(ISC)² Blog

Do You Have These Top Cyber Security Skills?

An interesting take-away from the (ISC)2 Cybersecurity Career Pursuers Study is what cybersecurity professionals told us were the most important technical skills for those looking for their first cybersecurity job. When current jobholders were asked to rate the most important technical skills for aspiring cybersecurity professionals, there was little differentiation among the 20 technical concepts they were asked to rate. Cyber Security Technical Skill or Concept Rating (1 – 5) Cloud Security 4.46 Malware Analysis 4.44 Data Analysis 4.42 Threat Assessment 4.42 Intrusion Detection 4.42 Risk Assessment/Management 4.37 Encryption 4.37 Secure Software Development 4.37 Networking 4.34 Database 4.32 Penetration Testing... Read more →

CISSPs from Around the Globe: An Interview with Jason Lau

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 diversity, (ISC)² has launched a series of interviews to explore where CISSP certification has led security professionals. Last time we heard from Mari Aoba and her experiences with CISSP. This installment features Jason Lau, CISO for Crypto.com and an official member and contributor... Read more →

Report: (ISC)2 Cybersecurity Career Pursuers Study Provides Insights From Professionals and Jobseekers to Highlight What Security Jobs Actually Entail

Organizations looking to build cybersecurity teams by attempting to recruit “all stars” need to reevaluate their strategy and adjust expectations. With the current cybersecurity workforce gap estimated at 3.1 million worldwide, it is too daunting – or for many, nearly impossible – to find candidates with all the skills and experience that organizations often seek. The (ISC)2 Cybersecurity Career Pursuers Study delivers guidance on how to find strong candidates despite the scarcity of available talent. The report suggests organizations take a pragmatic approach to recruitment by zeroing in on qualities such as analytical thinking, problem solving and creativity, which foreshadow... Read more →

Cyber Threats: The Financial System’s Top Risk

With cyber attacks against financial and banking institutions now a daily occurrence, cyber threats have become the biggest risk to the global financial system, according to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. During an interview on CBS News’ 60 Minutes, Powell said cyber risks surpass even the types of lending and liquidity risks that led to the Great Recession in 2008. The chances of a financial collapse akin to 2008 are “very low,” he said. “But the world changes, the world evolves, and the risks change as well. The risk we keep our eyes on the most is cyber risk.” If... Read more →

(ISC)2 and the Creation of the U.K. Cyber Security Council

Since the first seed was sown back in 2016, work has been underway to create an independent body to support growth and professionalism within the U.K.’s cybersecurity education, training and skills activities. Now, that body has come into being in the form of the U.K. Cyber Security Council. (ISC)² staff and members have been involved in this project since 2018 and have been diligently working alongside volunteers from other organizations on the Council Formation Project, which concludes today following more than 18 months of work. What does this mean for members, associates or those yet to begin their cybersecurity career... Read more →

Women Leaders Offer Tips For Building a Cybersecurity Career

On March 8, 2021, in celebration of International Women’s Day, five accomplished female security professionals met for a wide-ranging and spirited panel discussion on how to encourage more women to join the cybersecurity field, and provided highlights from their own journeys in the profession. The panel was moderated by Sharon Smith, CISSP, cybersecurity strategy and advisory consultant, and included the following security industry leaders: Clar Rosso, CEO, (ISC)² Aanchal Gupta, CISSP, vice president of Azure Security, Microsoft Lori Ross O’Neil, CISSP, senior ICS cyber security researcher & project manager, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, vice chairperson, (ISC)² Board of Directors Megan... Read more →

How Cloud Security Certification Can Give Your Career a Buzz

Organizations in all industries and sectors are becoming less confident in their cloud security posture because of the complexity involved with multiple cloud environments and the expanded threat landscape. As a result, they seek accredited cloud security professionals to address these challenges. The (ISC)2 2020 Cybersecurity Workforce Study indicates 40% of industry professionals plan to pursue cloud security training within the next 2 years. Are you among them? Explore how cloud security training and certification can give your career a buzz – and arm you for an intergalactic emergency. Read the Blog Read more →

Cybersecurity Predictions for 2021 from the (ISC)² Community of Security Professionals (Part 3)

By Diana-Lynn Contesti, CISSP-ISSAP, ISSMP, CSSLP, SSCP John Martin, CISSP-ISSAP, CISM Richard Nealon, CISSP-ISSMP, SSCP, SCF In part one of this blog, we discussed privacy, remote access aka work from home (WFH), insider threats, data leakage, zero trust architecture (ZTA) and security architecture. In part two of the blog, we discussed Edge Computing, 5G, IoMT/IoT, AI, and ransomware. Now into the third month of 2021, we foresee issues related to supply chain (both consumer goods and security vendors), digital transformation and digital health vaccine passports Supply Chain (Consumer Products) As 2020 progressed along with the COVID-19 pandemic, we began to... Read more →

6 Tips to Integrate Security into Agile Application Development

The fast and innovative nature of modern business requires enterprises to become competitive and disrupt their markets. The best way to do that is to incorporate agile methodologies into operational processes. Software development is a business function transformed by agile methodologies. Agile Software Development Benefits Businesses Agile software development is the method of developing high-quality software solutions, web applications and mobile applications, where the requirements and implementations evolve through the collaborative effort of cross-functional teams and their customers. Agile software development focuses on continuous software delivery and requires change even in late development stages. Businesses benefit from agile software development... Read more →

Celebrating Women in Cybersecurity and Committing to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Today is International Women’s Day and what better way to celebrate it than with a glimpse into the careers of four successful women in cybersecurity. At 11 a.m. ET, (ISC)2 will host “Celebrating International Women’s Day: Carving a Cybersecurity Career Path.” This group of accomplished security professionals will come together to discuss why women should be interested in joining the cybersecurity field and ways to encourage this. They will also share highlights in their own journeys in the profession that led them to the leadership positions they now hold. You can attend the event live or watch the replay by... Read more →

CISSPs from Around the Globe: An Interview with Chris Clinton

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 heard from Melissa Parsons. This installment features Chris Clinton. He is CTO and co-founder of Naq Cyber, he is an advocate of helping small... Read more →

Survey Says: CISSP and CCSP Among the Most In Demand IT Certifications of 2021

The (ISC)² CISSP and CCSP certifications have recently racked up more recognition from global staffing firm Robert Half. The company’s 2021 Technology Salary Guide looked at the trends and skills impacting technology professionals, as well as the most in-demand IT certifications today. The (ISC)² programs were two of the top 15 in demand certifications highlighted in a CRN story on the topic. Why Are CISSP and CCSP So In Demand? The COVID-19 pandemic shined an even brighter spotlight on the global cybersecurity workforce shortage. While the industry is making strides to fill the talent gap, the pandemic placed greater emphasis... Read more →

The Future of Cybersecurity in Higher Education: Four Possible Scenarios

A new report by the higher education technology association EDUCAUSE imagines four possible future scenarios of cybersecurity trends in colleges and universities. The report takes into account technology, environmental, economic and political trends to develop the scenarios, while also acknowledging evolving cybersecurity practices and data governance and privacy trends. The goal of EDUCAUSE’s “Horizon Report” is to provide information and analysis to help higher education institutions “learn, plan, and act on all that is influencing higher education information security, now and in the future.” At the same time, the report acknowledges that planning for the future is an inexact science.... Read more →

Global Achievement Awards - What's new in 2021?

Nominations are now open for the (ISC)² Global Achievement Awards. These awards recognize individuals whose excellence, leadership and volunteer efforts have significantly advanced the cybersecurity industry and contributed to the vision of inspiring a safe and secure cyber world. Most awards are open to both (ISC)² members and non-members, though self-nomination is not permitted. Individual awards for cybersecurity professionals throughout their career include: (ISC)² Government Professional Award (ISC)² Rising Star Professional Award (ISC)² Mid-Career Award (ISC)² Senior Professional Award Additionally, the following awards which were previously selected exclusively by the (ISC)² Board of Directors are now open to nominations from... Read more →

Technology and the New Frontier of the Healthcare Industry (The Internet of Medical Things)

The New Face of Healthcare Healthcare is currently undergoing a digital transformation that rivals the development of autonomous vehicles in the automobile industry. In fact, there are connections between improved healthcare and autonomous vehicle development. Digital transformation is a buzzword that evokes many grand ideas. In healthcare, one article succinctly articulated it: “Digital transformation in healthcare is the positive impact of technology in healthcare”. Some of the positive outcomes of digital transformation in healthcare include the rise of telemedicine, the development of internet-enabled medical devices, and medical practice and education via virtual reality technology. These developments are enhanced by the... Read more →

How Do I Advance My Career in the Cybersecurity Field?

By Mike Privette, CISSP A question I often get asked is, "How do I advance my career in the cybersecurity field?" tl;dr: Figure out for yourself what "advancement" means (i.e., more money, better title, more challenging problems to solve, etc.) Market yourself and ask others for help to achieve what you want Build a brand an audience around #1 and #2 About Me I've spent more than 15 years operating in, building, and leading cybersecurity programs at several Fortune 500 companies in the Financial Services industry. I'm also the Founder & Managing Principal of Fraction Consulting, where I get to... Read more →

Cybersecurity Predictions for 2021 from the (ISC)² Community of Security Professionals (Part 2)

By Diana-Lynn Contesti, CISSP-ISSAP, ISSMP, CSSLP, SSCP John Martin, CISSP-ISSAP, CISM Richard Nealon, CISSP-ISSMP, SSCP, SCF In part one of this blog series, we discussed privacy, remote access (aka Work from Home), insider threats, data leakage, Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) and security architecture. To continue this discussion, we believe that 2021 will still see folks working from home; thus, the risks due to insider threats and data leakage will continue to grow. However, we believe that there are other concerns for information security professionals, including edge computing, 5G, IoMT/IoT, AI and ransomware. Edge Computing Edge Computing is a distributed computing... Read more →

How Small Businesses and Big Enterprises Structure Their Cybersecurity Teams

When it comes to cybersecurity, bigger may not always be the best indicator of effectiveness. (ISC)2 research reveals organizations of all sizes have similar strategies when it comes to structuring their cybersecurity teams. Set aside bigger technology budgets for a moment and focus on people; Look at how small and midsized businesses (SMBs), and enterprises align their cybersecurity talent by functional roles within their organizations. What you’ll find are striking similarities. These findings – based on the (ISC)2 2020 Cybersecurity Workforce Study – suggest size has little bearing on how organizations structure their cybersecurity operations. Furthermore, study participants by and... Read more →

Using a Crisis Wisely

Upskilling in times of uncertainty and change is a prudent career decision By Tony Vizza, CISSP, CCSP The saying “everything happens for a reason” is often invoked as a message of support during times of hardship or adversity. While it may be difficult to apply to a crisis on the scale and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the resiliency that we as individuals develop during such difficult times can make us stronger and better prepared for whatever comes next. A crisis comes with danger, but it also comes with opportunities. While the tourism, travel and retail sectors have been devastated... Read more →

Employment for Security Analysts to Grow 31% by 2029

Demand for cybersecurity professionals will stay strong through the remainder of the decade, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics. In the 10-year period between 2019 and 2029, employment of information security analysts will grow by 31%, according to the bureau’s Occupational Outlook Handbook. The projected growth rate is more than seven times higher than the national job growth average of 4%, and roughly three times that of the 11% projected growth in IT-related occupations. The reason for the high growth rate for information security analysts is no secret to anyone in the industry. As the bureau notes: “Cyberattacks have... Read more →