The computing industry has predicted to face a shortage of up to two million cybersecurity professionals in the next three years. In order to fill in that talent gap and build careers, Cisco has updated its certification portfolio, including adding a Global Cybersecurity Scholarship program to their posse.
Cisco Security Certification Updates
Cisco has just rolled out its newest CCNA certification: CCNA Cyber Ops. Geared towards security analysts working in a security operations center (SOC), it will help them track systems and identify attack areas.
The CCNA Cyber Ops will equip IT professionals with SOC skill sets like formulating and coordinating a response in the event of an attack. This is an additional certification to be completed alongside the original CCNA Security credential which has a stronger focus on the job role of a network security administrator.
While there are no specific preconditions to doing the new CCNA Cyber Ops certification, candidates must appear for the following exams:
- 210-250 SECFND: Understanding Cisco Cybersecurity Fundamentals
- 210-255 SECOPS: Implementing Cisco Cybersecurity Operations
Another Cisco certification to be revised is their CCIE Security credential. Over the next year, the company plans on overhauling the complete CCIE portfolio. This change is in sight of their new image for certification training along with incorporating the latest technology and threats, along with ways to counter them.
A taste of the new topics include advanced persistent threats (APTs), advanced malware protection, next-generation Intrusion Prevention Systems (next-gen IPS), virtualization, automation, and information exchange. Emerging technologies like Network Programmability, cloud, and the Internet of Things (IoT) will be on the candidates’ must-know lists.
Cisco’s $10M Scholarship Program
Cisco has released its plans to invest up to $10M over a two-year period to entice more people to enter the field of IT security. The company will also offer mentoring besides financing the training and exams to create a new battalion of Security Operations Center Analysts.
They plan to start this program in batches at various Cisco Authorized Learning Center partners. As each batch acquires the CCNA Cyber Ops credential over a six-month period, a new batch will be enrolled. Cisco has planned four such batches over two years.
