Aug 30 2005

CISSP vs. CCISP

Published by Martin at 9:43 am under General

CISSP vs. CCISP creating confusion for certification holders

This one makes my eyeballs itch. I had to re-read the article several times to make sure I was reading the correct acronym in several paragraphs, not to mention proofread this entry very carefully. Do the folks at the Critical Infrastructure Institute really believe they’ve got anyone fooled?

The CII website is minimal to say the least. There’s no real information on the site, other than how to sign up for their classes, none of which are up to date. There is information on what is covered in the classes, and I guess we’re supposed to extrapolate from this what the CCISP is going to cover.

This looks like a cheap shot to use the reputation of the CISSP to build their own business. But looking at the number of classes that have been postponed, and the fact that there are currently no classes scheduled (TBA doesn’t count), I believe this is a flash in the pan. By the way, the ISSA site does list the CCISP, but the disclaimer at the top of the page makes it clear that this in no way constitutes an endorsement.

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5 Responses to “CISSP vs. CCISP”

  1. # elambon 30 Aug 2005 at 1:50 pm

    That CISSP/CCISP article made my eyes bleed.

  2. # Sean Miller IIIon 01 Sep 2005 at 10:52 am

    I agree it is strikingly similar… just like all of the other similar acronyms out there such as CCSP, CCSE, CCP, etc. There are only 26 letters in the alphabit and when you use Certification and Security there are two right there. There you go. I think they are doing a good thing hitting an area that is lacking. The CIP/SCADA industry is in severe need of training and there are few offering it. The website is lacking a bit but they also seem to have their main one under maintenance or construction or something. Remember, the CISSP took off slow too and was chastized by the Cisco and MS certified folks.

  3. # Ty Bodellon 01 Sep 2005 at 11:10 am

    Who are we counting on getting confused and what impact do we see that having? Anything past the acronyms of both the certs is obviously different: the intended audience, the scope of the cert, the requirements, etc.

    From the article: “Issuers of the CCISP say that it’s a completely different type of credential — one aimed at the critical-infrastructure sector — that actually complements the CISSP.”

    It goes on to say in the article that the issuers of the CCISP recommend that all potential students obtain the CISSP before the CCISP. Obviously the professionals looking to obtain these certifications know the differences between both.

  4. # Martinon 01 Sep 2005 at 11:28 am

    Ty, Sean,

    I don’t think I can agree with you about this being a legitimate certificate. It is obviously a for profit adventure that has no industry backing that I can see. They show a few sponsors, all of which are companies I’ve never heard of. Is there any any participation by any of the companies responsible for the actual critical infrastructure? Is there any participation, or at least recognition from the federal government? Who’s going to recognize the cert if neither of those two groups involved.

    And, yes, there are only 26 letters in the alphabet. So there are 26^5 or nearly 12 million possible options for a 5 letter acronym. So rather than re-arranging the letters of an existing cert acronym, why not create something significantly different enough to garner market recognition. I find it hard to believe the similarity was not intentional. Yes, those of us who have the CISSP are going to know the difference between the two. But is the HR drone or the average hiring manager?

    CII and the CCISP may be perfectly legitimate, but my initial review of the certificate and the company leave me with a lot more questions than answers. I agree we need a cert to show competence at protecting our critical infrastructure. I’m just not sure this is it.

  5. # Sean Miller IIIon 01 Sep 2005 at 11:53 am

    Seems to me that Plantdata’s CEO is a prodominant speaker in the SCADA world and is on several governing boards for the industry. I agree there is much left to be answered, and while this may not appear be the answer to the CI certification yet… it’s still a young certification and certainly the best start that anyone else has thus far. I think I’ll sit back and watch this one to see where it goes. It can end up either way over time.