A recent Washington Post article reported that the D.C. region has more cyber job openings than any other area in the US. The requirement that candidates hold a CISSP certification was likely a factor in such a high percentage of jobs going unfilled, said the story. CISSP stands for Certified Information Systems Security Professional. In other words, organizations are not able to “fast-track anyone to being certification-ready” and thus aren’t able to fill positions.
Although the increased demand for the CISSP — (ISC)2‘s flagship certification — is great news at one level, it misses a larger point. The shortage of certified security experts reflects, to a certain extent, a lack of understanding about the types of certifications professionals can earn, and the requirements associated with them. I would encourage the US government and every industry building its cyber workforce to take the time to fully understand the career path of cyber professionals — and to do so prior to assessing their personnel needs and publishing job opening requirements.
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