Carnegie Mellon University
July 17, 2012

Press Release: Carnegie Mellon Launches CISO-Executive Education and Certification Program

Contact: Ken Walters / 412-268-1151 / walters1@andrew.cmu.edu

PITTSBURGH—Carnegie Mellon University's H. John Heinz III College, in partnership with the CERT Program of the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), today announced the launch of an education and certification program for information security executives. The Chief Information Security Officer Executive (CISO-Executive) Education and Certification Program will welcome its first class in September at the SEI office in Arlington, Va.

Protecting electronic information generated and stored within an organization requires education, tools and experience. The CISO role is responsible for implementing and maintaining a high quality and effective security program, while maintaining privacy, protecting confidential information, and operating under budgetary and resource constraints.

The new CISO-Executive Certification Program will emphasize strategic cybersecurity management through an independent concentration centered on leading edge research by CMU. The program will focus on developing competencies and skills currently missing in both the public and private sector. As part of the Heinz College CIO Institute, the program will stress current research and best practices identified by Carnegie Mellon for CISOs or those seeking to advance into an executive position focusing on cybersecurity. 

Designed for executives and working cybersecurity professionals, the program is built around a curriculum that presents the latest approaches in information security and a practicum to demonstrate competency in the design and implementation of a successful cybersecurity project. The curriculum consists of 12 full-day classes over a period of four months. Each class focuses on a specific subject and business case chosen by the instructor that addresses real-word cybersecurity challenges. In the practicum, candidates will design, develop, and enact a project that demonstrates application of CISO skills and knowledge within a real organization or work environment. Instructors for the CISO-Executive program will be chosen from CERT, the Heinz College and select industry-leading professionals.

For more information or to register, go to http://hnz.cm/CISOexec.

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