PRESS RELEASE

Downers Grove, Ill., March 19, 2013 – CompTIA, the leading provider of vendor-neutral skills certifications for the world's information technology (IT) workforce, said today the CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP) certification is now included in the U.S. Department of Defense Information Assurance Workforce Improvement Program.

The program provides guidance and procedures for the training, certification and management of the Department of Defense workforce conducting information assurance functions in assigned duty positions.

The CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner certification is approved as a baseline certification for Information Assurance Technical (IAT) Level III, IS Manager Level II and IA Systems Architect and Engineer Levels I and II, according to the department's 8570.01-M criteria.

"The battle against cyber security threats requires coordination and cooperation between government and the private sector," said Terry Erdle, executive vice president, skills certification, CompTIA. "The DoD's Information Assurance Workforce Program is a prime example of how to build a first line of defense – by developing a workforce that's highly trained and certified in the skills necessary to secure data, devices and networks."

The CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner certification tests critical thinking and judgment across a broad spectrum of security disciplines. It is technical in nature and is concerned with security issues at the "enclave" or enterprise level.

The exam includes cryptography implementation; selection of the best solutions for hosts, networks, applications and storage across the enterprise: risk management, policies, procedures and legal considerations; research and analysis for purposes of securing the enterprise; and integration of computing, communications and business disciplines.

The certification is intended for IT security professionals with a minimum of 10 years of experience in IT administration and at least five year of hands-on security experience in an enterprise environment.

Several publishers and training providers offer courseware and training materials to help candidates prepare for the CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner exam. These materials, developed under the guidelines of the CompTIA Authorized Partner Program and the CompTIA Approved Quality Content initiative, are available from

AXZO

Exam Force

Logical Operations

McGraw Hill

Sybex

UCertify

A complete list of study materials by category is available on the CompTIA certification website.

In addition to the CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner certification, three other CompTIA certifications – CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+ – had previously been approved for inclusion in the DoD 8570.01-M program.

With more than 1.6 million certifications awarded worldwide, CompTIA is the largest provider of vendor neutral certifications for IT professionals. These certifications are the recognized industry standards for a broad range of technology skills, including IT fundamentals, repair and technical support, networking, security, server, storage, Linux, project management, printing and document imaging, enterprise content management, health IT and cloud computing. Visit CompTIA Certifications to learn more.

About CompTIA

CompTIA is the voice of the world's information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. For more information, visit www.comptia.org, http://www.facebook.com/CompTIA and http://twitter.com/comptia.