The Cloud Security Alliance today announced the launch of the Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust, an authoritative zero-trust training and credential program claimed to be a first in the cybersecurity industry.

The CCZT offers an in-depth understanding of zero-trust architecture, its components and its functioning. The course includes foundational zero-trust best practices released by sources such as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency and National Institution of Standards and Technology. It also covers work around the Software Defined Perimeter by CSA Research and guidance from renowned zero-trust experts such as John Kindervag, the founder of the philosophy.

The course and certification seek to address the growing demand for a zero-trust approach in information security. A poll from Gartner found that 60% of organizations are expected to embrace zero trust by 2025. The CSA argues that a zero-trust-based approach will inevitably become a requirement for organizations and a required skill for a range of security professionals, including security engineers and architects, C-suite and other decision-makers.

The alliance would like to see earning the CCZT become critical for organizations that maintain strong security postures and for security professionals to ensure they are equipped to implement the robust security measures required for taking a zero-trust approach.

The first recipients of the CCZT cover a range of individuals from companies and organizations, including Illumio Inc., Resilient Systems Inc., Waverly Labs LLC, the Department of Defense, Fischer Identity Corp., ZScaler Inc., Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, CISA, Ericom Software Inc., Cognitio Corp., Mastercard Inc., The MITRE Corp., 6point6 LLC, CrowdStrike Holdings Inc., Hudl Inc., Okta Inc. and Securosis Inc.

Patrick Tiquet, vice president of security and architecture at passwords and secrets management company Keeper Security Inc., told SiliconANGLE that “having a cybersecurity professional who can authenticate an in-depth understanding of zero-trust architecture, its components and its functioning with a reputable source such as the CSA Certificate of Competence in Zero Trust is indispensable.”

“The formal recognition of zero-trust expertise through a certificate assures organizations that the certified professional has undergone the training and demonstrated proficiency in designing and implementing effective zero-trust architectures,” Tiquet said. “This credibility not only helps accelerate the adoption process but will also reduce risks associated with the implementation, as organizations can rely on these certified professionals to make informed decisions aligned with zero-trust principles.”

Dean Webb, cybersecurity solutions engineer at threat mitigation company Merlin Interantional Inc., described CCZT as “ideal for disseminating these ideas that really need to be adopted not just by security professionals, but by all people in IT.”

“Security principles apply to everything we do, from coding web payments portals to answering emails from strangers,” Webb added. “The low total cost of certification makes it ideal for self-starters who have their own personal goals. People in other areas of IT that are looking to get into security would do well to snap it up.”

Image: CSA