(ISC)²® introduces expert-level cyber forensics certification

The CCFP spans the digital forensics and information security disciplines. It reflects internationally accepted standards of practice, forensic techniques and procedures and the legal and ethical principles required of digital forensics professionals. The CCFP will provide employers with an objective measure of the kind of broad-based, but deep knowledge required of today’s experienced cyber forensics professionals.

As with all its credentials, (ISC)² conducted a job task analysis (JTA) study and exam development workshops to determine the scope and content of the CCFP credential programme. Subject matter experts from the (ISC)² membership and organisations from Africa, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States contributed to develop the Common Body of Knowledge (CBK®) that serves as the foundation for the credential, as well as the exam questions.

The CCFP provides multiple benefits to experienced cyber forensics professionals and to the organisations that employ them. For professionals, CCFP certification helps them to:
· Validate and enhance their standing as advanced cyber forensics professionals with a comprehensive, credible certification;
· Instill employer confidence in their abilities and expand career opportunities with a credential that confirms their current expertise as well as their capacity to grow and evolve with the forensics industry;
· Perform international forensics investigations, knowing that their CCFP counterparts in other countries will be using a common globally recognised body of knowledge; and
· Pursue ongoing education covering the latest advances in digital forensics science through the (ISC)2 periodic recertification process.

For organisations, the CCFP offers:
· Confidence that their team has the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct forensically sound and accurate investigations and serve as undisputed experts in courts of law;
· An inherent screening tool and standardised measure of qualification to advance their digital forensics teams by hiring and promoting the most qualified professionals;
· Increased organisational integrity, credibility in the eyes of clients/stakeholders; and
· Peace of mind that their cyber forensics team is committed and capable of progressing with the forensics field through the CCFP’s necessary Continuing Professional Education (CPE) requirements.

“Digital forensics professionals are becoming more and more essential to the security posture of any organisation,” said W. Hord Tipton, CISSP-ISSEP, CAP, CISA, executive director of (ISC)². “The CCFP is a comprehensive, expert-level programme that fills a significant void in the digital forensics certification market by validating the depth of senior-level professionals’ experience and expertise. It assures credential holders have the necessary breadth and depth of knowledge and thinking skills needed to address today’s complex cyber forensic challenges.”

“Today, cyber forensics is a discipline in its own right, with its requirement now essential across the digital landscape, including mobile. Given the international nature of cybercrime, it is vital that sound and commonly understood principles in the field be established, that these encompass the entire forensic process – right from discovering and handling evidence to keeping records in a manner that meets the needs of business, law enforcement and legal communities, and that these principles can be understood across borders,” said John Colley, managing director for (ISC)2 EMEA. “The forensics professional must also be cognizant of laws and rules for evidence handling within the jurisdictions in which they operate. The CCFP has been developed to support both requirements.”