BT and (ISC)²® (“ISC-squared”) today announced an agreement to offer training for the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP®) and the Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP®) certifications within the BT Security Academy. The agreement gives BT’s security employees , new recruits and key suppliers the opportunity to pursue (ISC)2’s acclaimed professional certifications. The agreement is part of BT’s strategy to meet a growing need for skilled cybersecurity professionals for the company and its customers. (ISC)2 will support the development of Official (ISC)2 Instructors within BT Security Academy, the delivery of training programmes and the certification examinations to suit demand. Commitments are in place to support an initial cohort of 80 candidates.
“As a major employer and service provider, we have a significant role to play in protecting the economy from growing cyber threats. (ISC)2 certifications are well recognised and communicate reassurance that the people who hold them have core knowledge and experience in the field. We are pleased to be offering this opportunity as part of our ambitious goal to help meet the need for more skilled cybersecurity professionals,” says Rob Partridge, head of BT Security Academy. “We are seeing desire from the companies and consumers we serve for reassurance and leadership in cybersecurity which will be delivered through the talent we develop.”
BT, which currently employs more than 2,500 security professionals in security operations centres around the world, reports double-digit growth in demand for their services. Last month, the company announced an intake programme for 900 new recruits over the next 12 months. BT have defined criteria for assuring the competence and qualifications for a variety of roles. The globally-recognised CISSP covers both the risk management and technical knowledge within security, while the SSCP covers the practitioner-level knowledge across operations, IT and service roles.
According to the (ISC)2 Global Information Security Workforce Study, 44 percent of hiring managers struggle to meet current hiring needs and 62 percent acknowledge that their organisations have too few information security professionals; with nearly a third of those respondents indicating that they would like to see a 15 percent or greater increase in the security workforce at their organization. The study forecasts a global shortage of 1.5 million qualified information security professionals by 2020.
“As a nonprofit body, we are in a position to help companies and organisations set professional development programmes that can both supplement and support recruitment efforts. Certification encourages broad use of globally-recognised best practices and opens the door to membership in a community of ongoing professional development,” said Faisal Malik, head of Business and Market Development, EMEA, (ISC)2.
“BT have demonstrated a strong commitment to investing in the development of people needed to fill the well-recognised shortage of skilled professionals. They set an example that many more companies will need to follow if we are to tackle the cyber risks faced by every organisation,” said Dr. Adrian Davis, CISSP, managing director, EMEA, (ISC)2.
All (ISC)2 professional certification programmes are developed and maintained as current through an ongoing process of job task analysis and consultation with experts working in the field. Anyone who earns the certification becomes a member of (ISC)2, and has the opportunity to actively participate in this analysis; and thereby, the development of their discipline.
