• The U.S. job market has almost 600,000 openings requesting cybersecurity-related skills. 
• Employers are struggling to fill these openings due to a general cyber-skill shortage, with many openings remaining vacant each year. 
• When evaluating prospective information-security candidates, employers should look for certifications as an important measure of excellence and commitment to quality.
• This article is for business owners looking to hire cybersecurity experts, or for individuals interested in pursuing a cybersecurity career. 

Cybersecurity is one of the most crucial areas for ensuring a business’s success and longevity. With cyberattacks growing in sophistication, it’s essential for business owners to protect their companies by hiring qualified cybersecurity experts to manage this aspect of their business. The best candidates will have a certification in information security and cybersecurity. This guide breaks down the top certifications and other guidance you’ll need to make the right hire for your company. It’s also a great primer for individuals who are embarking on a cybersecurity career.

Best information security and cybersecurity certifications

When evaluating prospective InfoSec candidates, employers frequently look to certification as an important measure of excellence and commitment to quality. We examined five InfoSec certifications we consider to be leaders in the field of information security today.

This year’s list includes entry-level credentials, such as Security+, as well as more advanced certifications, like Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA). According to CyberSeek, more employers are seeking CISA, CISM and CISSP certification holders than there are credential holders, which makes these credentials a welcome addition to any certification portfolio.

Absent from our list of the top five is SANS GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC). Although this certification is still a very worthy credential, the job board numbers for CISA were so solid that it merited a spot in the top five. Farther down in this guide, we offer some additional certification options because the field of information security is both wide and varied.

1. CEH: Certified Ethical Hacker

The CEH (ANSI) certification is an intermediate-level credential offered by the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC-Council). It’s a must-have for IT professionals who are pursuing careers in white hat hacking and certifies their competence in the five phases of ethical hacking: reconnaissance, enumeration, gaining of access, access maintenance and track covering. 

CEH credential holders possess skills and knowledge of hacking practices in areas such as footprinting and reconnaissance, network scanning, enumeration, system hacking, Trojans, worms and viruses, sniffers, denial-of-service attacks, social engineering, session hijacking, web server hacking, wireless networks and web applications, SQL injection, cryptography, penetration testing, IDS evasion, firewalls and honeypots. CEH V11 provides a remapping of the course to the NIST/NICE framework’s Protect and Defend (PR) job role category, as well as an additional focus on emerging threats in cloud, OT and IT security, such as fileless malware.

To obtain a CEH (ANSI) certification, candidates must pass one exam. A comprehensive five-day CEH training course is recommended, with the test presented at the course’s conclusion. Candidates may self-study for the test but must submit documentation of at least two years of work experience in information security with employer verification. Self-study candidates must also pay an additional $100 application fee. Education may be substituted for experience, but this is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Candidates who complete any EC-Council-approved training (including with the iClass platform, academic institutions or an accredited training center) do not need to submit an application prior to attempting the exam.

Because technology in the field of hacking changes almost daily, CEH credential holders are required to obtain 120 continuing-education credits for each three-year cycle.

Once a candidate obtains the CEH (ANSI) designation, a logical progression on the EC-Council certification ladder is the CEH (Practical) credential. The CEH (Practical) designation targets the application of CEH skills to real-world security audit challenges and related scenarios. To obtain the credential, candidates must pass a rigorous six-hour practical examination. Conducted on live virtual machines, candidates are presented 20 scenarios with questions designed to validate a candidate’s ability to perform tasks such as vulnerability analysis, identification of threat vectors, web app and system hacking, OS detection, network scanning, packet sniffing, steganography and virus identification. Candidates who pass both the CEH (ANSI) and the CEH (Practical) exams earn the CEH (Master) designation.

CEH facts and figures

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) training

While EC-Council offers both instructor-led and online training for its CEH certification, IT professionals have plenty of other options for self-study materials, including video training, practice exams and books.

Pluralsight currently offers an ethical-hacking learning path geared toward the 312-50 exam. With a monthly subscription, you get access to all of these courses, plus everything else in Pluralsight’s training library. Through Pluralsight’s learning path, students can prepare for all of the domains covered in the CEH exam.  

CyberVista offers a practice test for the CEH 312-50 certification that includes several sets of exam-like questions, custom quizzes, flash cards and more. An test prep subscription for 180 days costs $149 and gives candidates access to online study materials, as well as the ability to obtain the materials for offline study. Backed by its “pass guarantee,” CyberVista is so confident its practice test will prepare you for the CEH test that the company will refund its practice questions costs if you don’t pass.

FYI: Besides certifications in information security and cybersecurity, the best IT certifications cover areas such as disaster recovery, virtualization and telecommunications.

2. CISM: Certified Information Security Manager

The CISM certification is a top credential for IT professionals who are responsible for managing, developing and overseeing information security systems in enterprise-level applications or for developing organizational security best practices. The CISM credential was introduced to security professionals in 2003 by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).

ISACA’s organizational goals are specifically geared toward IT professionals who are interested in the highest-quality standards with respect to the auditing, control and security of information systems. The CISM credential targets the needs of IT security professionals with enterprise-level security management responsibilities. Credential holders possess advanced and proven skills in security risk management, program development and management, governance, and incident management and response.

Holders of the CISM credential, which is designed for experienced security professionals, must agree to ISACA’s code of ethics, pass a comprehensive examination, possess at least five years of experience in information security management, comply with the organization’s continuing education policy and submit a written application. Some combinations of education and experience may be substituted for the full experience requirement.

The CISM credential is valid for three years, and credential holders must pay an annual maintenance fee of $45 (ISACA members) or $85 (nonmembers). Credential holders are also required to obtain a minimum of 120 continuing professional education (CPE) credits over the three-year term to maintain the credential. At least 20 CPE credits must be earned every year.

CISM facts and figures

Other ISACA certification program elements

In addition to CISM, ISACA offers numerous certifications for those interested in information security and best practices. Other credentials worth considering include the following:

• Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
• Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT)
• Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)

The CISA designation was created for professionals working with information systems auditing, control or security and is popular enough with employers to earn it a place on the leaderboard. The CGEIT credential targets IT professionals working in enterprise IT management, governance, strategic alignment, value delivery, and risk and resource performance management. IT professionals who are seeking careers in all aspects of risk management will find that the CRISC credential nicely meets their needs.

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) training

Pluralsight offers a CISM learning path containing five courses and 17 hours of instruction. The courses cover the domains addressed in the exam, but the learning path is aimed at the CISM job practice areas. 

CyberVista offers a CISM online training course in both live and on-demand formats. The course includes more than 16 hours of training videos, supplementary lessons, custom quizzes, practice test questions and access to experts through the instructor. As with other CyberVista courses, the CISM training course comes with a “pass guarantee.” 

Did you know?: According to CyberSeek, there are enough workers to fill only 68% of the cybersecurity job openings in the U.S. A cybersecurity certification is an important way to demonstrate the knowledge and ability to succeed in these job roles.

3. CompTIA Security+

CompTIA’s Security+ is a well-respected, vendor-neutral security certification. Security+ credential holders are recognized as possessing superior technical skills, broad knowledge and expertise in multiple security-related disciplines.

Although Security+ is an entry-level certification, the ideal candidates possess at least two years of experience working in network security and should consider first obtaining the Network+ certification. IT pros who obtain this certification have expertise in areas such as threat management, cryptography, identity management, security systems, security risk identification and mitigation, network access control, and security infrastructure. The CompTIA Security+ credential is approved by the U.S. Department of Defense to meet Directive 8140/8570.01-M requirements. In addition, the Security+ credential complies with the standards for ISO 17024.

The Security+ credential requires a single exam, currently priced at $381. (Discounts may apply to employees of CompTIA member companies and full-time students.) Training is available but not required.

IT professionals who earned the Security+ certification prior to Jan. 1, 2011, remain certified for life. Those who certify after that date must renew the certification every three years to stay current. To renew, candidates must obtain 50 continuing-education units (CEUs) or complete the CertMaster CE online course prior to the expiration of the three-year period. CEUs can be obtained by engaging in activities such as teaching, blogging, publishing articles or whitepapers, and participating in professional conferences and similar activities.

CompTIA Security+ facts and figures

CompTIA Security+ training

You’ll find several companies offering online training, instructor-led and self-study courses, practice exams and books to help you prepare for and pass the Security+ exam.

Pluralsight offers a Security+ learning path as a part of its monthly subscription plan for the latest SY0-601 exam. Split into six sections, the training series is more than 24 hours long and covers attacks, threats and vulnerabilities; architecture and design; implementation of secure solutions; operations and incident response; and governance, risk and compliance.

CyberVista offers a Security+ practice test so you can test your security knowledge before attempting the SY0-601 exam. The test comes with a 180-day access period and includes multiple sets of test questions, key concept flash cards, access to InstructorLink experts, a performance tracker and more. As with CyberVista’s other offerings, this practice test comes with a “pass guarantee.”

4. CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional

CISSP is an advanced-level certification for IT pros who are serious about careers in information security. Offered by the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, known as (ISC)2 (pronounced “ISC squared”), this vendor-neutral credential is recognized worldwide for its standards of excellence.

CISSP credential holders are decision-makers who possess the expert knowledge and technical skills necessary to develop, guide and manage security standards, policies and procedures within their organizations. The CISSP certification continues to be highly sought after by IT professionals and is well recognized by IT organizations. It is a regular fixture on most-wanted and must-have security certification surveys.

CISSP is designed for experienced security professionals. A minimum of five years of experience in at least two of (ISC)2’s eight common body of knowledge (CBK) domains, or four years of experience in at least two of (ISC)2’s CBK domains and a college degree or an approved credential, is required for this certification. The CBK domains are security and risk management, asset security, security architecture and engineering, communications and network security, identity and access management, security assessment and testing, security operations, and software development security.

(ISC)2 also offers three CISSP concentrations targeting specific areas of interest in IT security:

• Architecture (CISSP-ISSAP)
• Engineering (CISSP-ISSEP)
• Management (CISSP-ISSMP)

Each CISSP concentration test is $599, and credential seekers must currently possess a valid CISSP.

An annual fee of $125 is required to maintain the CISSP credential. Recertification is required every three years. To recertify, candidates must earn 40 CPE credits each year, for a total of 120 CPE credits within the three-year cycle.

CISSP facts and figures 

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) training

Given the popularity of the CISSP certification, there is no shortage of available training options. These include classroom-based training offered by (ISC)2, as well as online video courses, practice exams and books from third-party companies.

Pluralsight’s CISSP learning path includes 12 courses and 25 hours of e-learning covering the security concepts required for the certification exam. Available for a low monthly fee, the CISSP courses are part of a subscription plan that gives IT professionals access to Pluralsight’s complete library of video training courses.

When you’re ready to test your security knowledge, you can take a simulated test that mimics the format and content of the real CISSP exam. Udemy offers CISSP practice exams to help you prepare for this challenging exam.

5. CISA: Certified Information Systems Auditor

ISACA’s globally recognized CISA certification is the gold standard for IT workers seeking to practice in information security, audit control and assurance. Ideal candidates can identify and assess organizational threats and vulnerabilities, assess compliance, and provide guidance and organizational security controls. CISA-certified professionals demonstrate knowledge and skill across the CISA job practice areas of auditing, governance and management, acquisition, development and implementation, maintenance and service management, and asset protection.

To earn the CISA certification, candidates must pass one exam, submit an application, agree to the code of professional ethics, agree to the CPE requirements and agree to the organization’s information systems auditing standards. In addition, candidates must possess at least five years of experience working with information systems. Some substitutions for education and experience with auditing are permitted.

To maintain the CISA certification, candidates must earn 120 CPE credits over a three-year period, with a minimum of 20 CPE credits earned annually. Candidates must also pay an annual maintenance fee ($45 for members; $85 for nonmembers).

CISA facts and figures

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) training

Training opportunities for the CISA certification are plentiful. Udemy offers more than 160 CISA-related courses, lectures, practice exams, question sets and more. On Pluralsight, you’ll find 12 courses with 27 hours of information systems auditor training covering all CISA job practice domains for the CISA job practice areas.

Beyond the top 5: More cybersecurity certifications

In addition to these must-have credentials, many other certifications are available to fit the career needs of any IT professional interested in information security. Business owners should consider employing workers with these credentials as well.

• The SANS GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) certification remains an excellent entry-level credential for IT professionals seeking to demonstrate that they not only understand information security terminology and concepts but also possess the skills and technical expertise necessary to occupy “hands-on” security roles.
• If you find incident response and investigation intriguing, check out the Logical Operations CyberSec First Responder (CFR) certification. This ANSI-accredited and U.S. DoD-8570-compliant credential recognizes security professionals who can design secure IT environments, perform threat analysis, and respond appropriately and effectively to cyberattacks. Logical Operations also offers other certifications, including Master Mobile Application Developer (MMAD), Certified Virtualization Professional (CVP), Cyber Secure Coder and CloudMASTER.
• The associate-level Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate certification is aimed at analysts in security operations centers at large companies and organizations. Candidates who qualify through Cisco’s global scholarship program may receive free training, mentoring and testing to help them achieve a range of entry-level to expert certifications that the company offers. CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+), which launched in 2017, is a vendor-neutral certification designed for professionals with three to four years of security and behavioral analytics experience.
• The Identity Management Institute offers several credentials for identity and access management, data protection, identity protection, identity governance and more. The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), which focuses on privacy, has a small but growing number of certifications as well.
• The SECO-Institute, in cooperation with the Security Academy Netherlands and APMG, is behind the Cyber Security & Governance Certification Program; SECO-Institute certifications aren’t well known in the United States, but their popularity is growing. 
• It also may be worth your time to browse the Chartered Institute of Information Security accreditations, the U.K. equivalent of the U.S. DoD 8570 certifications and the corresponding 8140 framework.

Also, consider these five entry-level cybersecurity certifications for more options.

Tip: Before you decide to purchase training for a certification or an test voucher, see if your employer will cover the cost. Employers may cover all or part of the cost if you have a continuing education or training allowance, or if the certification is in line with your current or potential job duties.

Information security and cybersecurity jobs

According to CyberSeek, the number of cybersecurity job openings in the U.S. stands at almost 598,000, with about 1.05 million cybersecurity professionals employed in today’s workforce. Projections continue to be robust: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects 33% growth in information security analyst positions between 2020 and 2030; in comparison, the average rate of growth for all occupations is about 8%.

Security-related job roles include information security specialist, security analyst, network security administrator, system administrator (with security as a responsibility) and security engineer, as well as specialized roles, like malware engineer, intrusion analyst and penetration tester.

Average salaries for information security specialists and security engineers – two of the most common job roles – vary depending on the source. For example, SimplyHired reports about $74,000 for specialist positions, whereas Glassdoor‘s national average is about $108,000. For security engineers, SimplyHired reports almost $112,000, while Glassdoor’s average is more than $111,000, with salaries on the high end reported at $261,000. Note that these numbers frequently change as the sources regularly update their data. [Meet the man who kept Microsoft safe and secure for more than a decade.]

Our informal job board survey from April 2022 reports the number of job posts nationwide in which our featured certifications were mentioned on a given day. This should deliver you an idea of the relative popularity of each certification.

Job board search results (in alphabetical order by cybersecurity certification)

Did you know?: Cybersecurity matters even when you’re traveling. Find out how to keep your computer secure when you’re on the road for business or pleasure.

The importance of hiring information security and cybersecurity professionals

According to Risk Based Security‘s 2021 Year End Data Breach Quickview Report, there were 4,145 publicly disclosed breaches throughout 2021, containing over 22 billion records. This is the second-highest number of breached records, after an all-time high the year before. The U.S. was particularly affected, with the number of breaches increasing 10% compared with the previous year. More than 80% of the records exposed throughout 2021 were due to human error, highlighting an ever-increasing need for cybersecurity education, as well as for highly skilled and trained cybersecurity professionals. [Learn how to recover from a data breach.]

If you’re serious about advancing your career in the IT field and are interested in specializing in security, certification is a great choice. It’s an effective way to validate your skills and show a current or prospective employer that you’re qualified and properly trained. If you’re a business owner, hiring certified professionals and skilled IT managers can help prevent cyberattacks and provide confidence that your company’s security is in the right hands. In the meantime, review our quick cybersecurity tips to Strengthen your company’s protection.

Jeremy Bender contributed to the writing and research in this article.

First Standard Insurance Brokers Limited has been awarded the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification.

This was disclosed at an event to unveil the certification in Lagos on Friday.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, First Standard Insurance Brokers Limited, Mrs Adetayo John–Fishers, whilel speaking said in March 2022, FSIB attained 20 years of a very successful business operation in Nigeria.

She said, “Acknowledging the help of God in these years, our organisation has been opportuned to provide both insurance and reinsurance services across sectors of the economy to clients, engaging in leadership position.

“This includes but not limited to aviation insurance, for the fastest growing airline in Africa, oil and gas including national producer, the public sector in for the largest life insurance scheme in Nigeria, financial institutions including the bankers bank, state governments, construction companies, telecoms, hospitality, the health sector including the existing and best equipped private health care provider in our nation, various SMEs and high net worth individuals among many others.”

The Commissioner for Insurance, Mr Sunday Thomas, who was represented by a top official of the commission, Kenneth Egun, said, “First Standard Insurance Brokers Limited is highly commended for implementing ISO. By this, it is fulfilling its role of helping Nigeria’s economic agenda.”

The President, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, Mr Edwin Egbiti, said the certification showed that the industry was doing something good.

He said, “In these 20 years, we don’t expect anything lower. First Standard Insurance Broker has been delivering service but what this certification is saying is that there is still more to be done in terms of insurance penetration.”

BACHENBÜLACH, Switzerland, Oct. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Juice Technology AG, producer of electric charging stations and software and the market leader in portable chargers for electric vehicles (EVs), today announced that it has received international certification in accordance with the ISO/SAE 21434 "Road vehicles – Cybersecurity engineering" standard.

"Adoption of the ISO standard is the consistent continuation of our three-level concept for security in electromobility, which we presented at our Juice World Charging Day 2021," said Christoph Erni, founder and CEO of Juice Technology AG. "We are once again a step ahead of our competitors and continue our focus on cyber security. Even though this cyber security standard isn't mandatory for suppliers to automotive manufacturers yet, sooner or later it will become a must for the entire industry. We are adopting it today to continue our focus as a strong partner for OEMs."

Increasing interoperability between vehicles, charging stations, energy management systems and network operators conceals a growing risk of outages because disruptions to electronic systems can spread across individual subsystems. Prevention is therefore the easiest way to reduce cyber risks. For charging infrastructure, this means that security aspects must already be firmly established in the design and development phase. This "security by design" approach begins with procurement of the hardware components, continues in software design and includes all communication processes. Generally accepted coding standards, code analysis tools and code reviews contribute to the reduction of risks. Tried and tested practices ensure more effective quality assurance here.

Measures which are defined in the new ISO standard 21434 offer greater security for product developers, OEMs and their suppliers. As an OEM supplier, Juice not only carries out production in automotive-certified factories but also now has the latest certification in cyber security engineering.

The ISO/SAE 21434 standard was published in August 2021 and relates to components, spare parts and accessories for production vehicles. It covers all phases in the life cycle of a vehicle – from development through production, operation and maintenance to recycling. Although infrastructure outside the vehicle is not actually covered by the standard, charging infrastructure, as an inextricably linked part of e-vehicle infrastructure, is directly affected by it.

For more information about the technical features of Juice Technology solutions visit: https://juice.world/en/technical-highlights.

About Juice Technology

Juice Technology AG is a globally active producer of charging solutions for electric vehicles. The company's comprehensive product portfolio, featuring AC and DC charging stations ranging from lightweight portable devices to large fast chargers, makes it one of the very few full-range vendors in the industry. Juice has dominated the market for portable 22-kW charging stations since 2014. To find out more about the company, its products and solutions, go to www.juice-world.com. You can also follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

TDSi announced it has achieved Cyber Essentials Plus Certification following its initial Cyber Essentials certification back in June.

Cyber Essentials Plus further demonstrates the company’s dedication to fully securing its operations, as well as its products and services, with a hands-on technical verification by an independent assessor, following an earlier self-assessment.

Backed by the U.K. government through the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Cyber Essentials helps any size or type of organization to protect itself, its customers and partners, and anyone else that relies on it from a range of common and potentially dangerous cyber attacks.

Alex Rumsey, Sales Director at TDSi commented, “We are delighted to have received certification for Cyber Essentials Plus, which builds still further on our initial certification earlier this year. Having this additional level of assessment is a clear indication to TDSi’s customers and partners that we take our own cybersecurity just as seriously as that of our products and that no part of our operations is left exposed to potential threats.”

To gain Cyber Essentials Plus certification TDSi’s IT infrastructure was thoroughly assessed in person by a technical expert, following the initial remote assessment for TDSi’s initial Cyber Essentials certification by IASME Consortium Ltd. By testing TDSi’s network and IT devices, the independent assessor was able to check for any potential issues that may have been missed at the self-assessment stage and to offer additional advice if required.

Cyber Essentials Plus enables TDSi to demonstrate the cybersecurity of its whole IT infrastructure including onsite systems, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) elements, cloud-based systems, and externally managed IT services, along with appropriate password management, malware protection, and security updates management.

Alex added, “This is further proof that TDSi and our products offer the highest levels of protection and security. Any security system – be it physical security or IT security – is only as well protected as its weakest point. With the two sides of security now inextricably linked, it is essential that we demonstrate full IT integrity and Cyber Essentials Plus does just that, so we are very proud to boast this latest certification as proof of this.”

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blumira, a leading cybersecurity provider of automated threat detection and response technology, today announced it is officially SOC 2 Type 2 certified following the successful completion of its Type 2 examination. Blumira's cloud security information and event management (SIEM) help organizations of all sizes with limited security resources detect and respond to cybersecurity threats faster to stop ransomware and breaches.

To achieve this critical third-party assessment, Blumira underwent a rigorous independent audit performed by certified public accountant (CPA) firm ByteChek Assurance to ensure that Blumira's security protocols and use of data meet the strict data security requirements established by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). SOC 2 is a reporting framework for service organizations, developed by the AICPA, that specifies how organizations should manage customer data, based on the following Trust Services Criteria: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. This certification builds on Blumira completing its SOC 2 Type 1 examination in October 2021.

"We are proud to achieve SOC 2 Type 2 compliance," said Matt Warner, CTO and Co-Founder of Blumira. "Our team is dedicated to preserving the security and integrity of our customer's data. Successfully completing the SOC 2 examination shows our customers, partners, and the market at large the importance we place on security and building a cybersecurity product that customers can trust. As new compliance standards emerge and regulations become more strict, this is becoming increasingly important."

Blumira's SOC 2 Type 2 report provides detailed information and assurance about the security, availability, and integrity of the systems used to process users' data, and the confidentiality and privacy of the information those systems process. These reports help customers, MSPs, and partners assess Blumira's systems and the suitability of the design of the company's controls, as they can gain insight into Blumira's security processes, internal governance and risk management processes, and regulatory oversight.

Commitment to compliance

Blumira is committed to security, reliability, and compliance within its internal organization, and Blumira's team is committed to helping customers and partners understand and achieve compliance regulations quickly and easily. Blumira's platform helps organizations meet compliance, such as the updated Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Safeguards Rule. Business and IT leaders must prioritize implementing solutions and processes to meet these new requirements, with the impending deadline of December 9, 2022. 

Blumira's platform helps companies meet additional compliance requirements, including Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), National Institute of Standards in Technology (NIST), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), HIPAA, Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), Center for Internet Security (CIS), and more by providing:

• At least one year of log data retention
• Audit trails, with data encrypted at rest and in transit
• Monitoring of unauthorized activity, with fast detection (under a minute for real-time detections) and response

Customers recognize and value Blumira's ability to help them meet compliance controls, save time on security tasks, focus on real threats, and protect against breaches. Blumira customer Mike Morrow, Technical Infrastructure Manager for Ottawa County, said, "We're required by CJIS and IRS Pub 1075 compliance to review our logs daily. Blumira has saved us time because we can't monitor all of our logs–we would need a team of 100 to go through all of these logs manually."

Going Beyond Compliance

Blumira's cloud-based SIEM platform combines logging with automated detection and response for better security outcomes and consolidated security spend. The platform includes threat intelligence feeds, threat hunting, continuously updated detection rules, honeypots, both automated and guided playbooks for response, and at least one year of data retention with quick access to reports needed to meet compliance requirements.

Blumira can help organizations without dedicated security teams or expertise meet compliance regulations, streamline security, focus on real threats, and protect against breaches.

Learn more about Blumira's commitment to security and reliability, as well as the different compliance regulatory controls and requirements that Blumira's platform helps customers from all different industries meet for logging, detection, response, audit trails, and much more.

For more information on Blumira, please visit https://www.blumira.com/.

About Blumira

Blumira's mission is to help SMBs and mid-market companies detect and respond to cybersecurity threats faster to stop breaches and ransomware. Blumira's all-in-one SIEM platform combines logging with automated detection and response for better security outcomes and consolidated security spend. Blumira was recognized by G2 as a Momentum leader, ranked as 'Best Support,' 'Fastest Implementation,' and 'Easiest to Use' in the G2 Fall 2022 Grid® Reports. Meet compliance controls, save time on security tasks, focus on real threats and protect against a breach faster than ever with Blumira.

It was only in June last year when we reported how Immersive Labs, a platform that teaches cybersecurity skills to employees in a “gamified” way, had closed a $75 million Series C funding round. As of today, the company just pulled in another $66 Million, taking the total raised to $189 million.

And it can perhaps put its success partly to COVID-19. The company has previously said the new wave of interest in cybersecurity by organizations has been caused by so many people shifting to working remotely, a habit acquired during the pandemic and which now increasingly companies implement by default.

Ten Eleven Ventures led the latest raise, while existing investors Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Summit Partners, Insight Partners, Menlo Ventures and Citi Ventures all participated in the round.

Immersive Labs originated from the CYLON cyber accelerator in London, an idea borne of founder James Hadley, a former GCHQ security researcher, and trainer, who realized ordinary employees needed a better way to learn cybersecurity as they were the weakest links in most organizations.

The capital will be used to boost its “Cyber Workforce Resilience” category and deliver solutions to enterprise customers like Citi, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, Pfizer, Daimler, Humana, Atos and the U.K. National Health Service.

In a statement Hadely said: “Attracting new investment during a difficult time overall for the tech sector underscores the incredible demand for Immersive Labs’ disruptive, people-centric approach to cybersecurity. Proving cyber resilience has increasingly become a Board and C-level consideration.”

Immersive has also beefed-up its executive team, adding Sandra McDevitt as chief human resources officer and Lucian Lui as chief marketing officer. Dave Palmer (Ten Eleven general partner and Darktrace founder and former chief product officer) will join the company’s board, while Jack Huffard (Tenable co-founder and current non-executive director of Immersive) becomes chair.

Palmer added: “As we see more focus on proving cyber resilience across public and private sectors, Immersive Labs stands to play a key role in the future of cybersecurity.”

Validates Company’s Revolutionary FPGA-based Protocol Filtering Data Diode Technology

XDE Radium

XD Verge

Columbia, MD, Oct. 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Owl Cyber Defense Solutions (“Owl”), the global market leader in hardware-enforced cross domain and data diode network security solutions, today announced the Common Criteria certification of its XDE Radium data diode solution at Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL) 4+. The certification marks a significant milestone in the validation of Owl’s revolutionary FPGA-based protocol filtering data diode technology, which also recently completed U.S. Government Data Diode Evaluation.

“XDE Radium represents a new benchmark in hardware-enforced boundary protection for critical network operators,” commented Ken Walker, President and CEO of Owl. “We’re pleased to receive this certification which, along with XDE Radium’s completed U.S. Government Data Diode Evaluation, provides assurance to our customers that solutions based on this revolutionary technology are providing the strongest possible protection for their networks.”

XDE Radium is part of Owl’s XDE line of advanced, hardware-enforced, embeddable data diode modules and is featured in Owl’s XD Verge solution. It provides assured one-way data transfers with packet filtering via UDP (unicast or multicast). Unlike other data diode solutions on the market, XDE Radium performs protocol (AKA packet header) filtering in FPGA hardware, not a CPU, providing line-rate filtering and transfer at far lower latency with none of the software-based vulnerabilities inherent in CPU-based solutions. This filtering mitigates low level protocol attacks that are difficult or impossible for firewalls and other security solutions to address.

“This certification is an affirmation of a major accomplishment by Owl’s Advanced Development Team, and further establishes Owl as the market leader in data diode solutions,” said Michael Blake, Chief Architect at Owl. “Owl’s FPGA-based protocol filtering technology is a pioneering leap forward in hardware-enforced cybersecurity and represents the future of the industry. The competition is officially on notice.”

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The certification and associated report can be downloaded at the Common Criteria portal website under the Boundary Protection Devices and Systems category. More information about XDE Radium and the XDE line of data diode solutions can be found at owlcyberdefense.com.

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About Owl
Owl Cyber Defense cross domain and data diode solutions provide hardened network security checkpoints for absolute threat prevention and secure data sharing. Certified by the U.S. government, independent testing authorities, and international standards bodies, Owl technologies and services help to secure the network edge and enable controlled unidirectional and bidirectional data transfers. For over 20 years, clients worldwide in defense, intelligence, and critical infrastructure have trusted Owl’s unmatched expertise to protect networks, systems, and devices. Owl is a portfolio company of U.S.-based private equity firm, DC Capital Partners. Learn more at https://owlcyberdefense.com/.

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CONTACT: Carrie VanBuskirk Owl Cyber Defense owl@w2comm.com

COLOGNE, Germany, Oct. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- infodas, leading provider of Cross Domain Solutions (CDS), announces that its SDoT Security Gateway has officially received the (National IT Evaluation Scheme) NITES certification from the prestigious Cyber Security Agengy of Singapore. This top-tier certification once again ensures that the SDoT Secrity Gateway can be deployed in highly sensitive environments in accordance with national and international standards, with one of the most demanding security evaluations conducted by independent testing laboratories.

The SDoT Security Gateway is engineered and produced in Germany in accordance with security design principles by security vetted staff. It meets the most stringent specifications from the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), EU and NATO. The Security Gateway has been in use for over 10 years in the toughest and most sensitive environments worldwide, providing secure information exchange between networks with different protection needs. With the SDoT Security Gateway, INFODAS GmbH provides a flexible solution for data exchange between differently classified network domains and has had the general approval of the BSI up to VS-GEHEIM for many years. The SDoT Security Gateway is listed in the NATO Information Assurance Product Catalogue (www.ia.nato.int/NIAPC) and, as a Cross Domain Solution, provides solutions for a wide range of network segmentation challenges for public authorities, the military and critical infrastructure companies.

"infodas has many years of experience in the field of information security and digitization of highly sensitive data. The SDoT Security Gateway was independently tested and awarded NITES certification. The accreditation process was possible due to an intensive collaboration between our certification and project teams at the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) from Singapore. This has once again demonstrated our commitment to maintaining the highest security standards and we are delighted that this high-level certification ensures infodas' high standards for product quality and security as well as meeting the requirements of Asian partners and customers," Marc Akkermann, Director Sales at infodas. " As a result, our customers have a high-performing and secure product at their disposal. In doing so, we want to be a constant and reliable factor in information security for our customers. This was just the first step. The next milestone will be the addition of the Singapore Common Criteria Scheme (SCCS) certification to the Common Criteria EAL4+ certification already achieved and listed with the CCRA and the European SOG-IS agreement. Together with our partners, we want to make the digital world a little more secure."

For more information, visit: https://www.commoncriteriaportal.org/ and https://www.sogis.eu/

About the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore
The Cyber Security Agency (CSA) is a government agency under the Prime Minister's Office, and is managed by the Singapore Government's Ministry of Communications and Information. It provides centralized oversight of national cybersecurity functions and works with leading sectors to protect Singapore's critical information infrastructure (CII), such as the energy and banking sectors. Established on April 1, 2015, the agency also works with various industries and stakeholders to raise cybersecurity awareness and ensure the development of cybersecurity in Singapore.

For more information, visit: https://www.csa.gov.sg/

About infodas
INFODAS GmbH was founded in 1974 and is one of the leading software and consulting companies for information security in Germany. The mid-sized company provides services to companies, public authorities and the military in the conception and implementation of comprehensive approaches to information security and the protection of IT infrastructures. In addition, the company develops high-security products for domain transitions (Cross Domain Solutions) and the protection of critical infrastructures. Several products of infodas' SDoT product family are approved for SECRET as well as EU and NATO SECRET classification. In addition to its headquarters in Cologne, the company has offices in Berlin, Bonn, Hamburg and Munich. INFODAS GmbH has been certified by the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) as an IT security service provider in the areas of IS auditing, consulting and IS penetration tests UP-Bund and is one of the first system houses to have BSI-certified IT-Grundschutz consultants. It has IT security experts who are allowed to support KRITIS operators with their test procedure expertise in implementation in accordance with Section 8a (1) of the BSI Act (BSIG), as well as BSI auditors who check KRITIS operators to ensure that they have achieved this goal and meet the current legal requirements. Find out more at www.infodas.de

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For more information contact: Tanja Castell, Head of Marketing, marketing@infodas.de, +49 221 709120

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SOURCE INFODAS GmbH