new DOD security certification standards

The US DOD (Department of Defense) has approved a set of base credentials that will lead to certification requirements for information security professionals. The (ISC) 2 Certification and Accreditation Professional (CAP) will be required for all DOD information assurance workers under the global ANSI/ISO/IEC Standard 17024.

This certificate requirement will ensure that the holder has deep knowledge of the Certification and Accreditation requirements including a formalized process for assessing IS risks and security requirements and ensuring that the systems have adequate security in place and compliance with regulatory data protection standards.

(ISC)2 is the same organization that maintains the "Certified Information Systems Security Professional" (CISSP) and the "Systems Security Certified Practitioner" (SSCP) certifications.

It also provides certifications for several concentrations of the CISSP, including the Information Systems Security Engineering Professional (ISSEP), the Information Systems Security Architecture Professional (ISSAP); and the Information Security Systems Management Professional (ISSMP).

In addition, recently NIST released a draft contingency planning guide for federal information systems, draft SP 800-34, Revision 1, for public comment. The draft is an upgrade to the original guide published in 2002. Comments are due by Jan. 6, 2010.