(ISC)² Blog

Going for (ISC)² Certification? Get the facts before you choose a training provider.

Whether you’re going for CISSP, SSCP, CCSP or another elite (ISC)² certification, the training route is an excellent way to prepare. (ISC)² certifications are highly regarded in the cybersecurity industry, and countless training companies offer exam prep for them. With so many options, it can be unnecessarily hard to make the right choice. Often, we think the more choices we have, the better. But too many cybersecurity training options have created confusion and led to false claims that border on unethical as companies compete for your business. When it comes to assertions trainer providers make about their courses for our... Read more →

Investing in the Next Generation of Cybersecurity Leaders

by Dr. Mansur Hasib, CISSP, PMP, CPHIMS Program Chair, Cybersecurity Technology, The Graduate School, University of Maryland University College In order for any discipline to advance and grow, each generation of established thought leaders must mentor and invest in the next generation. The new generation can infuse new ideas, varied approaches, and innovative new ways to explain and present material. This is exactly what happened in a dramatic way at the 2019 Secure Summit DC hosted by (ISC)² . John McCumber and Susan Lausch of (ISC)² invited me to organize a contingent of 30 graduate cybersecurity students and recent graduates... Read more →

The Time Is Now to Build on Women’s Cybersecurity Gains

By Deshini Newman, Managing Director, EMEA, (ISC)² There’s never been a better time to be a woman in cybersecurity than now. Granted, there are many gains to be made still, but recent research about progress already made by women in the field is very encouraging. Although the industry is dominated by men, so many computing pioneers, such as the people who programmed the first digital computers were women. Ada Lovelace (1815–1852) is credited with being the world's first computer programmer. She detailed applications for the Analytical Engine that relate to how computers are used today. Likewise, luminaries such as Grace... Read more →

Building a Strong Culture of Security – from the Professional Development Institute

(ISC)²’s Professional Development Institute (PDI) launched earlier this year and aims to provide valuable, accessible education and training to cybersecurity professionals. One of the PDI courses currently available is Building a Strong Culture of Security. Like all PDI courses, it is free for (ISC)² members and associates, and available for purchase at $400 for the general public. Technology alone cannot protect an organization. It takes knowledgeable and aware team members to each do their part in ensuring critical assets are protected, and that goes beyond the security team. This self-paced, interactive course is intended for use by security professionals as... Read more →

Your Key to Professional Growth: Invest in Your Group B CPE Activities

by Dr. Chris Veltsos, CISSP, member of (ISC)² Advisory Council of North America It’s easy to feel stressed, or conversely feel stuck in a rut, when it comes to the topic of professional development. We all know “we should/must do it” but aren’t exactly sure on how to go about it. And compared to security domain specific knowledge, skills, and abilities (group A CPE credits for holders of (ISC)² credentials), it’s easy to delay thinking and planning your activities regarding those strange group B CPE credits. Here’s to changing that reality, and in the process your mindset about their place... Read more →

New Cybersecurity Reports Point to Increased Need for Retraining and Vulnerability Management

By now you’re well aware of the widely-reported (ISC)² research that shows there is a global cybersecurity shortage of 2.93 million professionals. Identifying, recruiting and training skilled talent to adequately secure organizational data assets obviously remains a top priority in our industry. Well, over the past few weeks, both Tripwire and IBM have published reports that focus on different layers of the problem and add to the conversation. In its Cybersecurity Skills Gap Survey 2019, Tripwire found that 80% of IT security professionals believe it’s becoming more difficult to find skilled cybersecurity professionals. Not a surprising figure. The interesting wrinkle... Read more →

The Top 10 EMEA Webcasts of the Last 12 Months

Today’s IT security landscape is tough terrain to navigate at the best of times. Cybersecurity professionals need all the guidance, insight and education they can get to help them stay on top of arguably the most challenging points where business and technology collide. As always, (ISC)2 is your partner on this journey, providing resources such as our series of webcasts to keep you up-to-date on the latest trends, issues, tactics and threats in cybersecurity. Want to know where to start? Here are the top 10 EMEA webcasts from the last year: Machine Learning in Infosec: Debunking Buzz and Demystifying Use... Read more →

Announcing the (ISC)² Professional Development Institute

Today is an exciting day for (ISC)² members as your membership just got a whole lot more powerful. We are happy to announce the launch of the (ISC)² Professional Development Institute, known simply as PDI. PDI will be your go-to resource for timely and relevant continuing educational opportunities to keep your skills sharp and curiosity piqued. Best of all, these courses will all be available to members at no cost. With three courses already available — Building a Strong Culture of Security, DevSecOps: Integrating Security into DevOps, and GDPR for Security Professionals: A Framework for Success — we are thrilled... Read more →

2018’s Top 10 Webcasts

Cybersecurity professionals are busy enough even without having to keep up with the constant changes in the threat landscape and advances in security technology. But keep up you must, and that’s why (ISC)² have webcasts throughout the year on various security-related topics. Based on ratings by cybersecurity professionals, here are the top 10 webcasts from 2018: State of the Internet/Security 2018: Web Attacks Learn how reptiles and hackers target the hotel industry by hitting the library, and how to fight back. This webcast includes case studies on how the aviation industry deploys crawler management solutions to protect their websites. Delivered... Read more →

CISSP and (ISC)² Membership Recognized by the NCSC

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has outlined new rules of the road for earning its Certified Cyber Professional (CCP) specialist certification. The new pilot program for the certification commences in 2019 and focuses on assessing two main areas of specialism: risk management and security architecture. Why is this of interest to you? The NCSC has outlined three ways in which candidates can demonstrate foundational cybersecurity knowledge in order to qualify for the scheme. One of those ways is to hold a CISSP certification and a full (ISC)2 membership. This is yet another signpost that highlights the industry recognition of... Read more →

How to Strengthen Your Cybersecurity Culture Despite the Skills Shortage

Despite a shortage of 3 million cybersecurity professionals across the globe, a comfortable majority of those currently employed (68%) are happy in their jobs, according to (ISC)2’s newly published Cybersecurity Workforce Study. Their job satisfaction is related to the level of investment employers make in cybersecurity skills, technology and practices – all of which determines how cybersecurity professionals spend their time. The study is instructive to employers who are hampered by the skills shortage, but nevertheless need to improve their cybersecurity posture and culture. “By providing the right security resources, whether that means additional personnel, training or specialized cybersecurity solutions,... Read more →

What Does a Successful Cybersecurity Team Look Like?

One of the main questions (ISC)2 sought to answer with a new study, Building a Resilient Cybersecurity Culture, was what makes a good cybersecurity team, especially in an industry that suffers from a shortage in its current workforce. How do organizations go about building and strengthening the team? It’s clear from the study’s findings that management’s attitude toward the team – and toward cybersecurity as a whole – is related to the team’s success, confidence and ability to do their job without worrying about lack of budget or support from the top. Going in, we already knew the respondents in... Read more →

Now Available: CISSP-ISSAP and CISSP-ISSEP Training

You asked – we listened! We are excited to announce new Online Self-Paced Training for the CISSP-ISSAP and CISSP-ISSEP concentrations. These courses are available in the recently updated (ISC)² Learning Management System. Both self-paced courses include online access for 134 days, as well as flash cards, a post-course assessment, case studies, quizzes, videos and other learning activities. The ISSAP concentration is ideal for a CISSP who specializes in designing security solutions and providing management with risk-based guidance to meet organizational goals. The Official (ISC)² ISSAP Self-Paced Training covers the six domains of the CISSP-ISSAP CBK®: Identity and Access Management Architecture... Read more →

5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Security Congress

Security Congress is less than three months away! This year’s biggest and best cybersecurity conference will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana from October 8-10. Attending this year’s event can earn you as many as 46 CPEs for the year. To make sure you get the most out of #ISC2Congress, here are five things to do before you get to NOLA: Register for workshops Reserved seating workshops are new to Security Congress this year. We will have five workshops available throughout the conference that require a registration. If you’ve already signed up for Security Congress, great! You can login to... Read more →

ThinkTank Named Fastest Growing IT Webinar Channel

(ISC)²’s ThinkTank webinar channel has just been named the 2018 Highest Growth Channel in IT by BrightTALK, an online webinar platform aimed at providing professionals with business and professional growth. ThinkTank is a free cybersecurity webinar channel that features 60-minute roundtable discussions with influential security experts. These discussions cover a range of thought-provoking topics that are among the most pressing cybersecurity challenges. BrightTALK awarded 10 organizations for accomplishments in the IT category. Those winners included Palo Alto Networks, Symantec, and more with (ISC)² being the only certifying body to be recognized. So far this year, ThinkTank webinars have been viewed... 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 →

Chapter Spotlight: SSDC

On May 7th and 8th, (ISC)² hosted its annual Secure Summit D.C. (SSDC) cybersecurity conference. (ISC)² Secure Summit DC evolved from (ISC)² CyberSecureGov to assemble the best minds in cybersecurity for two days of insightful discussions, workshops and best-practices sharing. Three local (ISC)² Chapters were represented at the event: Quantico Chapter, National Capital Region (NCR) Chapter, and the NOVA Chartering Chapter. The chapters each hosted a table at the event, where 850+ attendees were able to ask questions, learn more about the (ISC)² Chapter Program, and even express interest in joining a local chapter. The (ISC)² National Capital Region (NCR)... Read more →

Attacks Happen. Be Ready.

A data breach hits headquarters at 3 a.m. Are your critical assets secure? Hire (ISC)²-certified cybersecurity professionals to prepare for, prevent and recover from attacks. Read more →

Looking Back: Secure Summit DC

Nearly 900 cybersecurity professionals attended Secure Summit DC at the beautiful MGM National Harbor hotel. The two-day training event included more than 35 sessions in four tracks. Keynote speakers covered topics from resourcefulness to security culture, sociology to workforce development and beyond. A noteworthy theme evolved throughout the event, as speakers from both the private and public sectors – including many from the (ISC)² Board of Directors – acknowledged the need for a greater understanding of the cybersecurity basics both inside and outside the industry. “We’re in the golden age of threats,” said John McCumber, director of cybersecurity advocacy at... Read more →

ENABLE: (ISC)² Members Can Access Cloud Security Training from A Cloud Guru

(ISC)²’s theme for 2018 is Enrich. Enable. Excel. In an effort to enable our members to be the best in their field, we have partnered with A Cloud Guru to offer a one-month free membership to A Cloud Guru. This benefit allows members exclusive access to cloud security education from A Cloud Guru, which delivers an array of cloud security courses to enable cybersecurity professionals to better defend their data in the cloud. Cloud security was identified as the number one skill security professionals needed to acquire or strengthen to advance their career, according our 2017 Global Information Security Workforce... Read more →