(ISC)² won this category by taking an aggressive stance towards developing programs that look to address the 3.4 million cybersecurity workforce gap. They made a point to offer a way for professionals from non-technical and diverse backgrounds to enter the field.
When CEO Clar Rosso joined (ISC)² in 2020, one of her top priorities was increasing the pathways for entry into the cybersecurity industry. This is how the Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) certification came to be created.
The (ISC)² Certified in Cybersecurity certification was designed for individuals with non-technical backgrounds to test their aptitude and interest in cybersecurity careers. This entry-level certification requires no prior work experience, allowing employers to confidently build resilient cyber teams across all experience levels. Since its launch in August 2022, the organization has had 62,901 exam appointments and translated the exams into five languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Korean and German.
“The Certified in Cybersecurity certification also provides seasoned cybersecurity professionals with more confidence, time and resources to protect their organizations,” (ISC)² told SC Media.
As part of the program, (ISC)² has pledged to give away 1 million free Certified in Cybersecurity exams, with 500,000 directed toward minority groups, tribal, and women’s organizations globally. Once students pass the entry-level certificate they can start charting a course to take organization’s signature certification, the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification. (ISC)² consists of 330,000 members that include cyber, information, software, and infrastructure security pros.
