ISACA’s State of Cybersecurity survey report found that the two top factors for determining qualified candidates for jobs are prior hands-on experience (73%) and credentials held (38%).

To help employers find qualified candidates and help cybersecurity professionals demonstrate their hands-on cybersecurity skills, ISACA has launched its Certified Cybersecurity Operations Analyst (CCOA) credential, which provides hands-on, performance-based labs that simulate real-world scenarios and leverage today’s technologies.

Advancing cybersecurity skills

Cybersecurity professionals face a complex and challenging threat landscape, with 38% of organisations experiencing increased cybersecurity attacks compared to a year ago, according to the State of Cybersecurity report. And as emerging technologies like AI evolve, the role of the cyber analyst will only become more critical in protecting digital ecosystems.

ISACA’s CCOA focuses on the technical skills analysts need to advance their careers to the next level.

Designed for cybersecurity professionals with a few years of experience, CCOA enables cyber analysts to gain a deeper understanding of how to identify and respond to cyber threats, perform vulnerability assessments, and provide guidance on industry best practices for securing assets – enhancing their skills and knowledge to validate their skills and set them apart to future employers.

Focused on both technical and regulatory readiness and addressing the latest cybersecurity challenges, from AI-driven attacks to regulatory compliance, CCOA covers these globally validated key domains: cybersecurity principles and risks; adversarial tactics, techniques, and procedures; incident detection and response; and securing assets.

Valuable hands-on experience

This experience-based component equips cybersecurity analysts with skills that can be used on the job, preparing them to tackle evolving cyber challenges and demonstrate their technical abilities effectively.

“Cybersecurity professionals are often expected to have years of hands-on experience, even when they are early in their careers,” says Shannon Donahue, ISACA chief content and publishing officer.

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“Being able to demonstrate to peers and prospective employers a mastery of on-the-job tasks, as well as a wide breadth of knowledge and experience in both business and technical skills, can give candidates a competitive advantage in a tighter job market and a boost in getting to that next step in their profession.”

Along with the CCOA online review course—which includes one year of exam prep access to allow for time to master skills—the related materials accompanying the new credential also include a Questions, Answers, and Explanations Database (QAE) and CCOA Review Manual (available both in print and digital formats).