(ISC)² Blog

Meet Roela Santos, Honoree of the 2021 (ISC)² Julie Peeler Franz "Do It for The Children" Volunteer Award

The Center for Cyber Safety and Education Julie Peeler Franz "Do It for The Children" Volunteer Award recognizes an individual who has significantly contributed to the betterment of internet safety. This year's distinction is awarded to Roela Santos of BAE Systems, Inc. for her long-time support of Center programs and leadership in developing the Raytheon, Engility, and SAIC cybersecurity scholarships, which have awarded $424,000 to 56 students over the past six years. Santos is the Vice President of Communications at BAE Systems, a global leader in defense technology and systems integration for the U.S. government and one of the world’s... 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 →

The Center wants to send you to college. Interested?

Are you pursing a degree (or another) in cyber or information security? Know someone who is? The Center for Cyber Safety and Education can help! The high demand for skilled cybersecurity experts and lack of qualified candidates equals a world of opportunity for students and those looking to change careers. The Center for Cyber Safety and Education is excited to kick off our biggest scholarship year in our 10-year history! Thanks to partners like (ISC)², SAIC, Raytheon and KnowBe4, we will be awarding in 2021 a record $235,000 in financial aid to some 70 students from around the world. Who... Read more →

Virtual Engagement Activities at #ISC2Congress

Like most things this year, (ISC)² Security Congress looks a little different. This year’s virtual event might not have you gathering with thousands of colleagues in Orlando, but you can still enjoy many of the fun activities we’ve offered over the years. Be sure to log into https://securitycongress.brighttalk.live/networking-engagement/ using your BrightTALK credentials. Escape Room A crowd pleaser at past Security Congress conferences, Living Security is back this year with their Virtual CyberEscape Room. Play online with colleagues in this team-based, engaging and FUN exercise. Sign your team up. Panoply Another Security Congress classic is the Panoply competition. This network assessment... Read more →

Virtual Networking Lounges and Engagement Activities at #ISC2Congress

One of the biggest draws to (ISC)² Security Congress is networking and engaging with other experts in the cybersecurity industry. Despite the lack of gathering together in-person, #ISC2Congress 2020 will not be lacking in the opportunities for connecting with others, learning best practices and providing career enhancement in five networking lounges throughout the conference. With more than 4,500 attendees registered, there is something for everyone at all career levels. Each of the five topic-specific lounges will allow attendees to participate in a discussion forum, access resources, view presentations, ask questions and even earn CPEs for attending. Attendees and Members Lounge... Read more →

Garfield for Virtual Classrooms

The nonprofit Center for Cyber Safety and Education (Center) launched a new “Garfield Virtual” internet safety program for distance learning. “Schools worldwide are choosing to continue their classes online. This poses two challenges: looking for quality online educational programs and teaching vital internet safety to students. Garfield for virtual classrooms does both,” says Patrick Craven, Director of the Center. Garfield Virtual allows teachers to introduce digital citizenship education in a fun and engaging environment without having to acquire additional software. The program is based on the Center’s printed award-winning Garfield’s Cyber Safety Adventures Educator Kit targeting children ages 6 to... Read more →

Stop Worrying About Your Child's Online Safety, Let Garfield Do the Work

Contributed by The Center for Cyber Safety and Education As a parent, keeping up with the latest online trends can be exhausting. One week your kids are “Snapping” with friends and the next they are trying to create viral videos on TikTok. That’s why at the nonprofit, Center for Cyber Safety and Education, we focused on giving you tools to teach safe habits rather than a rundown of the latest trending apps. At the Center, we know you are the kind of parent who wants to keep your child safe and secure online. But first, you need access to efficient... Read more →

Free cyber resources for children during COVID-19

Hundreds of thousands of people have been asked to work for home with little information as to when things will be back to normal. Likewise, children are having to stay at home to avoid the spread of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Parents around the world are in the hunt for resources that can entertain and educate their children without breaking the bank or having to go outside. To help with this burden, the nonprofit Center for Cyber Safety and Education is offering, until the end of April, free access to its Garfield eLearning program. Children ages 6-12 will be able... Read more →

Positively Impacting the Next Generation with Cyber Safety Day

As use of the internet becomes more acceptable in schools and expected at younger ages, cyber safety education is a necessity. While tablets, computers and smart devices are the norm at home and school for children, many students are not taught about the potential dangers faced while using technology. Shockingly, 40% of students in fourth through eighth grades have chatted with a stranger online, of those, 53% gave out their phone number to the stranger and 11% met with a stranger according to Children’s Internet Usage Study. Statistics like these are the impetus behind the mission of the Center for... Read more →

In Case You Missed It: Recapping Security Congress 2019

Security Congress 2019 was our largest and most in-depth cybersecurity education conference to date. Held over the course of three days in October, the event was jam-packed with more than 180 sessions (covering 18 tracks), over 200 speakers and headline-worthy keynote speakers. There was a 32% increase in overall registration from the previous year and 58% of all attendees were attending (ISC)2 Security Congress for the very first time. Attendees from more than 50 different countries came together to network and learn from their colleagues in the cybersecurity field. In addition to learning about such topics as Cloud Security, Cyber... Read more →

What Are You Doing for Cybersecurity Awareness Month?

As published in the July/August edition of InfoSecurity Professional Magazine By Pat Craven, Director of the Center for Cyber Safety and Education As cybersecurity and cyber safety continue to become a growing global conversation, there are an increasing number of themed days and events to help promote the industry and highlight the need to educate people on how to be safe online. One of the biggest promotions of the year is Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October. October is a busy time of year for your Center for Cyber Safety and Education. We plan all year for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and... Read more →

Center Day at Congress

(ISC)²’s biggest and best Security Congress yet – with three days of more than 175 sessions and 200 speakers – kicks off in less than three months! Act now - Early Bird registration is still open and workshops and pre-conference trainings are filling up. This year’s conference will be held at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort and will feature workshops, career resources, awards, an escape room and so much more. Our Center for Cyber Safety and Education will once again host its annual volunteer orientation and other special programming. Find out what Center Day at (ISC)² Security... Read more →

Beware of Scams this Holiday Season

By Tony Vizza, CISSP, (ISC)² Director of Cybersecurity Advocacy, APAC Over the past few weeks, I have noticed a marked increase in the number of phishing attempts, both using cyber based methods as well as traditional methods such as phone calls, text messages and even postal service scams. Scammers rely on psychological trigger points to succeed. December, in particular, is a stressful time for many people. Boozy Christmas parties, buying presents for your family (and finding something your partner will like), planning the holiday getaway with the kids and of course wrapping up end-of-quarter and end-of-year and you have a... Read more →

Thank You for Another Exciting Year

By David Shearer, CISSP, (ISC)² CEO The (ISC)² team would like to extend our gratitude to you for being an (ISC)² member. Thank you for all you do each day to help us achieve our vision of inspiring a safe and secure cyber world. We are excited by the progress and development made in 2018 as the global (ISC)² team continues their commitment to delivering value to you. I’m happy to share some of the teams’ accomplishments with you, including: Multi-Factor Authentication Now Available I’m thrilled to share that we have added Multi-Factor Authentication as an additional layer of security... Read more →

Cybersecurity Scholarships from (ISC)² and the Center for Cyber Safety and Education

Each year, (ISC)² and the Center for Cyber Safety and Education partner together to offer scholarships to students around the world. There are three categories of scholarships in this program: Graduate, Undergraduate and Women’s. All are open to students pursuing cybersecurity degrees in any country in the world, whether they are full-time or part-time students, online or attending a campus. The Graduate Scholarship period is open until January 15. Applicants must be pursuing, or plan to pursue, a master’s degree program, or a doctoral study, with a focus on cybersecurity or information assurance. The Undergraduate Scholarship application period will open... Read more →

(ISC)² London Chapter: Developing Education Framework

By James Packer (ISC)² London Chapter President I’m very much looking forward to moderating the diversity panel at the Secure Summit in September. The topic of skills and diversity in the industry is a deep passion of mine as I feel we need to continue to be a forward looking industry, carefully considering the demands of the current age of technology and the trends of technology consumption amongst the next generation. As President of the (ISC)2 London Chapter, this is an area of focus for us as a Chapter; we are currently developing our Education Framework, which is a strategy... Read more →

Chapters Spotlight: Leadership Meetings

The (ISC)² Chapter program provides opportunities for chapter leaders to gather together at regional Security Congress events. These chapter-specific events are called Chapter Leadership Meetings, or CLMs. At these events, chapters leaders can meet Chapter Program Staff, network with chapter officers, exchange resources, and learn how they can develop and grow their chapter. Recently, there were CLM events in both the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Latin-America (LATAM) regions. The CLM meetings had chapter leaders represented from local many regional chapters such as: LATAM: Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, and Uruguay APAC: Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Japan, Korea, Shanghai, and Singapore... Read more →

Chapter Spotlight: London

The (ISC)² London chapter received its official (ISC)² Charter on March 16, 2018, after completing the chartering process and attending the (ISC)² Secure Summit UK earlier this spring. The London Chapter’s president, James Packer, outlined the chapter’s goals at the Secure Summit UK event, which included plans for hosting the chapter’s own events, forming industry partnerships, and spawning beneficial initiatives such as in education and healthcare. As a result of the Chapter’s presence at the Summit, over 50 people signed up to become a member of the Chapter. This is a record number of people who have ever signed up... Read more →

Chapter Spotlight: Hawaii

Like many chapters, the (ISC)² Hawaii Chapter has had challenges with officer vacancies, legal registration, and low attendance at events over the past three years that the chapter has held its official charter. In early 2018, the new officer board took over and began to plan events to get the information security professionals in the area together to better connect, educate, inspire, and secure the communities of Hawaii. While the chapter has held its official charter with (ISC)², the chapter has been somewhat dis-engaged from the local community. The new chapter officers have made it their mission to re-invigorate the... Read more →

Make a lasting impact while in New Orleans during (ISC)² Security Congress

Data breaches are happening far too often. Stories about personal information being compromised are part of the daily news cycle. But even after the fact, many people are still not taking internet safety seriously. Let’s not forget that human error causes 90 percent of security incidents. Training employees about cybersecurity is essential but educating younger generations from the moment they gain access to the internet, should be a priority. This year, at (ISC)² Security Congress in New Orleans, cyber, information, software and infrastructure security professionals will learn about cyber safety education thanks to the Center for Cyber Safety and Education,... Read more →