http://fcw.com/blogs/insider/2009/04/fcw-insider-security-certification.aspx By John S. Monroe FCW Insider April 06, 2009 We have heard from a number of readers who see little value in requiring cybersecurity workers to have security-related industry certifications. They were responding to our report about a Senate bill that would require contractors to license and certify anyone providing cybersecurity-related services to a federal agency (you can read the story here [1]). Several of these readers are not impressed specifically with Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certifications. But certification, in general, is a bit of a red herring they said, because it does not reflect work experience, which is more valuable than test experience. So we can't help but wonder: What is the point of certification? How can federal agencies ensure that their cybersecurity staffers, and their contractors' staff, have the right skill sets? Meanwhile, here are excerpts from the comments we've received. * I've been certified since 2003 and have contact with many "certified" folks who have no experience with actual skills on the job. The cost of getting certified is high for both individuals and companies, yet the government still wants to award to the low bidder. Companies can't afford to spend a lot of money and not get a return on their investment in the people. It is also very difficult to retain trained 'professionals' no matter if they are trained while under government sponsorship or by their company. There is a lot of job hopping to increase salaries without remaining long enough to actually learn/perfect skills or truly contribute to the agency's mission. [1] http://fcw.com/Articles/2009/04/06/news-cybersecurity.aspx [...] _______________________________________________ Best Selling Security Books and More! http://www.shopinfosecnews.org/Received on Tue Apr 07 2009 - 23:01:07 PDT
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