2008 promises exceptional demand for professional certification

(ISC)2 has expanded its global education offerings to support the next phase of Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 8570.1 — a phase that will involve an unprecedented number of information assurance (IA) personnel seeking professional certification.

In 2008, the 8570.1 mandate will require that an additional 30 percent of an estimated 100,000 DoD IA workers obtain a commercial certification that has been accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or equivalent authorized body under the global ANSI/ISO/IEC Standard 17024. DoD certification efforts under 8570 began in 2007, with an initial 10 percent of the DoD IA workforce obtaining professional credentials, and will continue through 2010.

“We’re starting to see an increased volume of IA personnel enroll in education and testing to comply with this mandate,” says Lynn McNulty, CISSP, (ISC)2 director of government affairs. “As one of the few DoD 8570-compliant credentialing organizations, (ISC)2 has taken significant steps to help the DoD meet the growing demand. We are diligently working to support DoD as they move from 10 percent to 40 percent compliance for 2008.”