CESG, the Information Security arm of GCHQ, has announced that it is extending its CESG Certified Professional scheme (CCP) to the private sector to allow all information assurance (IA) and cyber security professionals to be certified.
After its launch last year, the CCP has helped some 900 government employees and external service providers achieve CCP certification. Running in parallel with the IISP’s own professional development and certification programme and allows candidates to achieve Practitioner, senior practitioner and lead practitioner status across six key roles: security and information risk advisor (SIRA), IA accreditor, IA architect, IA auditor, IT security officer and communications security family of roles.
Alastair MacWillson, chairman of the the IISP (Institute of Information Security Professionals) said: “The decision to extend the scheme to the public sector will increase the UK’s IA knowledge, skills and capability in all fields of cyber security to meet one of the objectives of the UK Cyber Security Strategy.
“CESG’s decision to base the CCP scheme on the IISP Skills Framework is further recognition of our work to develop critical skills and provide greater professionalism in the cyber security industry.”
The IISP is one of three bodies appointed by CESG to deliver the CCP scheme, along with CREST and Royal Holloway’s Information Security Group (ISG).
Ian Glover, president of CREST, said: “Extending the broader CCP scheme to the private sector is a very logical extension and will give UK companies a much greater level of confidence in the skills, knowledge and competence of their staff and contractors and will provide real career paths for those working in the industry.
“This is a further example of the excellent work the UK Government is doing in this area to support both government and private sector organisations and is very much in line with the recent announcements made by CESG and CPNI endorsing the CREST Cyber Security Incident Response scheme.”
