The telecoms firm BT and the IT industry body (ISC)² (“ISC-squared”) announced an agreement to offer training for the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and the Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) certifications within the BT Security Academy.
The agreement lets BT’s security staff, new recruits and key suppliers pursue (ISC)2’s professional certifications. The telecoms firm says the agreement is part of its strategy to meet a growing need for cybersecurity skills for the company and its customers. (ISC)2 will support the development of Official (ISC)2 Instructors within BT Security Academy, the delivery of training and the certification examinations. Commitments are in place to support an initial 80 candidates.
Rob Partridge, head of BT Security Academy, said: “As a major employer and service provider, we have a significant role to play in protecting the economy from growing cyber threats. (ISC)2 certifications are well recognised and communicate reassurance that the people who hold them have core knowledge and experience in the field. We are pleased to be offering this opportunity as part of our ambitious goal to help meet the need for more skilled cybersecurity professionals. We are seeing desire from the companies and consumers we serve for reassurance and leadership in cybersecurity which will be delivered through the talent we develop.”
BT, which reports that it employs more than 2,500 in security operations centres around the world, reports double-digit growth in demand for such services. Last month, the company announced an intake programme for 900 new recruits over the next 12 months. BT have defined criteria for assuring the competence and qualifications for a variety of roles. The CISSP covers both the risk management and technical knowledge within security, while the SSCP covers the practitioner-level knowledge across operations, IT and service roles.
According to the (ISC)2 Global Information Security Workforce Study, 44 percent of hiring managers struggle to meet current hiring needs and 62 percent acknowledge that their organisations have too few information security professionals; with nearly a third of those respondents indicating that they would like to see a 15 percent or greater increase in the security workforce at their employer. The study forecasts a global shortage of 1.5 million qualified information security professionals by 2020.
Faisal Malik, head of Business and Market Development, EMEA, (ISC)2, said: “As a nonprofit body, we are in a position to help companies and organisations set professional development programmes that can both supplement and support recruitment efforts. Certification encourages broad use of globally-recognised best practices and opens the door to membership in a community of ongoing professional development.”
And Dr Adrian Davis, CISSP, managing director, EMEA, (ISC)2 said: “BT have demonstrated a strong commitment to investing in the development of people needed to fill the well-recognised shortage of skilled professionals. They set an example that many more companies will need to follow if we are to tackle the cyber risks faced by every organisation,” said .
