(ISC)2 Seeks Input on New Cybersecurity Certification
There's a strong recent trend in IT certification toward foundational certifications. Students at universities and high schools across the United States (and elsewhere in the world) have proven their IT certification mettle in recent recent decades, and now certification programs that have historically been geared toward experienced professionals are sniffing a potentially lucrative new market and singing a different tune. There's win-win potential in such credentials: In addition to connecting with fresh blood and new revenue streams, established certification programs can trumpet their involvement in combatting longstanding hiring gaps. Cybersecurity and governance professional association ISACA recently launched a special certification for entry-level IT professionals. Now cybersecurity professional association (ISC)2 is preparing to follow suit. (ISC)2 is currently carrying out a Job Task Analysis (JTA) survey to determine the ideal parameters for an entry-level cybersecurity certification that will serve as the foundation for a "clear career path" to joining the global cybersecurity workforce. The survey is open to participation by any cybersecurity professionals, but members of (ISC)2 who provide their name and member ID can earn five continuing professional education (CPE) credits by participating. The survey can be completed online through Oct. 20.
ISACA Blogger Pumps Up IT Risk Fundamentals Certificate
There's another path to pursue for novice professionals who want to build up their knowledge of the basics in certain IT fields and create a foundtion for future career growth. Many professional certification programs offer certificates – as opposed to full-fledged certifications – to encourage and engage entry-level professionals who may not be ready for certification, but want to work toward that goal. (ISC)2, for example, offers the "Associate of (ISC)2" program to help newcomers get started toward the core (ISC)2 credentials. ISACA offers an IT Risk Fundamentals certification as a preliminary step to earning its expert-level professional credentials (CRISC, in particular), and guest blogger Veronica Rose recently posted a Risk Fundamentals road map to the ISACA Now Blog. Rose details her own journey and offers advice for anyone following in her footsteps. Anyone who has weighed a career in risk can probably pick up some valuable pointers here.
CompTIA: Can AI and Cybersecurity Work Together?
A key area where artificial intelligence (AI) research and development has a great deal of untapped potential is in the cybersecurity sector. AI already plays a key role in many cybersecurity processes and procedures. A new post to the official blog of tech industry association CompTIA explores the connection between AI and cybersecurity and ponders its future. Blogger Vesa Merxha sees two looming threats as AI becomes more and more deeply integrated into cybersecurity operations. Systems that are AI dependent, Merxha speculates, could be more susceptible to manipulation than human-monitored systems. And if cybersecurity operations become too deeply tied to AI, then the already vexing shorotage of human cybersecurity expertise could become more pronounced, as humans are pushed out of the loop and not replaced by other humans.
IBM Launches Program to Award 'MicroBachelors' Degrees
Everywhere you look, tech companies are scaling up efforts to provide affordable and effective education. Google's Grow with Google program is one such effort, while Microsoft's Global Skills Initiative is another. Now IBM is getting into the game with a program designed to offer "MicroBacehlors" degrees. In partnership with online education platform edX, IBM will make its initial offering a MicroBachelors degree in Full Stack Cloud Application Development. As noted in the press release announcing the new program, "Full Stack Developer was rated among the top 15 tech jobs for 2020 for jobs with skills that are in most demand. This program truly meets learners where they are with the relevant, industry-back knowledge they need to realize their full potential." It's an exciting time to be on the hunt for IT skills.
That's all for this edition of Certification Watch. Please keep your certification news and tips coming to the GoCertify News Editor.
