

The U.S. Department of Defense Cyber Workforce Advisory Group Certification Committee officially added EC-Council’s Certified Network Defender (CND) as a baseline certification in Directive 8570 as a path forward to combat cyber enemies in four workforce categories.

This is the result of nearly 2 years of independent review, job role assessment, and vetting by the Department of Defense Information Assurance groups. The DoD workforce categories that now list the Certified Network Defender are Information Assurance Technical Level I (IAT I), IAT Level II (IAT II), Information Assurance Manager Level I (IAM I), and Cybersecurity Service Provider Infrastructure Support (CSSP-IS).

As the Network Security industry continues to grow, so does the skills-gap, with over 130,000 Network Security jobs listed on LinkedIn alone. According to a technology staffing agency Robert Half, the average annual salary of Network Security Engineers in the U.S. is $150,000. Recognizing the dire need for skilled, job-ready network defenders, the DoD added CND to their approved list of baseline certifications. This is a testament to the rigor and quality of the CND program.

EC-Council currently holds approvals in a variety of other categories, with its Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI), and Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO) programs.

While best known for the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) credential, EC-Council designed the CND program to target defensive cyber operations, also known as “Blue-Teaming.” This certification is designed to teach IT professionals how to defend IT Systems against attacks through best practices, hardening of the network, and a complete understanding of what cybercriminals are capable of.

“CND is the right blend of networking, IT, IA, and cybersecurity knowledge for anyone operating in a computing environment of any sort with administrative credentials. CND is the missing link in the IT profession today, creating a perfect bridge between IT and cyber by equipping network administrators and network operators with the skills needed to contribute to more secure organizations overall,” says Steven Graham, Sr. Vice President, EC-Council Global.

“The recognized DoD roles were previously filled by associations like CompTIA that focus on entry level certifications, but this is the first time that the Pentagon has recognized a pure Blue Team network defense course that is designed specifically for network defenders. Defense teams now have options that dig deeper into the cybersecurity skills required to fill these roles in the Department of Defense far more efficiently than ever before,” said Jay Bavisi, CEO of EC-Council Group.

About Certified Network Defender (CND):

CND is a skills-based, lab-intensive program based on a job-task analysis and cybersecurity education framework presented by the National Initiative of Cybersecurity Education (NICE). CND Training and certification is available online through EC-Council’s iClass (eLearning division), as well as through EC-Council’s expansive partner network, delivering training at over 700 locations in more than 140 countries. CND is also widely used by many top colleges and universities in their computer science and cybersecurity programs, offering students cutting edge education options in cybersecurity, as well as stackable credentials.

About EC-Council

EC-Council’s sole purpose is to build and refine the cybersecurity profession, globally. EC-Council helps individuals, organizations, educators, and governments address global workforce problems through the development of world-class cybersecurity education programs and their corresponding certifications and provides cybersecurity services to many of the largest organizations in the world.

Trusted by 7 of the Fortune 10, 47 of the Fortune 100, the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, NATO, and over 2000 of the best universities, colleges, and training companies, EC-Council programs have proliferated in over 140 Countries and have set the bar in cybersecurity education.

Best known for the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) program, EC-Council has equipped over 230,000 information-age soldiers with the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to fight and win against their black hat adversaries. EC-Council builds individual and team/organization cyber capabilities through the CEH Program and a variety of other cyber programs including Certified Secure Computer User (CSCU), Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI), Certified Security Analyst (ECSA), Certified Network Defender (CND), Certified SOC Analyst (CSA), Certified Threat Intelligence Analyst (CTIA), Certified Incident Handler (CIH), as well as the Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO).

EC-Council is an ANSI 17024 accredited organization and has earned recognition by the DoD under Directive 8140/8570, in the UK by the GCHQ and a variety of other authoritative bodies that influence the entire profession. Founded in 2001, EC-Council employs over 400 people worldwide with 10 global offices in the USA, UK, Malaysia, Singapore, India, and Indonesia. Its US offices are in Albuquerque, NM, and Tampa, FL.

Learn more at https://www.eccouncil.org. Visit the DoD Cyber Exchange website here: https://public.cyber.mil/cwmp/dod-approved-8570-baseline-certifications/

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Source: https://www.darkreading.com/prnewswire2.asp?rkey=20200210UN13681&filter=3849