Information systems security

in an information systems environment that requires formal security accreditation, Certification refers to the comprehensive evaluation of the technical and non-technical security features of an information system.
Certification is formally defined by Krutz and Vines as:

The comprehensive evaluation of the technical and non-technical security features of an information system and the other safeguards, which are created in support of the accreditation process to establish the extent to which a particular design and implementation meets the set of specified security requirements. DoD Directive 8570.1 he U.S. Department of Defense Directive 8570.1, signed in August 2004, requires every full- and part-time military service member, defense contractor, civilian and foreign employee with privileged access to a DoD system, regardless of job series or occupational specialty, to obtain a commercial certification credential that has been accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Education Research on college students and high school students has been done to determine “are relevant Information Technology industry certifications an asset to the teaching profession as they appear to be in the business world” (Jenkins, 2005; Potenza, 2005; Vakhitova, 2006)? The studies investigated CIS/IT student perceptions and outcomes of certified and non-certified instructors. As observed by Adelman, many post-secondary CIS/IT faculty were unconcerned about the emergence in the 1990s of “a new, parallel universe of postsecondary credentials”, Andersson and Reimers’ found that CIS/IT students were keenly aware if their instructors had them. For example, certain certifications DOD 8570.1M are the only commercial certifications that the Department of Defense will accept towards meeting their Information Assurance hiring requirements. The studies found a significant difference in learning outcomes between technology courses taught by certified and non-certified instructors; students whose instructors held IT industry certifications had higher levels of achievement than their non-certified peers and that college undergraduate students showed a significantly greater perception of their instructor’s effectiveness, teaching skills, professor technical expertise, and their own engagement in their classes with certified professors. Criticisms See also: Controversies over the term Engineer The current proliferation of IT certifications (both offered and attained)[citation needed] has led some technologists to question their value. Proprietary content that has been distributed on the Internet allows some to gain credentials without the implied depth or breadth of expertise. Certifying agencies have responded in various ways: some now incorporate hands-on elements, anti-cheating methodologies or have expanded their content. Others have expired and restructured their certificate programs, and/or raised their fees to deter abuse............. References Andersson, D. (2009). Information Technology Industry Certification’s Impact on Undergraduate Student Perception of Instructor Effectiveness.. UMI Dissertation Publishing Group.  ^ Regimens, K. (2005). Impact of Information Technology (IT) Industry Certification on the Achievement of High School Students Enrolled in Technology Courses. UMI Dissertation Publishing Group.