Cyber security professional association (ISC)2 has announced that it will be offering its entry-level cyber security certification for free to 1 million people.
The initiative is an extension of the ‘100k in the UK scheme’ announced earlier this year and aims to tackle the cyber security skills gap which (ISC)2 said stands at 2.7 million.
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The certification on offer is the (ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity qualification which was originally introduced at the start of the year as a pilot program.
Included in the package is the certification exam itself, plus the self-paced training course too.
At least 500,000 of the individuals receiving the free certification will be from “a range of diverse backgrounds and circumstances,” the organisation said.
Specifically, the organisation will be approaching historically black colleges and universities, minority-serving institutions, tribal organisations, and women’s organisations across the US and the globe.
Current university students, recent graduates, those seeking a career change, and other professionals are all encouraged to participate in the initiative, especially those currently employed by, or looking to be employed by, SMBs.
Registration for the certification will begin in September, shortly after the current pilot program ends in August and once qualified, students will become members of (ISC)2.
Membership to (ISC)2 gives students access to additional development resources, it said, and the certification provides a starting platform to go and attain further certifications like the CISSP and CCSP.
The Certified in Cybersecurity certification will cover five main domains deemed essential to understanding the foundations of cyber security:
- Security principles
- Business continuity, disaster recovery, and incident response concepts
- Access controls concepts
- Network security
- Security operations
“It is a resounding call to action for organisations serious about expanding the cybersecurity workforce to make the necessary investments now to break down barriers and clear obstacles for anyone interested in a cyber security career,” said Clar Rosso, CEO at (ISC)2.
“We support the aims of the Biden Administration, the US 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’.”
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