Certification and Accreditation Professional (CAP CM ®)

Organizations are compelled to hire qualified personnel to assess and manage the risks of security threats to information systems. Recognizing this critical need within the information assurance field, the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Information Assurance and the (ISC)² have collaborated to develop a credential for the Certification and Accreditation Professional (CAP)

The CAP credential is an objective measure of the knowledge, skills and abilities required for personnel involved in information systems Certification and Accreditation processes. Specifically, the credential applies to professionals responsible for formalizing processes used to assess risk and establish security requirements, as well as ensure information systems possess security standards commensurate with the level of exposure to potential risk

Technology must be constantly monitored and validated against changing security requirements triggered by emerging threats. Because of this need, employers are searching for qualified Certification and Accreditation personnel. The (ISC)²’s CAP credential ensures an employer that Certification and Accreditation Professionals have the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively monitor and evaluate an organization’s ongoing security risks and requirements

To become a Certification and Accreditation Professional, a candidate must successfully complete two separate processes: (1) Examination and (2) Certification

Process One: Examination

To be eligible to sit for the CAP examination, a candidate must:

  Submit the examination fee
  Assert that he or she possesses a minimum of two years of professional experience in the certification and accreditation field
  Complete the Certification Agreement, attesting to the truth of his or her assertions regarding professional experience

  Legally commit to abide by the (ISC)² Code of Ethics, and,
  Successfully answer four questions regarding criminal history and related background information

Process Two: Certification

  The candidate must successfully pass the CAP examination with a scaled score of 700 points or greater, and,
  Submit a properly completed and executed Endorsement Form

Endorsement Form - Once a candidate has been notified they have successfully passed the CAP examination, he/she will be required to have their application endorsed by an (ISC)² credential holder before the credential can be awarded. If an (ISC)² credential holder is not available, another qualified professional with knowledge of certification and accreditation or an officer of the candidate's corporation can validate the candidate's professional experience.

The endorser attests that the candidate's assertions regarding professional experience are true to the best of their knowledge, and that the candidate is in good standing within the certification and accreditation industry.