(ISC)2 Launches Certification Program For Cyber Forensics Experts

New Certified Cyber Forensics Professional (CCFP) will help train security pros to handle breaches, testify in court

(ISC)2 Monday introduced a new testing and certification program designed to help validate the skills of digital forensics professionals.

(ISC)2, which has certified the skills of more than 80,000 security professionals through its Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) program, launched a new program called the Certified Cyber Forensics Professional (CCFP).

The CCFP will test security forensics professionals in skills such as legal and ethical principles, digital investigations, forensic sciences, and malware analysis. The new certification will help build the credibility of forensics professionals when they are hired and when they are asked to testify in court.

In addition to passing the testing, a CCFP must demonstrate that he or she has as many as five years of experience in digital investigations and incident response.

"This is not a credential that we expect to have thousands of right away," says Hord Tipton, executive director of (ISC)2. "There will not be that many people who will complete a credential as serious as this one is, but those who do will have a level of credibility that will be useful in court as well as in the workplace."

CCFPs will be trained in conducting digital investigations following a breach, as well as the protection of the digital evidence trail, Tipton says. (ISC)2 has received interest from the American Bar Association in identifying professionals who are skilled in presenting digital evidence in court, he says.

CCFP testing will be given in specific geographies to help ensure that security professionals are trained in the digital evidence laws of a specific country or region, (ISC)2 said. The first two certification tests, which will be given in October, will be for the United States and Korea.

"When you're testifying before a jury who knows nothing about digital forensics, trust and faith in the witness' expertise is crucial," Tipton observes. "This credential will help security professionals build that trust and faith."

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