CISSP certification holders have an opportunity to leverage their extensive real-world experience and knowledge to help define this major new professional qualification, leveraging their transferrable artificial intelligence (AI) skills to define relevant competence for AI security professionals.
Throughout cybersecurity history, there have been defining moments when practitioners came together to establish standards, frameworks and credentials that would guide the profession for decades.
When cybersecurity professionals began pursuing the CISSP, they inherited a credential that had already become the global benchmark for cybersecurity expertise. The exam domains, body of knowledge and professional standards had been established through the work of earlier practitioners who helped define what it meant to be a cybersecurity professional. The CISSP exam and course materials have constantly evolved over time, with extensive input from ISC2 members, to keep pace with the evolving cybersecurity landscape. Building on those foundations that were laid in 1994, the CISSP has endured and remained responsive to new technologies and best practices.
Today, however, CISSP holders have a rare opportunity to do for the next generation what others once did for them.
As ISC2 develops its new AI security certification, cybersecurity professionals are being invited to participate directly in the certification development process. From defining job tasks and required competencies to helping build and validate the exam itself, volunteers will play a critical role in establishing the profession’s next major credential.
For CISSP holders in particular, this represents a unique moment, perhaps even your CISSP moment.
The Profession Needs Cybersecurity Practitioners to Define AI Security
AI is transforming nearly every aspect of cybersecurity. Security teams are increasingly using AI-enabled technologies to automate operations, improve threat detection and accelerate analysis. At the same time, organizations are grappling with entirely new security challenges related to AI systems themselves, including model security, data integrity, governance, adversarial attacks and regulatory compliance.
As a result, employers are searching for professionals who can bridge the worlds of cybersecurity and AI. Yet the profession currently lacks a globally recognized, vendor-neutral standard for validating AI security expertise. The new ISC2 AI security certification is being developed to help address that need.
The important point is that ISC2 is not defining that standard in isolation. As with every existing ISC2 certification, the process is being driven by practitioners. Cybersecurity professionals will help determine the knowledge, skills and abilities that should define AI security competence and how those capabilities should be assessed.
CISSP Holders Already Bring AI-Relevant Expertise
Some CISSP holders may wonder whether they possess enough AI knowledge to contribute meaningfully to the development process.
The answer is almost certainly yes.
AI-related concepts are already integrated throughout all eight CISSP domains. Rather than treating AI as a separate discipline, the CISSP continues to embed AI security considerations across governance, architecture, operations, software development and risk management. The experience and judgement developed through CISSP practice provide exactly the kind of foundation needed to help shape a future AI security certification.
More Than Technical Knowledge
The value CISSP holders bring extends beyond their understanding of technology.
The CISSP has always represented a holistic view of cybersecurity—one that balances governance, risk management, technical controls, legal considerations and strategic decision-making. Those perspectives are essential as the profession works to define what responsible, secure AI implementation looks like.
Organizations do not need AI specialists alone. They need professionals who understand how AI intersects with enterprise risk, privacy, compliance, incident response, architecture and organization objectives. The broad perspective cultivated through CISSP experience can help lay the foundations for the new ISC2 AI security certification.
That practitioner perspective is particularly important because AI security continues to evolve rapidly. The new certification will need to establish a durable foundation while remaining relevant to technologies that are still changing. Experienced CISSP holders understand how enduring security principles can be applied to emerging technologies—a perspective that will be invaluable throughout the certification development process.
How to Get Involved
ISC2 is encouraging cybersecurity professionals to participate in several stages of the certification development process. Opportunities include contributing to Job Task Analysis activities, helping define required competencies, participating in item-development activities and supporting pilot exam efforts. Cybersecurity professionals can also participate in surveys and pilot examinations designed to validate the final certification structure and exam content.
Every contribution helps ensure the certification reflects how AI security is actually practiced in the field.
For CISSP holders, participation is more than volunteering. It is an opportunity to help define a new standard for the profession, contribute to the future of cybersecurity and leave a lasting impact on how AI security expertise is recognized around the world.
“You weren't there when the cybersecurity profession was defined. But you can be here for what comes next.”
That is what makes this a CISSP moment.
The next generation of cybersecurity professionals will inherit the standards created through this effort. The question is whether today's CISSP community will help shape them.
For You, By You: Join Us and Build ISC2's AI Security CertificationAs cybersecurity professionals evolve and adapt their skillset and job functions because of AI, ISC2 has announced the development of a new AI security certification to recognize and benchmark AI skills and competence within the cybersecurity workforce. The AI security certification development process presents an opportunity for cybersecurity professionals to input into the process and help define parameters for the certification. This is your moment to play a defining role at the foundation of this new certification:
For more information about the ISC2 AI security certification program and how to contribute to the various development activities taking place, go to https://www.isc2.org/new-ai-certification. |
