionals could learn from nature to build a more resilient career By Catherine Kozak Minuscule fruit flies have been doing their thing for 40 million years, somehow managing for millennia in southern Africa on a diet of marula fruit. After a fateful meetup about 10,000 years ago with multiple-fruit-loving humans, the insect promptly started evolving to the non-fussy generalist we know today. “Their offspring then colonized the world,” Marcus Stensmyr, senior lecturer at Lund University in Sweden, says in a 2018 news statement about his research. “It’s actually quite awesome.” Although the humble fruit fly may not be... Read more →

(ISC)² Cybersecurity Webinars Available On-Demand on BrightTalk

Going forward, all (ISC)² webinars, recorded and live, will be available on the BrightTALK platform. All recorded Solutions Summits from 2020 have moved from BlueSky to BrightTALK. This consolidation will provide a seamless viewing experience for you on one platform and with one login. Members who are logged in will automatically receive CPE credits when viewing live or recorded webinars. Free Cybersecurity Webinars. Earn CPE Credits. Solutions Summits are typically three-part webinar series which provide three CPE credits. Check out these archived Solutions Summits from 2020: Top Cybersecurity Threats Every Online Business Should Know Online businesses are particularly vulnerable to... Read more →

How Access Control and Network Segmentation Can Protect Your Assets

Businesses are increasingly dependent on emerging technology and reaping its benefits to provide better quality of services, change the way they collaborate and interact with employees and customers. Corporate data is being moved to multi-cloud environments, while the adoption of containers helps the fast and agile development of applications. IoT devices and sensors provide businesses with an abundance of data useful for timely and accurate decision making. An Expanding Threat Landscape However, businesses are not the only ones taking advantage of this technology. Criminals, as well, are following suit. According to the Verizon DBIR 2020 report, cloud assets were involved... Read more →

Survey: CISSP Is the Most Valuable Security Certification for 2021

The (ISC)2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification has won top marks from a 90,000-member LinkedIn community of cybersecurity professionals. The group selected the certification as the most valuable from a list of 50 leading cybersecurity industry certifications and courses. The Information Security Careers Network (ISCN) asked the LinkedIn community, which is composed of ISCN members, to rate their top certifications in order to compile a list of the top 10 most desirable certifications for 2021. The list included certifications from other associations and vendors, as well as the (ISC)2 Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP). Why is the CISSP... Read more →

Is Your Security Team Cloud Ready?

Cloud services play a key role in the digital transformation and operation of today’s enterprises. Yet security teams are often left out of planning these initiatives, increasing the level of risk organizations will face. Security is an integral part of adopting cloud services, without being a barrier to innovation. More and more enterprises are migrating their data and applications to the cloud. The variations in implementations and environments create a level of complexity for IT security teams to monitor cloud services while keeping them secure. Is your internal team poised to shape secure cloud strategy and innovation? If it isn’t,... Read more →

Cybersecurity Workforce Study: Certifications Boost Salaries by an Average of $18,000

Almost two thirds of cybersecurity professionals (63%) currently are pursuing, or planning to pursue, security-related certifications, according to the (ISC)² 2020 Cybersecurity Workforce Study. Certifications deliver multiple benefits, including increased earning power and better career opportunities. The study found that security certifications on average boost salaries by $18,000, from an average of $67,000 to $85,000. That alone is a significant motivator, although cybersecurity professionals typically don’t limit their choice of employment to earning potential alone. They tend to value attributes such as career advancement opportunities and work/life balance as much or more. Of course, certifications are about more than boosting... Read more →

CISSP Online Exam? Explaining the (ISC)² Pilot Test

Earlier this week, (ISC)² announced the opening of registration for a limited number of online examinations as part of a pilot test for online proctoring. Prior to this pilot test, (ISC)² exams have only been available at Pearson VUE test centers, but during the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic forced test centers to close. While most test centers are now open, and health and safety measures are in place for test-takers, we have taken the first step in exploring the possibility of future online exams for CISSP and other (ISC)² certifications. During select dates in February, we will be running... Read more →

Report: Impact of COVID-19 on Enterprise IT Security Teams

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected enterprise IT security organizations around the world? And how are they rethinking their priorities and investments as a result? Find answers and insights inside CyberEdge Group’s Impact of COVID-19 on Enterprise IT Security Teams Report, sponsored by (ISC)². This comprehensive survey of 600 cybersecurity professionals representing 7 countries and 19 industries reveals an in-depth study of how COVID-19 has altered enterprises and how they are responding. The research shows: A 114% increase in remote workers during the pandemic 67% of responding organizations are experiencing IT security staffing challenges 75% claim COVID-19 has increased their... Read more →

(ISC)² Supports DOE Competition to Train the Next Generation of Cybersecurity Leaders

The cybersecurity workforce gap of 3.1 million cannot be filled overnight; however, working with schools and encouraging younger generations to join the field will help in improving this number. (ISC)² is proud to support efforts that encourage the growth of the industry, including the U.S. Department of Energy’s CyberForce CompetitionTM. Students participating in 2019 CyberForce Competition. The CyberForce Competition is a realistic cyber defense competition providing a hands-on approach to understanding threats, vulnerabilities and consequences. Participants use interactive, scenario-based events where they solve problems using methods, practices, strategies, policies and ethics. Through the CyberForce Competition, the DOE has worked to... Read more →

(ISC)² Is Pilot Testing Online Exam Proctoring for CISSP and Other Cybersecurity Certifications

(ISC)² announced today that it will offer an online proctoring pilot test for its entire portfolio of cybersecurity certifications, including the renowned CISSP. Administered exclusively through Pearson VUE, this pilot program will assess the viability and future availability of online proctoring for (ISC)² certification examinations. According to Dr. Casey Marks, chief product officer and vice president: “In the wake of COVID-19, (ISC)² has spent considerable time and effort to ensure the integrity of our exam process while taking into consideration that many candidates are facing extraordinary uncertainty and restrictions due to the pandemic. Our pilot test program will enable us... Read more →

New Year’s Resolution: Write for the (ISC)² Blog

With 2020 being a year unlike anyone expected, setting your resolutions and goals for 2021 can be a bit of a daunting task. Usually, we resolve to travel more, or spend more time with friends and family in the new year, but as we continue to navigate this global pandemic, it can be a bit difficult to know what we can achieve during our “now normal” (not a typo!). As a cybersecurity professional, though, one thing is certain for 2021 – you will need to dedicate time beyond your working hours to the field. Not just for CPE requirements as... Read more →

CISSPs from Around the Globe: An Interview with Angus Macrae

The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification is considered to be the gold standard in information security. This is so because of all the doors that certification opens to a CISSP professional. Those doors lead to many different types of positions and opportunities, thus making the information security community dynamic and multifaceted. In support of this, (ISC)² has launched a series of interviews to explore where CISSP certification has led security professionals. Last time we met Jerome Leach and discovered his experience with the CISSP certification. This installment features Angus Macrae. He is Head of Cyber Security at King’s... Read more →