(ISC)2’s SSCP Credential Earns ISO/IEC 17024 Accreditation
Palm Harbor, Fla., USA, Jan. 9, 2006 – The International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium [(ISC)2®], the non-profit international leader in educating and certifying information security professionals worldwide, today announced that the International Organization for Standardization’s (ISO) United States representative, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), has accredited (ISC)2’s SSCP® (Systems Security Certified Practitioner) credential under ISO/IEC 17024 standard in the area of information security.
ISO/IEC 17024 establishes a global benchmark for the certification of personnel. ANSI accredits standards developers, certification bodies and technical advisory groups to both the ISO and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
This accreditation meets the new requirements by the U.S. DoD (Department of Defense) Directive 8570.1, which requires its information assurance (IA) workers to obtain a commercial certification that has been accredited by ANSI or equivalent authorized body under the global ISO/IEC 17024 standard. This DoD-wide policy was made official in August 2004 and approved for implementation in December 2005.
“(ISC)2 was the first organization within the information technology sector to earn accreditation for personnel certification for the CISSP® (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) credential, and we are proud to announce that (ISC)2 is continuing to set standards for competency in the information security field, meeting the changing demands of industry and government through the accreditation of our SSCP credential,” said John Colley, CISSP, chairman of the board of directors of (ISC)2.
“We are committed to the industry and to supporting the DoD’s efforts to certify those information assurance personnel who are critical to safeguarding the agency’s networks and ensuring that mission-critical information gets to the right people at the right time,” said Rolf Moulton, CISSP-ISSMP, president and CEO (interim) of (ISC)?.
“(ISC)2 is commended for completing this rigorous process a second time and receiving ANSI accreditation,” said Dr. Roy Swift, program director for certification accreditation for ANSI. “ISO/IEC 17024 was developed in response to businesses and governments seeking a valid benchmark for agencies who certify people. Employers in the public and private sectors can be confident that information security professionals holding the (ISC)2 SSCP credential possess the necessary skills to implement information security policies, processes and procedures anywhere in the world.”
The SSCP is awarded by (ISC)2 to information security professionals who successfully pass a comprehensive examination based on the (ISC)2 SSCP CBK®, a compendium of global information security best practices, possess at least one year cumulative work experience in the field, subscribe to the (ISC)2 Code of Ethics, and are endorsed by an existing CISSP or equivalent professional. Continuing Professional Education credits are required to maintain certification.
About (ISC)?
The International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc. [(ISC)2®] is the internationally recognized Gold Standard for educating and certifying information security professionals. Founded in 1989, (ISC)? has certified over 40,000 information security professionals in more than 100 countries. Based in Palm Harbor, Florida, USA, with offices in Vienna, Virginia, USA, London, Hong Kong and Tokyo, (ISC)2 issues the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP?) and related concentrations, Certification and Accreditation Professional (CAPCM), and Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP?) credentials to those meeting necessary competency requirements. The CISSP and SSCP are among the first information technology credentials to meet the stringent requirements of ANSI under ISO/IEC Standard 17024, a global benchmark for assessing and certifying personnel. (ISC)? also offers a portfolio of educational related products and services based upon (ISC)2’s CBK®, a compendium of industry best practices for information security professionals, and is responsible for the annual (ISC)? Global Information Security Workforce Study. More information about (ISC)2 is available at www.isc2.org.