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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.

News, Training

CREST and Hack The Box partner for cyber security skills development

Hack The Box labs will provide study support for CREST exams and build a greater sense of global community

10 May 2022 CREST, the international not-for-profit cyber security accreditation and certification body is partnering with Hack The Box, a leading cybersecurity training and upskilling platform, to support CREST member professionals to develop their offensive security skills. The two organisations will provide test labs tailored towards individuals who are planning to take CREST penetration testing and red teaming examinations.

“Hack The Box will provide our members with an innovative and interactive approach to skills and competency development,” said Rowland Johnson, President of CREST. “The HTB Labs will be aligned to CREST’s internationally recognised examination framework, with labs of every level – from entry to advanced ones – being made available to the vast HTB and CREST communities. CREST Accredited organisations will have free access to entry level labs, with the option to gain access to a wider set of labs, at a reduced cost, as a result of this new partner relationship. This will not only provide better access to training for CREST exams but also helps to build a greater sense of community across our global membership.”

CREST is working with Hack The Box to map its current content against the CREST exams to create fully bespoke CREST labs, which will cover the following exams: CREST Practitioner Security Analyst (CPSA); CREST Registered Security Analyst (CRSA); CREST Registered Penetration Tester (CRT); CREST Certified Tester (CCT – Web and Infrastructure); CREST Certified Simulated Attack Specialist (CCSAS) and CREST Certified Simulated Attack Manager (CCSAM).

“We are looking forward to working closely with the CREST team and members to develop the CREST learning and skills development community,” said Nikos Fountas, Director of Operations at Hack The Box. “The labs will have content similar to that assessed in CREST exams but not the same and will be provided in HTB’s unrivalled gamified and fully intuitive platform. This means that using Hack The Box will help indicate if someone is at the right level to take and pass the exam but will not assess everything in the exam. Candidates will always need to join lots of previously unconnected dots and reach higher if they are going to pass the high-level CREST exams. This will be just the beginning of a long-term partnership, with more and exciting projects to be planned and announced soon.”