Looking back on the first quarter of 2024, there has been a lot to be excited about. We surpassed 50,000 Certified in Cybersecurity holders, held our first AI workshops, and kicked off our year-long celebration of the 30th anniversary of the CISSP. All these milestones are key to our vision of a safe and secure cyber world.
But we cannot achieve that vision alone. We’re excited to have partnered with thirty new organizations – from universities to training providers – so far this year. With the help of these partners, we will continue our work to strengthen the influence, diversity and vitality of the cybersecurity field through advocacy, expertise and workforce empowerment.
New ISC2 Academic Partners
The ISC2 Academic Partnership Network supports the work of academic scholars through research, knowledge, advocacy work, teaching and enhancing educational programs. While a traditional university path is less common in cybersecurity than other professions, the route is on the rise. Recent research found that new cybersecurity professionals (1 year or less in the field) are more likely than those tenured (10+ years in the field) to have a degree in cybersecurity, 46% to 32%. ISC2 is working to ensure that the options available in higher education align with the best practices and standards that practitioners use in their careers.
Our latest U.K.-based academic partner is Anglia Ruskin University. Dr. Erika Sanchez, Deputy Head of School, shared that the university is excited to be working with ISC2 as together they will provide the most recognised cybersecurity certificates in the world.
“We have opened up the offer of ISC2 certifications to our students studying our Masters in Cybersecurity degrees as we know ISC2 certifications are in demand in the industry worldwide,” Dr. Sanchez said. “This partnership will allow us to offer our students to become more employable and businesses will have the skills they need to deal with cyber-attacks.”
ISC2 Academic Partnerships Lead and Adjunct Professor, Alex Mortimer also expressed delight to be working with Anglia Ruskin University.
“With organisations under constant cyber-attack, we must work together to educate everyone and support students gaining the skills and attributes they need to support and protect organizations,” Mortimer said. “The students will have a great experence as together we will provide all the support they need.”
The following institutions joined the Academic Partnership Network this year:
- University of New York Tirana (Albania)
- H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (British Virgin Islands)
- University of Calgary (Canada)
- University of Waterloo (Canada)
- Algebra University (Croatia)
- CMR University (India)
- Presidential Graduate School (Nepal)
- Adventist University of Central Africa (Rwanda)
- Jönköping University (Sweden)
- Anglia Ruskin University (U.K.)
- University of Kent (U.K.)
- Borough of Manhattan Community College (Part of the City University of New York (CUNY)) (U.S.)
- California State University, Fresno (U.S.)
- Kennesaw State University (U.S.)
- University of Mary Washington (U.S.)
ISC2 Training Providers and Resellers
Deciding to pursue an ISC2 certification is a big step, and being sure that the training you’re starting will prepare you for your exam is something you want to be sure of. The ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce study found that within the next six months, 21% of respondents plan to pursue a vendor-neutral certification, with 49% thinking longer-term (six months to two years and beyond). On average, the study found a 6% increase in those planning on continuing their certification work in the period beyond the next six months.
Only ISC2 Official Training Partners can guarantee that they are providing the most up-to-date and relevant materials for students. We added 14 new training providers and 3 new resellers that you rely on during your certification journey:
- Summit V
- Pinnacle
- Carahsoft
- Secure Tech Institute
- Cyber Brain Academy
- Fast Lane
- Corvit Networks
- Glasspaper Learning
- Adept
- ICSI
- Cyber Shield
- SimplifyNow
- Purdue CyberTAP
- Responsible Cyber
- Edureka
- Palmeto Solutions
- NETEC
Conclusion
We know the threat landscape is complex, with research showing that 75% of cybersecurity professionals view the current as the most challenging it has been in the past five years. Beyond that, only 52% believe that their organization has the tools and people needed to respond to cyber incidents over the next two to three years. But, 58% of cybersecurity professionals said that the negative impact of worker shortages can be mitigated by filling key skills gaps. We found that those who continue their training, education and certification reimbursement programs were far better prepared to weather times of economic uncertainty. ISC2 is dedicated to empowering the current cybersecurity workforce and recruiting new professionals to join the ranks. Access to education – both certification training and continuing education – is critical for all.