Tag Archives: certification

Cybersecurity, News

Building a Defensive Line One Million Strong – (ISC)² Pledges to Expand and Diversify the Cybersecurity Workforce with Free Certification Education and Exams for One Million

(ISC)² One Million Certified in CybersecuritySM initiative to expand and diversify the workforce by helping one million career pursuers globally earn an entry-level cybersecurity certification

Alexandria, Va., July 19, 2022 – (ISC)² – the world’s largest nonprofit association of certified cybersecurity professionals – today announced the (ISC)² One Million Certified in CybersecuritySM program, pledging to put one million people through its foundational Certified in Cybersecurity entry-level certification exam and education program for free. The program builds upon the success of the (ISC)² ‘100K in the UK’ initiative, which pledged 100,000 free exams and course enrollments for UK residents earlier this year.

Announced during the Cyber Workforce and Education Summit at the White House today, the program builds upon (ISC)² leadership in delivering solutions to our global cybersecurity workforce challenges. Research suggests organizations that focus on recruiting and developing entry-level cybersecurity staff – including those with little or no technical experience – accelerates the invaluable hands-on training the next generation of professionals needs to start a successful cybersecurity career.

Those who earn the (ISC)² Certified in Cybersecurity certification – currently in the final stages of a global pilot program – will demonstrate to employers that they have the foundational knowledge, skills and abilities necessary for an entry-level cybersecurity role.

“For more than 30 years, (ISC)² has advocated for the advancement, expansion and enablement of the cybersecurity workforce. Our ‘100K in the UK’ program garnered more than 10,000 applicants in its first two months. It is a resounding call to action for organizations serious about expanding the cybersecurity workforce to make the necessary investments now to break down barriers and clear obstacles for anyone interested in a cybersecurity career,” said Clar Rosso, CEO, (ISC)². “We support the aims of the Biden Administration, the U.S. National Cyber Director and administrations around the world focused on this critical issue. We are proud to announce this initiative alongside so many others who share a strong commitment to addressing our cybersecurity workforce challenges and look forward to building the public-private partnerships needed to accomplish our goal of One Million Certified in Cybersecurity.”

How the Program will Work

Starting September 2022, (ISC)² will open registration. Qualified individuals will receive a free exam, as well as access to the (ISC)² Certified in Cybersecurity online self-paced education course. The course provides a review of the subject matter published in the Certified in Cybersecurity exam outline, which shares the security concepts on which certification candidates will be evaluated, including:

  • Security Principles
  • Business Continuity (BC), Disaster Recovery (DR) and Incident Response Concepts
  • Access Controls Concepts
  • Network Security
  • Security Operations

University students, recent graduates, career changers and other professionals wishing to expand their skills and opportunities are encouraged to participate, especially individuals employed or seeking employment within small and midsized businesses.

(ISC)² will work closely with new and existing partner organizations to reach historically under-represented populations and encourage greater diversity within the cybersecurity community. (ISC)² has pledged that half of the expanded commitment – 500,000 course enrollments and exams – will be directed toward students of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), minority-serving institutions (MSIs), tribal organizations and women’s organizations across the U.S. and the globe.

After successfully completing the exam, candidates will become (ISC)² members with access to a wide array of professional development resources to help them throughout their careers. The (ISC)² entry-level cybersecurity certification is the first step on a career-long journey that will help cybersecurity professionals gain experience and work toward advanced qualifications such as the (ISC)² CISSP and (ISC)² CCSP.

A Global and National Skills Challenge

Research continues to reveal that organizations around the world do not have enough cybersecurity staff to adequately defend their networks from increasingly prevalent and sophisticated cyberattacks. (ISC)² estimates a global cybersecurity workforce gap of more than 2.7 million. While the U.S. cybersecurity workforce is comprised of more than 1.14 million people, according to (ISC)², the federal government estimates the country has more than 700,000 cybersecurity job vacancies.

(ISC)² created the Certified in Cybersecurity entry-level certification as part of a broad strategy to support and nurture a new generation of cybersecurity professionals entering the field.

For more information on the (ISC)² Certified in Cybersecurity, please visit: www.isc2.org/certified-in-cybersecurity.

IoT, News

Urban Control Urban Node 324 Becomes First Cellular NB-IoT and LTE-M Lighting Controller to Receive D4i Certification

Certification enables interchangeability and interoperability between products made by diverse range of manufacturers – lowering costs and accelerating time to market

London, UK Tuesday 14th June 2022 Urban Control, the leading smart city solutions provider, today announced that its Urban Node 324 Cellular IoT LED streetlight luminaire controller has become the world’s first NB-IoT and LTE-M lighting controller to receive D4i certification from the DALI Alliance. D4i is an industry-wide standard that enables smart, connected luminaries.

By taking care of control and power requirements, D4i makes it easier to mount sensors and communication devices on luminaires. In addition, intelligent D4i LED drivers inside luminaires have the capability to store and report a wide range of luminaire, energy and diagnostics data in a standardised format.

Urban Node 324 Cellular controllers deliver all the benefits of smart city LED street lighting, including the ability to precisely control brightness and thus energy consumption and costs depending on actual local conditions; dynamically responding to sudden changes in pedestrian numbers or road traffic volumes; monitoring energy consumption in real-time; and identifying and even pre-empting faults and to be fixed of checked by maintenance crews – further reducing operating costs and unnecessary maintenance via environmentally-polluting, service-van inspections.

Smart D4i-certified luminaires and controllers are ideal platforms for the IoT, capable of gathering information from on-board sensors, and providing data for performance monitoring, asset management, predictive maintenance, and many other tasks. Communication and data exchange with an external network can take place via control devices with wireless communication capabilities.

“Interoperable, future-proof connected lighting provides a bedrock of common standards connectivity upon which smart city technologies can be built, realising a long-held ambition of cities and communities around the world,” said Miguel Lira, Innovation and Development Director at Urban Control. “We are delighted to receive D4i certification for our ground-breaking cellular lighting controller, which has already attracted attention from across the industry for its innovative Plug-and-Play capabilities and flexible deployment profile.”

“The D4i certification program enables smart city decision makers to combine the long-lasting nature of a city’s lighting infrastructure with the rapid changes in digital communication and sensor technology,” said Paul Drosihn, General Manager of the DALI Alliance. “Products such as Urban Control’s Node 324 Cellular represent a new breed of interoperable lighting controllers which are quick and easy to deploy and future-proofed from activation.”

News, Training

CREST and Immersive Labs announce partnership for developing technical cyber security skills

Partnership helps equip CREST members with cyber knowledge, skills and judgement ahead of certification

10 May 2022: CREST, the international not-for-profit cyber security accreditation and certification body is partnering with Immersive Labs, the Cyber Workforce Optimization Platform, to support CREST member professionals in developing their defensive and offensive security skills.

The Immersive Labs platform will provide access to hands-on simulations of threats and mitigation techniques, allowing those preparing for CREST examinations to exercise and improve capabilities in line with the certification framework.

“We are delighted to be working with Immersive Labs to offer members a powerful, real-time alternative for ongoing skills development,” said Rowland Johnson, president of CREST. “Immersive Labs will be providing labs that are aligned to our examination framework and CREST Accredited organisations will have free access to entry level labs. They will then have the option to gain access to a wider set of labs, at a reduced cost which will be aligned to our Registered and Certified level exams. This new partnership is not only providing our members with better access to training for CREST exams but we also hope it will build a greater sense of community.”

CREST will work with Immersive Labs to put a particular focus on incident response, mapping its online, on-demand content to the exam syllabus and delivering a number of bespoke learning pathways.

“Achieving a CREST certification is a high bar, with members benefitting from an in-depth understanding of complex technical skills. Our platform will enable this, letting the community get first-hand experience of offensive and defensive capabilities in an engaging way,” said James Hadley, CEO at Immersive Labs. “This shows CREST to be a forward-thinking certification provider dedicated to furthering the development of human cyber capabilities using innovative approaches.”

Charity & CSR, News

Trio of businesses boost Purple Heart Wishes

A charity which enables adults with a terminal illness to fulfil special wishes with their family and friends is in line for a cash boost from proptech business Symple and two sister companies.

Symple has chosen Purple Heart Wishes as its charity of the year for 2022.

Merco Facilities Services, a commercial cleaning business, and FCS Management Services, a business rates management company, have followed suit to provide a triple boost to the charity. The businesses are all part of Kingsbury Holdings and are headquartered in Swinton, Greater Manchester.

Purple Heart Wishes was founded by Symple’s chief operating officer Susan Roughton in 2016 following the passing of her daughter Lyndsey from a brain tumour at the age of 29.

Lyndsey was diagnosed in 2009 after suffering from headaches and blurred vision. Initially, her treatment was successful, but the tumour recurred more aggressively and was diagnosed as incurable in 2012. She passed away in 2014 at St Ann’s Hospice, Greater Manchester.

During her illness, Lyndsey’s family and friends raised over £25,000 for her to fulfil a lifelong dream to visit Thailand and Vietnam. She went for three weeks with a friend who was training to become a doctor.

Susan wanted Lyndsey’s final months to be filled with laughter, love and excitement with her family and friends.

“We tried to arrange for her to do as much as possible to ensure she had the best days of her short life,” said Susan, who lives in Denton, Greater Manchester.

“Thanks to the generosity of individuals and organisations, she did a host of amazing things, including horse riding, going to Premier League football matches, riding on a motorbike and going to the Creamfields music festival where her older sister Leigh was a DJ.

“After she passed away, I felt I wanted to help grant wishes to other adults with terminal illnesses, just as we had done for Lyndsey.

“That led to setting up Purple Heart Wishes, catering for people aged 18 to 55 and even older. There are similar organisations for children, but not many like this for adults.

“Currently we are receiving 12 requests for wishes a month, which is more than we’ve ever had. We receive wishes from the patients themselves, their friends, hospices, Macmillan Cancer Support, The Brain Tumour Charity and elsewhere.

“We are fortunate to receive support from people doing sponsored activities such as parachute jumps, and from Manchester City FC, where we work in the kiosks at matches and concerts and get a percentage of the sales through the catering company Fabulous Fan Fayre.

“However, with the number of requests for wishes now at such a high level, we need to raise more money, and I’m delighted that Symple, Merco and FCS have chosen us as their charity of the year.

“Their support will make a huge difference to people who are very poorly and want to fulfil dreams and create memories for their families and friends by spending precious quality time with them or doing something special. Some of the people who request a wish simply cannot afford to do these things themselves.

“They include hotel stays and breaks at holiday parks with their families, sightseeing in London, having a photo shoot or even providing a pendant gift from a terminally ill husband to his wife. They are all tremendously appreciated. They create lasting memories, and give people the strength to continue fighting.”

Susan said Purple Heart Wishes is also seeking ambassadors and fundraisers as well as sponsors for wishes and for donors of wishes themselves.

“We want to do as much as we can to help families in such tragic situations. It’s great to be able to do this in Lyndsey’s memory, and to bring some joy into people’s lives at a very difficult time. The feedback we receive is always fantastic,” she said.

The charity’s logo is a heart which Lyndsey drew in a birthday card to Susan which was found after she passed away. The Purple Heart medal is awarded to service people in the US who have been injured in conflict, as a way of celebrating their heroism.

“Lyndsey was a hero to us, so it seemed a fitting name for the charity,” said her mum.

Kingsbury founder and chief executive Simon Dresdner said: “We are deeply moved by the story of how Purple Heart Wishes came to be.

“Susan has created something really special in memory of Lyndsey, enabling her legacy to live on. It is our great honour and privilege to be able to support the wonderful work the charity does, knowing what a difference it makes to people in need. I hope we can be a supporting partner of Purple Heart Wishes for many years to come.”