At (ISC)² we are committed to positively impacting the cybersecurity industry in a big way. The board of directors and (ISC)² leadership is pleased to announce that we will provide free entry-level cybersecurity certification exams and self-paced educational program courses to one million new professionals starting a career in cybersecurity. The One Million Certified in Cybersecurity pledge is our global commitment that expands on the (ISC)² ‘100K in the UK’ initiative, which promised 100,000 free exams and course enrollments for U.K. residents earlier this year.  (ISC)² CEO Clar Rosso attended the Cyber Workforce and Education Summit at the White House on July 19, 2022 advocating for the expansion of the cybersecurity workforce to close the gap of 2.7 million cybersecurity

By Joseph Montes, CISSP In 2021, I decided to pursue the CISSP. I was looking for a certification that would help me to stand out and prove to myself and my peers that I know my field. I had experience in Unix, Irix, Linux, Windows, Networks, Servers, storage, project management, virtualization, telecommunications, terrestrial and submarine networks. I had some certifications and a master’s degree in Cyber Security. CISSP seemed like the most sensible progression in my career. STARTING MY JOURNEY TO CISSP Things started simple enough. I researched what I needed to know. I started looking at Reddit, Discord and Twitter for any information on how to study for my CISSP. The results were consistent; this is not a certification

The CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) certification got a few thumbs-up in a recent Dice article about whether cybersecurity jobseekers need certifications to land a position. Several cybersecurity professionals quoted in the article named the CISSP as a valuable certification. “I always recommend the Certified Information Systems Security Professional Cert (CISSP). For years, this has been the dominating certification in the cybersecurity industry. It is still a top-tier certification, and I would recommend it to anyone serious about a career in cybersecurity,” said Steve Tcherchian, Chief Product Officer at XYPRO. Magda Chelly, a cybersecurity author and researcher, cited the CISSP as one of the industry’s most popular certifications. Certifications such as CISSP and hands-on training, she said, are outweighing requirements

Recognizing that potential barriers to certification globally are the time and resources some candidates must invest to travel to a test center, as well as ongoing health and safety concerns from the pandemic, (ISC)² began exploring online proctoring in 2021 for its cybersecurity certifications, including the renowned (ISC)² CISSP.  After two extensive pilot programs using the most stringent security protocols available, (ISC)² has concluded that online proctored exams do not satisfy its standards for security and integrity for exam administration.     During both pilot tests, (ISC)² and its leading exam delivery and security partners, documented widespread irregular exam results, clear violations of exam administration rules and agreements, and verified exam cheating attempts. At the same time the pilots were being administered, (ISC)²

More than 1,400 individuals have taken the new (ISC)² entry-level cybersecurity certification exam during the pilot phase which began in January 2022. Scheduling for the pilot is currently available through August 26 and anyone interested in sitting for the “no experience required” exam may do so through an authorized Pearson VUE test center. Before a certification exam becomes fully operational, the pilot tests undergo a rigorous process of exploration, research, and validation necessary to ensure the qualification meets its intended purpose. All exams administered during the pilot phase thus far are currently undergoing this review and analysis. When the pilot phase ends, all test-takers will receive their individual results via email. Those who passed will earn the opportunity to seek