Certifications

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Certification is often used in the professions of software engineering and information technology; however, it is a contentious issue. Some see it as a tool to improve professional practice; others point out that very few traditional engineers bother with any form of certification.

The most successful certification programs are oriented toward specific technologies, and are managed by the vendors of these technologies. These certification programs are tailored to the institutions that would employ people who use these technologies.

• Microsoft Corporation sponsors the Microsoft Certified Professional program

• Sun Microsystems sponsors the Sun Certified Professional program

• IBM sponsors certifications

• Cisco Systems sponsors the Cisco Career Certifications program

• Red Hat sponsors the Red Hat Certification Program

• Object Management Group sponsors the Certified UML Professional program

• MySQL sponsors a certification program

• Novell sponsors a certification program

• Oracle Corporation sponsors the Oracle Certification Program

• Citrix Systems sponsors the Citrix Certified Administrator program

• Juniper Networks sponsors the Juniper Networks Technical Certification Program

Third-party commercial organizations that sponsor certifications include:

• ISC2 sponsors the CISSP security certification

• CompTIA

• ICT Council

• Planet3 Wireless sponsors the Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA) certification

• Linux Professional Institute

• European Computer Driving Licence (also called International Computer Driving Licence)

• Brainbench

• SAGE (organization) sponsors the cSAGE program

• SANS Institute operates the Global Information Assurance Certification program

• Prosoft Learning Corporation offers CIW, CCNT, CTP, AssessPrep certification tracks. Prosoft Learning

General certification of software practitioners has struggled. The ACM had a professional certification program in the early 1980s, which was discontinued due to lack of interest. Today, the IEEE is certifying software professionals, but only about 500 people have passed the exam by March 2005.

• The IEEE Computer Society sponsors the Certified Software Development Professional

• The Institute for the Certification of Computing Professionals sponsors the Certified Computing Professional (CCP) and Associate Computing Professional (ACP) certifications

• The Canadian Information Processing Society sponsors the Information Systems Professional certification in Canada.

Information Systems Security Certification

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: