Building a Cybersecurity Mindset Among Acquisition Pros

Two organizations have formed a partnership in hopes of making cybersecurity skills and training play a key role in the work of federal acquisition professionals.

Security nonprofit (ISC)2 announced Monday that it signed a memorandum of understanding with the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council in December 2011. The collaboration will provide clarity for government personnel on how information security fits into the acquisition process, how to evaluate contracts using a security mindset and what credentials best address and test these skills among new hires and seasoned acquisition specialists.

"We are proud to align with a group as influential and effective as IT-AAC," said Hord Tipton, executive director of (ISC)2. "Our goal in working with organizations like IT-AAC is to improve professional development channels, strengthen the federal cybersecurity workforce and ultimately assist in building security into the earliest stages of IT procurement."

The new partnership also means federal cybersecurity professionals will have easier, more consistent and more cost-effective access to obtain (ISC)2 security credentials and continuing education credits. "The addition of (ISC)2 to the IT-AAC partnership adds a critical dimension in our ability to train and equip the public sector workforce as they enter the new paradigm of secure cloud computing and service-oriented architecture," said John A Weiler, manager director of IT-AAC.