(ISC)² Blog

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 →

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN CYBERSECURITY? AT JUST $125 THE NEW PILOT EXAM FOR THE (ISC)² ENTRY-LEVEL CERTIFICATION CAN CATAPULT THEIR CAREER FORWARD

In case you missed it, (ISC)² is piloting an entry-level cybersecurity certification exam to help students, young professionals and career changers interested in building a career in cybersecurity receive the education and validation they need on their way to a rewarding career. With a global cybersecurity skills shortage of more than 2.7 million people, this certification plays a critical role in expanding the available talent pool and quickly verifies candidates’ current skills, but more importantly their aptitude for learning on the job. No Experience Required (ISC)² recognizes and supports the growing trend of people entering the cybersecurity workforce without direct... Read more →

Register Today! By Popular Demand, More Entry-Level Cybersecurity Certification Pilot Exam Review Offerings Now Available

(ISC)² has added two additional offerings to our online instructor-led review sessions in support of the new entry-level cybersecurity certification pilot exam. Our recent offering sold out in record time, and these first come, first serve opportunities are expected to do the same. The five domains included in the pilot exam outline are: Security Principles Business Continuity (BC), Disaster Recovery (DR) & Incident Response Concepts Access Controls Concepts Network Security Security Operations The entry-level cybersecurity certification pilot program will play a leading role in expanding the global cybersecurity workforce, creating new career opportunities and qualification pathways for individuals, and helping... Read more →

THE STAKES HAVE NEVER BEEN HIGHER: HOW TO EXPAND THE CYBER WORKFORCE

A recent Forbes article pulled together a list of several cybersecurity stats that underpin the current state of the industry and threat landscape. The stats, which come from various private sector organizations, highlight the dire need for more cybersecurity professionals to keep up with adversarial threats. Some of the most alarming stats include: Cybercriminals can penetrate 93% of company networks (Positive Technologies) Businesses suffered 50% more cyberattack attempts per week in 2021 (CheckPoint Software) The threat of ransomware attacks, data breaches or significant IT outages worries companies even more than business and supply chain disruption, natural disasters or the COVID-19... Read more →

REGISTER TODAY FOR THE (ISC)² ENTRY-LEVEL CYBERSECURITY CERTIFICATION PILOT EXAM

One week to go until the first (ISC)² entry-level cybersecurity pilot exam! Interested individuals can register for the pilot exam online through Pearson VUE. (ISC)² created the forthcoming entry-level cybersecurity certification to establish a clear new pathway for the next generation of professionals to pursue a rewarding career in cybersecurity. The new entry-level cybersecurity certification was also created to establish a recognized, global measure for skills verification, giving hiring managers confidence that prospective employees for entry- and junior-level cybersecurity roles have the required foundational knowledge, skills and abilities, along with an aptitude for on-the-job learning. The certification will play a... Read more →

TIME TO HIT THE BOOKS! TRAINING COURSE IS AVAILABLE FOR CANDIDATES PREPARING FOR THE NEW (ISC)² ENTRY-LEVEL CYBERSECURITY CERTIFICATION PILOT EXAM

To help candidates prepare for the forthcoming entry-level cybersecurity certification pilot exam, (ISC)² released a new education program—a live or on-demand expert instruction on the fundamental cybersecurity concepts and five domains covered by the certification. The five domains included in the pilot exam outline are: Security Principles Business Continuity (BC), Disaster Recovery (DR) & Incident Response Concepts Access Controls Concepts Network Security Security Operations In preparation for taking the entry-level cybersecurity certification pilot exam, candidates can choose one of three live two-hour instructor-led review sessions taking place on January 25, 26 and 27. Each session will accommodate 40 students and... Read more →

No Excuses: Get Your (ISC)² Certification Done in 2022

The need is real. The shortage of cybersecurity talent presents a clear and present danger in virtually every corner of the globe as bad actors plot their next move. How wide is the gap? Recent research shows the cyber workforce must grow by 65 percent to adequately defend organizations’ critical assets.* No excuses — now is your time to commit to certification. Because a safe and secure cyber world can’t wait. (ISC)² is here to help, starting with your Exam Action Plan. Whether you’re pursuing CISSP, SSCP, CCSP, CAP, CSSLP, HCISPP or a CISSP Concentration, you’ll go into it prepared... Read more →

Help Shape The CSSLP Exam

(ISC)² regularly conducts Job Task Analysis (JTA) studies to review and update the content outline (or exam blueprint) of its credentialing examinations. A JTA is the methodical process used to determine tasks that are performed by credential holders and knowledge and skills required to perform those tasks successfully. Results of the JTA study link a candidate’s examination score directly to the domain knowledge being tested. A JTA Study Workshop for CSSLP has tentatively been scheduled in early February 2022. In preparation for the upcoming study, we would like to hear from our CSSLP members in good standing. Please comment on... Read more →

Decisions, Decisions and the Role of Authorization

Technology and cybersecurity cannot be thought of as the responsibility of a siloed IT department – it is the lifeblood of the organization. In day-to-day operations, as well as during moments of crisis, a company’s different functional areas must be able to collaborate and must know who to turn to for leadership. System authorization has been employed in government for over 20 years, and it is becoming recognized outside government for the promise it holds as a practical approach for identifying and documenting business requirements for security, for ensuring that cost-effective controls are functioning appropriately, and for ensuring that weaknesses... Read more →

The Other Type of Shadow IT

Virtual Shadowing Not Only Works – It’s the Way of the Future When cloud security specialists are onboarded, a period of adjustment and learning is required, regardless of their level of education and certification. No one knows the intricacies of their new employer until they’ve been there a while. But what happens when their new workplace has adopted a virtual or hybrid model, where shadowing entirely in person is impossible? The (ISC)² white paper, Cloud Adoption and the Skills Shortage, looks specifically at why a shortage of qualified specialists is proving to be one of the largest impediments to cloud... Read more →

The Cybersecurity Role as a Business Partner

If you were called into one of your executive’s offices and asked to explain the difference between Diffie-Hellman key exchange and RSA in non-technical terms, could you do it? As a security professional, that is probably not a problem. Even without too much effort, or math, you could easily help a non-technical person so that they would have a reasonable understanding of why these mathematical functions create the ability to securely conduct business on the internet. Now, if that same executive asked you to describe which one is recommended in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), or the California Consumer... Read more →

Cloud Security Complements Data Privacy

The data protection and privacy landscape is evolving and almost every country has now a privacy law or regulation that dictates how businesses should safeguard sensitive, personal data. Although these laws share many similarities with the EU GDPR, businesses migrating their employee or customers data to the cloud should consider the specific requirements of these laws before collecting, storing, and processing electronic data in the cloud. In addition to the privacy and security requirements, businesses should understand that although cloud security and privacy are distinct concepts, data privacy complements and strengthens existing data security in the cloud. With data locality... Read more →

Top Books to Prepare You for CISSP Exam

With an exam as prestigious at the CISSP, it is important to be well prepared. To ensure your path is on track CISSP books are your best assets to gain exam item knowledge and a complete understanding of the CBK and the eight domains covered in the CISSP exam. To help you select the best texts, we asked CISSPs what books helped them prepare for the exam. Top CISSP Books to Prepare for Exam Day The Official (ISC)² CISSP CBK Reference, 6th Edition by Arthur Deane and Aaron Kraus This is the authoritative common body of knowledge (CBK) from (ISC)2for... Read more →

CCSP vs. Microsoft Azure Certified Security Engineer Associate — How Does Vendor Focus Factor In?

Adoption and usage of the cloud is evolving to combine with technologies like artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, 5G and more, according to Sid Nag, Research Vice President at Gartner. “In other words,” he says, “cloud will serve as the glue between many other technologies that CIOs want to use more of, allowing them to leapfrog into the next century as they address more complex and emerging use cases.” With cloud roles expanding and so many certifications out there, which option offers cybersecurity experts the flexibility to grow with the coming waves of opportunity? Let’s compare two popular options,... Read more →

What is Relevant Work Experience for CISSP?

In order to become fully certified as a CISSP, you must not only pass a rigorous experiential exam, but meet the CISSP work experience requirements. CISSP candidates are required to have a minimum of five years of cumulative work experience in two or more of the eight domains of the CISSP CBK. There are a few paths to accumulate this time: Education You can satisfy one year of work experience with either a college degree or an approved certification. You can apply either of the below to meet one year of the requirement: A four-year college degree or regional equivalent... Read more →

CCSP vs. Google Cloud Certified-Professional Cloud Security Engineer: Which Shows Broader Mastery in Cloud Security?

A surge of organizations are moving their operations to the cloud for the benefits of improved efficiency, better scalability and faster deployment. But with the wave of migration to the cloud come more threats than ever before. The cloud is giving bad actors a more expansive set of targets, as well as new tools to conduct attacks, says Or Azarzar, Co-founder and CTO of Lightspin, in an article in Dark Reading. With so many risks for cyberattacks targeting the cloud, which certification demonstrates a broader understanding and skillset to protect cloud security? Let’s compare two cloud certs, (ISC)² Certified Cloud... Read more →

Bringing Cybersecurity to the Board (and Vice Versa)

The Role of the Board in Effective Risk Assessment The growing sophistication of cybercrime is making it a necessity for companies to discuss its challenges and defense methods regularly at the board level. The results of an attack may involve refusal of an insurance company to pay, the potential for class action lawsuits, infections that penetrate too deep into the IT system to be removed, and violation of data protection rules. Boards and directors must approach cybersecurity as an enterprise-wide risk management issue. They must embrace their organization’s cyber risk appetite and understand the types of internal and external threats... Read more →

Data Consistency Storage in the Cloud

In cloud computing environments, files are not stored in a hierarchical way. Most cloud architectures use a combination of splitting data vertically, horizontally and replication to improve response times, scalability, availability and fault tolerance. This is called object storage. Objects are accessible through APIs or through a web interface. Object storage introduces new challenges related to data consistency, which are not present in relational databases. One of the more fundamental decisions cloud professionals need to make is whether they will choose eventual consistency for data in corporate systems or strong consistency. Selecting a data consistency model is a decision that... Read more →

A Safe and Secure Way to Decommission

When it comes time to decommission data storage systems, there is much that must be planned and thoroughly carried out. It’s not just about the activity, it is also about due diligence, oversight, and proof. Data that appears to have been deleted is often still recoverable, and in many cases, people make mistakes, such as forgetting a second backup exists somewhere else, or forgetting to verify that a destruction has been successfully and completely deployed. Human errors like this are referred to as unintentional insider threats, since they lead to the potential of data theft, litigation, and penalties. It is... Read more →

How to Prepare for CISSP Exam Day

By deciding to take the CISSP exam, you’ve chosen to further your education and showcase your knowledge and experience by achieving the world’s premier cybersecurity certification. Soon, you will join the ranks of more than 147,000 global leaders committed to a safe and secure cyber world. Make a Timeline As you prep for your CISSP exam, first consider your experience level and determine a timeline that fits for your current workload and lifestyle. The amount of time you need to dedicate to studying can vary based on your experience. Do you have questions about creating a CISSP study plan? Learn... Read more →