Certification mapping application released by UK Cyber Security Council

The UK Cyber Security Council has unveiled the initial stage of a certification mapping programme built to help professionals in cyber to move forwards in their careers through security certification. 

The software has been put together to detail all available security certifications onto the 16 specialisms that were identified in the Cyber Body of Knowledge (CyBOK).

The UK Cyber Security Council has said that its overall aim is to establish a clear and comprehensive resource that will provide a pathway to security professionals towards valuable options, regardless of the direction they may take in their broader careers.  

As a starting point, the mapping tool includes at least one certification per specialism. However, the Council says it will bring in further options over time to make for a moreextensive offering, the end-goal being to deliver a comprehensive resource that will enrich the value of security professionals’ careers.

This recent addition to the Council’s resource base comes after the launch of a career mapping tool, which assists aspiring security professionals in exploring the initial pathways into the 16 specialisms. The Council says it trusts both tools willdovetail to provide a centralized resource for individuals to map out their professional journeys.

UK Cyber Security Council CEO Simon Hepburn said:

“There are so many different certifications within cyber security, which makes it difficult for candidates to know where to start.

“We know that there are multiple perceived barriers to a career in cyber, and at the Council we want to make sure that certification is not one of them. People spend time and money on getting certifications, and it’s important that they do so knowing the level they achieve is aligned to the specialism and role they want to secure.

“Starting out, a junior cyber professional may see senior people with multiple certifications – likely because they have acquired them throughout their career as different employers have required different skills. This can be overwhelming for new candidates, who may not realise they don’t need all of these certifications straight away.

Hepburn added: 

“We are developing a solution to this problem by providing clear advice on what certifications are necessary for each specialism, along with course costs and known providers. Once you’ve identified your specialism through our career mapping tool, we want to ensure the next steps are as straightforward as possible through our certification mapping tool.”

Specialisms existing currently include: cryptography and communications security; cyber security audit and assurance; cyber security generalist; cyber security governance and risk management; cyber security management; cyber threat intelligence; data protection and privacy; digital forensics; identity and access management; incident response; network monitoring and intrusion detection; secure operations; secure system architecture and design; secure system development; security testing; and vulnerability management. 

Besides its new set of tools, the Council is assembling its own array of certifications, issued at associate, principal and chartered levels.

The Council has stated that the UK security profession – which faces a shortfall of almost 15,000 per year, will improve as a result of better-aligned standardisation and a chartered model.