CompTIA Expands Security Trustmark Program

Associate and Verified levels of business credential now available

CompTIA, the non-profit association for the information technology (IT) industry, announced recently it has expanded the CompTIA Security TrustmarkT program to include two levels of the business accreditation, which identifies companies that follow industry-accepted best security processes.

The CompTIA Security Trustmark now includes Associate Level and Verified Level statuses.

"Many companies claim to have security expertise, but holders of the CompTIA Security Trustmark have taken an important extra step by validating their expertise and joining an elite group of security professionals," said Jim Hamilton, vice president, member relations, CompTIA.

"Trustmark holders have demonstrated their ability to keep clients' information safe and secure by following best practices in information, personnel and environmental security," Hamilton continued. "That's strong reassurance for current and prospective customers; and a marketable differentiator a solution provider can use to grow its security business."

To date, 31 technology solution providers in North America have earned the CompTIA Security Trustmark, which covers 12 critical security areas, including business security policy, business continuity, access management, incident management and personnel security procedures.

"We were excited about the CompTIA Security Trustmark from the minute we heard about it," said Mike Semel, vice president and chief security officer, Business Continuity Technologies, Las Vegas. "We promote our services to prospects in industries with strict IT security requirements, like healthcare and finance, yet our own industry is unregulated and we had no way to prove that we followed IT industry best practices."

"The security trustmark has proven to be a great marketing tool that shows the world that we have met a strict compliance standard," Semel added. "We've also 'borrowed' the trustmark framework to develop our own security assessment for businesses, which has been profitable both in short-term projects and long-term relationships with business owners and C-level executives."

The CompTIA Security Trustmark was designed by members of the CompTIA IT Security Community and other network and data protection thought leaders. The CompTIA IT Security Community is engaged in the development of security-specific best practices, education programs, industry standards and other initiatives focused on challenges and opportunities in the IT security field.

To achieve the CompTIA Security Trustmark Associate Level, an organization must undergo an extensive review of its security policies, complete a security control survey and achieve a passing score based on their responses. The Associate level accreditation is required before advancing to the CompTIA Security Trustmark Verified Level.

Companies seeking the Verified Level credential undergo a rigorous review of their security assessment and business practices by an accredited third-party assessor to verify that their processes protect confidential information.

The CompTIA Security Trustmark is one of several business credentials offered by CompTIA. These credentials identify IT businesses that adhere to the industry's best practices.

CompTIA also offers a selection of live and virtual education and training programs designed for IT companies engaged in or contemplating offering security services.

For individual IT professionals and their employers, CompTIA Security+ certification is an internationally-recognized, vendor-neutral credential that demonstrates competency in network security; compliance and operational security; threats and vulnerabilities; application, data and host security; access control and identity management; and cryptography.

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.

SOURCE: CompTIA