ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A recent study conducted by RSA Conference and ISACA found that nearly 7 in 10 respondents require cybersecurity job candidates to hold a certification. Beginning today, cybersecurity professionals can pursue the CSX Practitioner (CSXP) certification, the first-ever vendor-neutral, performance-based certification for cybersecurity professionals.
To earn CSXP, candidates must pass an exam in an adaptive, performance-based cyber laboratory environment. The exam measures skills and abilities in a virtual setting using real-world cyber security scenarios.
Exam registration is now open, and ISACA is offering a special introductory rate of US $375 for those who take the exam before 1 October and complete a post-exam survey.
“Earning the CSXP demonstrates practically tested abilities in prevention, detection and response to a cybersecurity incident,” said Christos Dimitriadis, Ph.D., CISA, CISM, CRISC, international president of ISACA and group director of information security at Intralot. “This credential is a clear indicator to employers that an individual has the skills to help protect and defend their organization.”
CSXP was developed by a working group of cyber security experts and went through a rigorous review by more than 100 experts from around the world. The innovative course delivery and testing components are the result of a collaboration with the Art of Exploitation® (AoE™) cyber security team of TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS) (NASDAQ: TSYS), a leader in cyber security training and enterprise solutions.
Training for the exam is available through self-paced labs or the following courses, which combine lecture and cyber lab experience and are offered through global training partners:
- Identification and Protection
- Detection
- Respond and Recover
To meet continuing professional education requirements, CSXPs must demonstrate skills in a lab or other skills-based environment on an annual basis and retest every three years at the highest level of CSX certification they have achieved.
“CSXP is the future of real-world cyber security training and career development,” said Eddie Schwartz, CISA, CISM, international vice president of ISACA and president and COO of WhiteOps. “With its performance-based training, testing and continuing education requirements, the CSX certification program validates that candidates have valuable, current and hands-on skills to address cybersecurity incidents and challenges.”
Through Cybersecurity Nexus (CSX), global IT association ISACA will offer cyber training and certifications for all skill levels and specialties:
- Cybersecurity Fundamentals Certificate—Demonstrates a foundational understanding of cybersecurity (currently available)
- CSX Practitioner—Demonstrates ability to be a first responder to cyber incidents, following established procedures and defined processes. CSXP indicates firewall, patching and anti-virus experience, as well as the ability to implement common security controls and perform vulnerability scans and analysis. (currently available)
- CSX Specialist—Demonstrates effective skills and deep knowledge in one or more of the five areas based closely on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework: Identify, Detect, Protect, Respond and Recover (five certifications; CSX Practitioner is prerequisite; coming soon)
- CSX Expert—Demonstrates ability of a master/expert-level cybersecurity professional who can identify, analyze, respond to and mitigate complex cybersecurity incidents (no prerequisites required; coming soon)
- Certified Information Security Manager—Demonstrates the ability to manage, design, oversee and assess an enterprise’s information security program (currently available)
The CSX certifications are aligned with globally accepted standards and frameworks, including the NIST Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity, NIST SP 800-53 Revision 4, ISO 27000, and COBIT 5.
Information on CSX certifications is available at https://cybersecurity.isaca.org/csx-certifications.
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