Engineering Council awards licence to dedicated cyber security body CIISec

New pathway highlights the growing importance of professional competence, ethics and engineering judgment in cyber security.

The Engineering Council and the Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) have announced that CIISec has become the first body dedicated to cyber security to be licensed by the Engineering Council to assess candidates for professional registration.

The development reflects the increasingly critical role cyber security professionals play in designing, assuring and protecting the digital systems that society depends upon. As organisations become ever more reliant on complex and interconnected technologies, cyber security professionals are increasingly exercising engineering judgment. This helps to assure the security, resilience and trustworthy operation of systems whose failure can have significant consequences for businesses, public services and the wider public.

Through its Engineering Council licence, CIISec will be able to assess members for Chartered Engineer (CEng) and Incorporated Engineer (IEng) registration. Achieving these highly regarded professional titles provides independent recognition against internationally recognised standards of professional competence and commitment. They also demonstrate not only technical capability, but also a commitment to professionalism, ethics, continuous learning and acting in the public interest.

Engineering Council CEO, Paul Bailey said: “Cyber security is fundamental to the resilience and safety of our increasingly connected world. Providing cyber security professionals with a clear route to Chartered and Incorporated Engineer registration strengthens recognition of their expertise. These titles also provide greater confidence in the competence and commitment to professionalism, safety, ethics and continuous learning of those working to protect our digital infrastructure. We are very pleased to welcome the Chartered Institute of Information Security as a Licensed Professional Engineering Institution and look forward to supporting the continued development of this important profession.”

The Engineering Council licence complements CIISec’s existing UK Cyber Security Council partnership. While UK Cyber Security Council registrations recognise practitioners with deep expertise in specific cyber security disciplines, Engineering Council registration, including Chartered Engineer (CEng), provides broader recognition of professional and engineering competence. This enables a wider range of cyber security professionals, from technical specialists to senior leaders and managers , to gain professional recognition aligned to their career path.

“We are delighted to be the first cyber security body licensed by the Engineering Council,” said Amanda Finch, CEO, CIISec. “We are now uniquely positioned as a dedicated cyber security professional body able to assess practitioners for both Engineering Council and UK Cyber Security Council professional registration, raising the bar for professionalism Together, these pathways enable recognition for both specialist cyber security expertise and the wider community of senior cyber professionals, managers and leaders.  In line with our ethos that education and development are continuous, committed processes, our members will now have further evidence that they are practitioners of the highest standard, with a credential and recognition they can take anywhere in the world.”

For members, registrations represent an opportunity to enhance their professional status, demonstrate their competence and commitment, improve their career prospects and employability through internationally respected professional standards.

“The cyber security profession is evolving, and we professionals have to evolve alongside,” continued Amanda Finch. “At all stages of their careers, and in all specialisms, cyber professionals need to prove they are constantly developing and demonstrating the highest levels of excellence in their field. Professional registration with the Engineering Council gives our members a formal place within the engineering profession, reflecting the critical role the profession plays in designing, securing and maintaining the systems society depends on.”

CIISec's licence introduces a dedicated cyber security route, demonstrating the relevance of engineering competence, ethical practice and professional judgment within an increasingly digital world. The new pathway builds on an established record of cyber security professionals achieving professional engineering registration through Engineering Council licensed institutions, including the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT.

For more information on obtaining CEng and IEng registration through CIISec visit https://www.ciisec.org/individual-membership/engineering-council/

For more information on becoming a CIISec member visit https://www.ciisec.org/individual-membership/