The CERT®-Certified Computer Security Incident Handler
(CSIH) certification program has been created for incident handling
professionals, computer security incident response team (CSIRT)
technical staff, system and network administrators with incident
handling experience, incident handling trainers and educators, and
individuals with some technical training who want to enter the
incident handling field. It is recommended for those computer security
professionals with three or more years of experience in incident
handling and/or equivalent security-related experience.
Requirements for earning certification
- Completion of a three-course sequence from the Software
Engineering Institute (SEI) or its licensees (SEI Partner Network):
Advancement Placement- Attendance credit may be awarded to an individual for the Information Security for Technical Staff (5 days) course by having one of the following current certifications:
- Security+ Certification (CompTIA)
- GIAC Security Essentials –GSEC (SANS Institute)
- Three (3) or more years of experience in incident handling in a
technical and/or management role within seven (7) years of submission
of the Certification Application. You will need to provide a
detailed resume listing experiences. (See the CSIH FAQ for more
details on experience that meets the criteria for application.)
- Submission of the Certification Application package:
- Completed Certification
Application
- Completed resume detailing work experience in the incident management field
- Completed Certification
Recommendation Form signed by your current manager
- A $200 (US) payment (made payable to the Software Engineering Institute) to be applied toward the certification examination fee ($150) and the non-refundable processing fee ($50)
- Successful completion of the application review by the SEI
- Passing the certification examination
Who should apply
- incident handling professionals
- CSIRT technical staff
- system and network administrators who have incident handling experience
- trainers and educators in the incident handling field
- individuals who wish to enter into the field of incident handling
and who have requisite technical training and experience
Benefits of the CERT-Certified Computer Security Incident Handler
Certification
Obtaining a CSIH certification provides you with the foundation
knowledge and skills to be highly successful as a leader or member of
a computer security incident response team.
The certification provides you with
- a methodology for performing incident management tasks and
activities
- best practices for effectively handling computer security
incidents
- a framework for evaluating your teams operations and implementing
process improvements
- confidence in your abilities to work efficiently and effectively
in a CSIRT
Upon completion of the CSIH certification you will
- be recognized as a Computer Security Incident Handler professional
by the Software Engineering Institute's CERT program and your peers in
the global incident handling community
- be able to demonstrate that you have attained knowledge
specifically focused on computer security incident handling
activities
- be trained to handle diverse aspects of incident management
ranging from using technical expertise to prepare for, detect,
analyze, and respond to security events to applying best practices in
operating a team
- have achieved the knowledge, skills, and abilities to be a highly
successful security professional
Once you have received certification, you will be sent an SEI
Welcome Packet that will include access to an SEI members-only web
site, CERT-certified logo, and special benefits offered only to
CERT-certified professionals.
Certification renewal
The purpose of certification renewal is to ensure that as a
CERT-certified professional you maintain a continuous level of
knowledge by enhancing and improving the skills you demonstrated when
you originally completed the certification process. This renewal
requirement is intended to encourage professionals to remain current
with the latest computer security attack trends, resolution and
mitigation strategies, to continue to learn about improved incident
handling tools, and to keep abreast of CSIRT best practices,
processes, and standards.
- Certifications are valid for three (3) years from the award date
and expire on the last day of the month in which you were
certified.
- Renewal involves continuing education or professional experience
as measured by a Professional Development Unit obtained by
participating in qualifying events equal to 60 PDUs. See the Certification Renewal page for more
details.
- If you do not renew, your certification will lapse and the SEI
will retire your certification. To be reinstated, you will need to
reapply via the Certification Application.
For additional information about the CSIH certification program,
please consult our FAQ.
