The Association of Information Security Professionals (AISP, www.aisp.org.sg) is developing a comprehensive Infocomm Security Professionals Roadmap and a Body of Knowledge which will form the foundation of a professional certification programme to be launched later this year.

This was announced by Mr Peter Ho, Head of Civil Service and Chairman of the National Infocomm Security Committee, at the Information Security Seminar 2009, which was held last month.

Mr Ho: The public, private and people sectors must continue to work together and sustain our efforts in upholding infocomm security.

AISP, a joint initiative between the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and the Singapore Computer Society, is the first professional organisation for information security professionals in Asia. Its certification effort is part of a strategic thrust to enhance information security competencies under Singapore's second Infocomm Security Masterplan (MP2), said AISP President Mr Gerard Tan.

Launched in April 2008, MP2 is a five-year roadmap which builds on the achievements of the first Masterplan by enhancing the tenacity of Singapore's economy against cyber attacks, thereby boosting confidence in Singapore as a strategic and secure location for investments. MP2 aims to enhance the resilience of the economy against cyber threats and as these become increasingly sophisticated, it has become essential that infocomm security professionals continue to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to manage infocomm security risks.

The Infocomm Security Professionals Roadmap outlines clear pathways of certification, qualifications and competencies needed for an infocomm security professional, while the Body of Knowledge serves as a framework for educating and testing the competence of aspiring infocomm security professionals.

According to Mr Tan, the ASIP certification programme is not intended to replace but rather will complement existing security certifications such as the Certified Information Security Systems Professional (CISSP) and the Certified Information Security Auditor (CISA).

As Mr Ho pointed out, "A key feature of this certification is that it has a global focus, not just a national one. It will require professionals to be conversant not only with Singapore infocomm security related laws and regulations but also with internationally recognised industry best practices."

Besides addressing the certification requirements of local information security professionals, AISP has also started reaching out to institutes of higher learning (IHLs), which Mr Tan described as "fertile ground" for grooming the next generation of information security professionals. To date, student chapters have been set up at the Singapore Management University and Nanyang Polytechnic.

In other manpower development efforts, IDA is continuing its collaboration with the industry to ensure a continuous pipeline of infocomm security talent to meet market needs. In partnership with a number of public and private sector organisations, IDA offers the National Infocomm Scholarship for Infocomm Security to top students who wish to specialise in this field. These organisations include BT Frontline, the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies, e-Cop, Singapore Power, Singapore Telecommunications, Symantec and IDA. The selection of scholars to major in infocomm security began this month.

Emphasising the importance of such collaborative efforts, Mr Ho said, "The public, private and people sectors must continue to work together and sustain our efforts in upholding infocomm security. Only then can we ensure that Singapore remains a secure and trusted hub."