Hi Ken,
Unfortunately, skills-based certification is the closest thing that exists
to what is really required, decent apprenticeships. While "virtual"
apprenticeships happen through hacker groups and to some regards in certain
on-line training venues, that doesn't come close to giving the well-rounded
skills a professional security tester needs in the modern workplace.
I was lucky enough to have a great mentor during my time at IBM and what
Peter Klee didn't teach me about just knowing how to be a "smart security
consultant" as he called it could fit in a thimble. For a year that guy
dragged me to analyst meetings and customer meetings and presentations and
internal department meetings where I just sat there with my mouth shut and
learned how security professionals handle themselves. That doesn't happen
these days. Kids leave college with a few infosec courses under their belt
and they become security professionals already assessing other people's
business. There's no substitute for proper apprenticeship. But since that
won't happen much anymore we need to find other ways to prove ourselves.
We do that by showing it to an independent 3rd party to rate our ability to
apply knowledge and skills to realistic problems in a timely manner. And
that's what ISECOM is doing. It's the closest thing you can get to proving
experience and ability like in an apprenticeship.
This whole thing about work experience voucher and all that is a sham that
more and more people get around. That doesn't mean anything! We all work
with people who share the same job title but not the same work ethic or
skills. Yet after 2 years they are the same level as you according to
these business experience certification requirements. It's so hokey that I
even have to use the word "hokey" and that alone is upsetting! ;)
Sincerely,
-pete.
Ken Kousky wrote:
When exploring certification programs it's also important to note that
ANSI/OSI have a standard for the certification of professional licensing and
certification programs. The ANSI/OSI framework does not allow for this kind
of approach, where you have to buy a specific training product or program.
A professional licensing process should be an independent test of
competencies and not a measure of the training program an individual
purchases.
The DoD 8570 directive endorses ANSI/OSI certified certification programs -
I think for this reason. It's not buying training but establishing
competencies that matters.
It's what you know, not what you buy. I think mostgood professional
certifications are moving in this direction.
We still have a long way to go before the processional standards for
competency are clearly codified. Right now, the targeted skills continue to
evolve with the exploits but we're starting to better understand the need
for foundation skills and then specific applications of these skills.
KWK
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