ISC2- Certified in Cybersecurity
ISC2 is committed to closing the cybersecurity skills and talent gap in the European Union. We pledge to offer free Cybersecurity Courses and Exams to 20,000 European Union individuals. The pledge is ongoing.
Our pledge
“Cybersecurity skills are the backbone of Europe’s digital economy, and we need to continue to prioritize workforce development to make inroads to decreasing critical staffing shortages,” said Clar Rosso, CEO, ISC2. “Through this collaboration with the European Commission, our goal is to help upskill and reskill 20,000 cybersecurity career pursuers in the E.U. Together, we are creating new pathways into rewarding and challenging cybersecurity careers and strengthening the cybersecurity workforce throughout Europe.”
Clar Rosso, Chief Executive Officer, ISC2
Our initiatives
Title: 20,000 FREE ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity Courses and Exams
Description: You will receive a free exam, as well as access to the ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity online self-paced education course. The self-paced course will take you through cybersecurity concepts like:
- Security Principles
- Business Continuity
- Disaster Recovery
- Incident Response Concepts
- Access Controls Concepts
- Network Security
- Security Operations
The training will equip you with the skills needed to handle the most common cybersecurity threats like phishing, malware, personal data theft, and ransomware attacks. After successfully completing the exam, your certification can demonstrate to employers that you have the foundational knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for an entry-level cybersecurity role. You will also become an ISC2 member, with access to a wide array of professional development resources to help you throughout your career.
Target: University students, recent graduates, employed or seeking employment, career changers or professionals wishing to expand their skills and opportunities.
Location: Online
Language: English and German
ISC2 is dedicated to reviewing and updating the status of this pledge every six months
Pledges Status Updates
ISC2 conducted a survey among individuals based in the EU who registered for the 1MN Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) programme, completed the training and passed the exam between 1 May 2023 and 1 September 2024. Here are the findings:
- 27,816 candidates registered by October 2024.
- Registrations exceeding ISC2 original pledge of 20,000 by 39%.
- 3,438 registrants have completed the training and passed the exam.
- Registrations cover all EU Member States.
- The pledge attracted registrations from across all workforce-ready age groups.
- The demographic background of candidates reflects diversity, with 21% belonging to ethnic groups other than white.
- Women represent 19% of the survey respondents.
- 58% of the respondents list their motivation for completing CC as “securing a job” or “starting a career in cybersecurity”.
- 42% of the respondents were not in cybersecurity roles before registering for CC.
- 35.6% of the respondentsjoined a cybersecurity or IT role, following completion of CC.
Background
The ISC2 2023 Workforce Study estimates the unfilled European demand for cybersecurity professionals stands at 274,000.
Over two-thirds of European respondents stated that their organizations have a shortage of cybersecurity staff to prevent and troubleshoot cybersecurity issues. The cybersecurity workforce in Europe needs to grow by nearly 30% at present to effectively secure organizations’ critical assets.
Want to know more? Watch now the video testimonial by ISC2 and their partner ReDI School of Digital Integration.