Security Certifications Decline

According to a new Cyber IQ Defense Report from Brainbench, the number of new security certifications obtained over an 8-month period has declined significantly. Brainbench compared the number of security certifications obtained between November 2000 through July 2001 with the number of security certifications obtained between November 2001 through July 2002. The company examined certifications in a number of categories, including network security, WAN technologies, TCP/IP, Internet security, and disaster recovery and planning. The findings reveal that all categories of certifications have declined except disaster recovery and planning.

Brainbench's President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Russiello said, "Numerous recent studies, including the reports by the Business Software Alliance and the U.S. government's Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office, indicate that most U.S. businesses are unprepared to defend against cyber-attacks. In order to provide additional insight into this issue, we recently examined our comprehensive database and updated the information in our original Cyberdefense IQ report that was released last November. Through this, we have confirmed that certifications in important cyber defense areas are down significantly in almost every area in 2002 compared to 2001."

According to the numbers published in the report, network security certifications are down by 22 percent; WAN technologies certifications are down 79 percent; TCP/IP certifications are down 82 percent; Internet security certifications are down 91 percent; and disaster planning and recovery certifications are up by 90 percent.

For a detailed copy of the Brainbench Cyber Defense IQ Report in PDF format, visit the company's Web site. Note that Javascript is required to obtain the report.