New job description: Federal ICT security expert
ICT security expert is the name of the newly created security training. Federal Councillor Johann Schneider-Ammann officially praised this profession in front of education experts and industry representatives on 23 August.
Now there is the Federal ICT Security Expert. The federal diploma with the protected title "ICT Security Expert" is open to both professional practitioners and academics. Prerequisite for enrolment : be able to demonstrate practical experience in the field of IT security. This qualification prepares graduates for demanding professional and managerial tasks.
The costs for the courses
There are currently around 60 interested parties, according to ICT-Berufsbildung on request. Further courses are being planned in German- and French-speaking Switzerland. For quality reasons, a maximum of 30 people can take part in the first exam in 2018, after which the association expects 50 to 60 candidates per year.
The cost of preparatory courses ranges between CHF 15,000 and CHF 20,000. In order to promote the federal examinations, the Confederation provides subsidies on application. According to the lead professional association ICT-Berufsbildung, the Confederation will cover half of the costs or a maximum of CHF 10,000 per person from 2018.
Security Competencies
The new job profile was developed by "ICT-Berufsbildung Schweiz" together with the Federal IT Steering Committee (FSUIT) and a broad private-sector sponsorship. These include participating partners such as Microsoft, Swiss Post, Ruag, Swisscom, UBS and the Association of Swiss Electricity Companies (VSE).
According to the official communiqué, this means that requirements from companies and administration have been incorporated into the content of the degree, which "guarantees the relevance of the diploma to the labour market".
Apart from specialist knowledge, social and communication skills will also be part of the training, especially as creating security awareness in the company and managing incidents will be part of the future ICT security expert's range of tasks.
The first higher professional examination, which is offered in German and French, will take place in August 2018. A first preparatory course has just started.
Further information: www.ict-security-experts.ch or www.ictswitzerland.ch
