Tech Collective, RI’s technology hub, in partnership with itSM Solutions LLC and UMass Lowell, is proud to add the  NIST Cybersecurity Framework (NCSF)  certification bootcamp to its training portfolio. This innovative, cybersecurity workforce development program is built around a NIST-based Cybersecurity Framework (NCSF) Controls Factory™ model created by Larry Wilson, the CISO in the President’s office at UMass.

Larry Wilson has delivered this bootcamp program to the network engineering, operations and business teams responsible for operationalizing the NIST Cybersecurity Framework Program controls (CIS 20 Critical Controls, ISO27002 etc.) across UMass’s five campuses. Tech Collective is pleased to work with Larry and itSM Solutions to bring this successful bootcamp to RI.

The UMass Lowell NCSF-Controls Factory™ Model certification training program helps organizations acquire the knowledge, skills and abilities to :

  • Develop a strategy to adopt the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (NCSF)
  • Create a Cybersecurity Program that will become policy for an organization
  • Engineer a solution to operationalize the cybersecurity program across an enterprise and its supply chain using the UMass NCSF Controls Factory™ Model (NCSF-CFM)
  • Build and Operate a Security Operations Center (SOC) to continuously monitor and respond to changes in the cybersecurity profile documented in the cybersecurity program
  • Conduct continuous Business Risk assessments to compare the current profile against the target profile (documented in the plan) to identify any gaps that need to be addressed

The program and its author have won the following industry awards:

  • Security Magazine’s Most Influential People in Security, 2016
  • SANS People Who Made a Difference in Cybersecurity Award, 2013
  • Information Security Executive (ISE) nominee for Executive of the Year for North America, 2013
  • Information Security Executive (ISE) North America Project Award Winner I for the Academic and Public-Sector Category, 2013

This five-day certification bootcamp provides a detailed plan for designing and building a cybersecu rity program based on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and its control families (20 Critical Controls, ISO 27002 etc.).

Part 1: Creating the Model (based on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework)
Part 1 includes a general review of today’s cyber-threat landscape, key business, technical, regulatory, workforce challenges, the overall risk environment, controls framework (NIST Cybersecurity Framework), controls standards and a recommended approach for designing and building a program based on a repeatable / open program concept (The Controls Factory Model).

Part 2: Designing the Program (based on the 20 Critical Controls and ISO 27002)
Part 2 includes a detailed review of the safeguards that organizations should use to mitigate advanced threats and protect their critical assets including an in-depth analysis of the 20 critical controls. Each control will be discussed in detail including the control objective, control approach, consequences of not implementing the control, control system analysis (how the control works), control detailed design, control monitoring and testing requirements. 

Part 3: Building the Solution (based on Design, Build, Run, and Test Guides)
Part 3 includes technical solutions that can be used to protect a particular family of assets (endpoints, servers, networks, applications). Each technical solution will include a mapping to the critical controls and NIST Framework (design guide), a step by step approach for implementation (build guide), a set of operational capabilities for continuous monitoring and management (run guide) and a set of use cases that ensure that the controls are continually applied to the asset families (test guide).

The bootcamp concludes with a certification exam delivered on the last day of the program that will be comprised of 120 multiple choice questions. Approximately 60% will be Blooms Level 1 & 2 and the remaining 40% will be Blooms Level 3 & 4. Student must pass a 180-minute, 100 question closed book multiple choice, examination with a passing score of 70% in order to receive this certification. In addition to the professional certification students will earn 32 PDU Credits that can be applied towards maintaining one’s status as a Project Management Professional.

Boocamp price: $3,295 per student (includes exam)