(ISC)² Blog

So You’re Certified in Cybersecurity – Now what?

Congratulations to the more than 1,500 individuals who passed the (ISC)² Certified in Cybersecurity℠ during our pilot program. They are now on their path to full certification! If you’ve passed the Certified in Cybersecurity exam, our entry-level certification, you have proven to yourself, your peers and hiring managers that you have the strong problem-solving abilities, communication skills, strategic thinking skills and an eagerness to learn needed to be a successful cybersecurity professional, according to experts who participated in the (ISC)² Workforce Study. Once you pass the Certified in Cybersecurity exam and become a member of (ISC)², you have access to... Read more →

Enrollment Is Open for Free One Million Certified in Cybersecurity

(ISC)² is making a cybersecurity career more accessible. As part of our commitment to help close the cybersecurity workforce gap and diversify those working in the field, we are offering FREE (ISC)² Certified in Cybersecurity Online Self-Paced Training and exams to one million people worldwide. To qualify, individuals must enroll as an (ISC)² Candidate, for free, which entitles them to a wide array of exclusive programs and services to assist individuals starting a cybersecurity career, including free education and exams for the association’s new entry-level cybersecurity certification (ISC)² Certified in Cybersecurity. How to Enroll in One Million Certified in Cybersecurity... Read more →

Become an (ISC)² Candidate – No Exam, Experience or Fees Required

Today, (ISC)² launched a new initiative so that anyone can join our association as an (ISC)² Candidate. When you become an (ISC)² Candidate, you’ll gain access to many of the benefits and resources that (ISC)² certified members and Associates of (ISC)² enjoy – but with no exam, work experience, and, for a limited time, no fee required. Who should become an (ISC)² Candidate? We created (ISC)² Candidate for those interested in pursuing an (ISC)² certification or a career in cybersecurity. If you’re looking to join the cybersecurity workforce, this program is ideal for you! If you’ve been working in cybersecurity... Read more →

(ISC)² Certified in Cybersecurity Entry-Level Certification Officially Launches!

We are excited to announce that more than 1,500 individuals, who passed the exam during our pilot program, are now on their path to full certification with the (ISC)² Certified in Cybersecurity℠, our entry-level certification. These newly awarded certified cybersecurity professionals are unique in that they were the first candidates to participate in our pilot program, providing valuable insight and guidance as we launched this new certification. We thank these candidates for their patience and participation. They have proven they have the strong problem-solving abilities, communication skills, strategic thinking skills and an eagerness to learn needed to be successful cybersecurity... Read more →

New to Cybersecurity? Use These Career Hacks to Get a Foot in the Door

The need for cybersecurity professionals has been building for years, and nearly exponentially since the beginning of the global pandemic. At this point, it’s painfully evident there’s a wide talent gap in the field, and research proves it — the global workforce needs an influx of 2.7 million cybersecurity professionals to meet demand.1 In a recent survey of cybersecurity professionals, more than three-quarters said it’s “extremely or somewhat difficult to recruit and hire security professionals.”2 A majority (95%) said the cybersecurity skills shortage and its associated impacts have not improved over the past few years, and close of half (44%)... Read more →

SSCP Exam – Changes on the Way!

On November 1, several changes will be made to the SSCP exam. We are excited to share that the SSCP exam will be available in four more languages. Currently, the SSCP exam is available in English and Japanese, but come November it will also be available in Chinese, Korean, German and Spanish. In addition to these new languages, we will be updating the length of the SSCP exam. As announced earlier this year for both the CISSP exam and CCSP exam, 25 pre-test (unscored) items will be added. These items do not impact the pass/fail result of your exam, but... Read more →

(ISC)² and Others Commit to Closing the Cybersecurity Workforce Gap While at the White House

On July 19, National Cyber Director Chris Inglis hosted the National Cyber Workforce and Education Summit at the White House. The event focused on “improving skills-based pathways to cyber jobs, educating Americans” and finding solutions for bridging the cyber workforce gap. (ISC)² CEO Clar Rosso attended the summit and introduced the new (ISC)² initiative to pledge one million Certified in Cybersecurity as our global commitment to close the workforce gap and expand diversity in cyber. Attendees of the summit included government officials such as Ambassador Susan E. Rice, White House Domestic Policy Advisor; Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo; Secretary... Read more →

(ISC)² Pledges One Million Certified in Cybersecurity

At (ISC)² we are committed to positively impacting the cybersecurity industry in a big way. The board of directors and (ISC)² leadership is pleased to announce that we will provide free entry-level cybersecurity certification exams and self-paced educational program courses to one million new professionals starting a career in cybersecurity. The One Million Certified in Cybersecurity pledge is our global commitment that expands on the (ISC)² ‘100K in the UK’ initiative, which promised 100,000 free exams and course enrollments for U.K. residents earlier this year. (ISC)² CEO Clar Rosso attended the Cyber Workforce and Education Summit at the White House... Read more →

How I Prepared for the CISSP Exam

By Joseph Montes, CISSP In 2021, I decided to pursue the CISSP. I was looking for a certification that would help me to stand out and prove to myself and my peers that I know my field. I had experience in Unix, Irix, Linux, Windows, Networks, Servers, storage, project management, virtualization, telecommunications, terrestrial and submarine networks. I had some certifications and a master’s degree in Cyber Security. CISSP seemed like the most sensible progression in my career. STARTING MY JOURNEY TO CISSP Things started simple enough. I researched what I needed to know. I started looking at Reddit, Discord and... Read more →

CISSP Recognized as Top Cybersecurity Certification

The CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) certification got a few thumbs-up in a recent Dice article about whether cybersecurity jobseekers need certifications to land a position. Several cybersecurity professionals quoted in the article named the CISSP as a valuable certification. “I always recommend the Certified Information Systems Security Professional Cert (CISSP). For years, this has been the dominating certification in the cybersecurity industry. It is still a top-tier certification, and I would recommend it to anyone serious about a career in cybersecurity,” said Steve Tcherchian, Chief Product Officer at XYPRO. Magda Chelly, a cybersecurity author and researcher, cited the... Read more →

(ISC)² Concludes Online Proctored Exams Do Not Meet Exam Security Standards

Recognizing that potential barriers to certification globally are the time and resources some candidates must invest to travel to a test center, as well as ongoing health and safety concerns from the pandemic, (ISC)² began exploring online proctoring in 2021 for its cybersecurity certifications, including the renowned (ISC)² CISSP.  After two extensive pilot programs using the most stringent security protocols available, (ISC)² has concluded that online proctored exams do not satisfy its standards for security and integrity for exam administration.    During both pilot tests, (ISC)² and its leading exam delivery and security partners, documented widespread irregular exam results, clear violations... Read more →

Update on (ISC)² Entry-Level Cybersecurity Certification Pilot

More than 1,400 individuals have taken the new (ISC)² entry-level cybersecurity certification exam during the pilot phase which began in January 2022. Scheduling for the pilot is currently available through August 26 and anyone interested in sitting for the “no experience required” exam may do so through an authorized Pearson VUE test center. Before a certification exam becomes fully operational, the pilot tests undergo a rigorous process of exploration, research, and validation necessary to ensure the qualification meets its intended purpose. All exams administered during the pilot phase thus far are currently undergoing this review and analysis. When the pilot... Read more →

(ISC)² Entry-Level Cybersecurity Certification Pilot Exam Reaches 1,000 Exam Milestone

We are excited to announce that more than 1,000 cybersecurity career hopefuls have taken their first step toward launching their careers by taking the (ISC)² entry-level cybersecurity certification pilot exam. Once they earn the certification, they will demonstrate to employers they have the foundational knowledge, skills and abilities to succeed in entry- and junior-level roles. Since the program’s inception earlier this year, more than 1,000 people around the world have taken the exam and many have registered for the (ISC)² entry-level cybersecurity certification course with their exam still to come. With the global cybersecurity workforce needing to grow by 65%... Read more →

CCSP Exam – Many Changes on the Way!

On August 1, several changes will be made to the CCSP exam. We are excited to share that the CCSP exam will be available in four more languages. Currently, the CCSP exam is available in English and Japanese. We will also be offering the CCSP exam in Chinese, Korean, German and Spanish beginning in August. In addition to these new languages, we will be updating the length of the CCSP exam. As announced earlier this year for the CISSP exam, 25 pre-test (unscored) items will be added to the exams in all languages. These items do not impact the pass/fail... Read more →

Meet the Young Women Tackling Gender Bias in Cybersecurity

To celebrate Women’s History Month in March, four female security leaders met for a wide-ranging panel discussion on how they’ve broken through gender biases to forge their career paths, as well as what’s needed to help young women in the cybersecurity profession succeed. This (ISC)² Think Tank webinar is part of the organization’s multi-year commitment to DEI which includes a new DEI series featuring diverse voices and perspectives within cyber and aimed at helping to build a more inclusive cyber profession. The panel was moderated by Sharon Smith, CISSP, cybersecurity strategy and advisory consultant, and included: Ebony Stevens, (ISC)² Security... Read more →

How is the CISSP-ISSMP Exam Changing?

The CISSP-ISSMP exam will be changing on November 15, 2022. This exam is the most recent of the (ISC)² examinations to be updated as part of the Job Task Analysis (JTA) process. All (ISC)² certifications are updated on roughly a triennial basis following the JTA process. Current certification holders are surveyed on how often they use the knowledge, skills and abilities represented in the exam outline. Subject matter experts update the exam outline, and the exam itself, based on that feedback to ensure the CISSP-ISSMP exam reflects the most pertinent issues facing cybersecurity management professionals. These updates ensure that anyone... Read more →

Changes to the CISSP Exam Length Coming Soon

Beginning June 1, 2022, additional pretest items and time will be added to the CISSP exam for the Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) format. The current CISSP CAT exam contains 25 pretest (unscored) items. The addition of 25 more items will bring the total count to 50 pretest items. With these added items, the minimum and maximum number of items candidates will need to respond to during the exam will increase from 100-150 to 125-175. To allow for these additional items, the maximum exam administration time will increase from three to four hours. Pretest items enable (ISC)² to continue expanding our... Read more →

An Entry-Level Cybersecurity Certification: Why Every Employer Should Want Their Staff to Have One

The Need for Entry-level Cybersecurity Education Is Critical As any employer who has tried to fill a vacant cybersecurity position knows, finding qualified candidates is anything but easy. The cybersecurity workforce would have to expand by 65% to meet global demand, according to (ISC)²'s 2021 Cybersecurity Workforce Study. Employers, therefore, need to keep an open mind when filling those positions by considering candidates with less experience. Once on board, however, new hires can be brought up to speed through education and certification. Even with sparse experience, a cybersecurity professional should be able to demonstrate an acceptable level of proficiency in... Read more →

HOW TO TAKE THE CISSP EXAM ONLINE – REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Registration for the second (ISC)² online proctored CISSP exam pilot program is now open to candidates in the U.S., U.K. and Singapore. Built on results from the association’s first online proctored pilot test in 2021, this pilot program is designed to further assess the viability, and help determine the potential future availability, of online proctoring for (ISC)² certification examinations. The learnings from this pilot program will help us further augment our exam delivery capabilities, ensuring the experience is safe, secure and provides candidates with the best possible opportunity to demonstrate their competence, regardless of the examination delivery method. What’s New... Read more →

Online CISSP Exam Coming Soon

If you are a CISSP exam candidate interested in taking the exam online, please consider participating in our next online proctor pilot program. Our exams team began working with Pearson VUE to explore online testing solutions, and we were able to pilot online exams for the first time last year. Read more about the February 2021 online proctored exams results. (ISC)² announced this week that the next online CISSP proctor pilot test will open for registration on February 14. Seats for the online exams will be limited and will only include the CISSP CAT exam for candidates in the U.S.,... Read more →