UK Cyber Security Council launches certification mapping tool
The UK Cyber Security Council has launched the first phase of its certification mapping tool.
It has been created to map all available cyber security certifications onto the 16 specialisms identified by the Council, with the first phase now available.
The tool currently includes at least one certification per specialism, with more to be added. The Council aims to deliver a comprehensive resource that contains all options of value to each career path, and the tool will be updated regularly to include new certifications when they become available.
The announcement follows the launch of the Council’s career mapping tool, which provides details about pathways into the 16 cyber security specialisms, based on knowledge areas, earlier this year. Once complete, the certification mapping tool and the career mapping tool will work in combination to provide a centralised platform detailing routes into each specialism alongside the certifications that will act as a clear and accessible roadmap for each individual’s career.
Professor Simon Hepburn, CEO at the UK Cyber Security Council 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 that 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.
“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.”
Commissioned in 2019 by the then Department for Media Culture and Sport (DCMS), the Council is tasked with promoting and stewarding nationally recognised standards for cyber security in support of the UK Government’s National Cyber Security Strategy.