ISACA Announces New CRISC Certification for Risk Professionals

Rolling Meadows, IL, USA (13 January 2010)—ISACA, a global association of 86,000 IT audit, risk, governance and security professionals, is responding to market demand by introducing a new risk-related certification. The Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) designation is for IT professionals who identify and manage risks through the development, implementation and maintenance of information systems (IS) controls. These professionals help enterprises accomplish business objectives such as effective and efficient operations, reliable financial reporting, and compliance with regulatory requirements.

A grandfathering program, through which experienced professionals can earn the certification without passing an exam, will open in April. The first CRISC exam will be administered in 2011.

ISACA established CRISC (pronounced “see risk”) to recognize IT professionals with skills and abilities related to:

• Risk identification, assessment and evaluation
• Risk response
• Risk monitoring
• IS control design and implementation
• IS control monitoring and maintenance

“The CRISC designation will demonstrate to employers that the certification holder is able to identify and evaluate the risks unique to their specific organization and help the enterprise accomplish its business objectives by designing, implementing, monitoring and maintaining risk-based, efficient and effective IS controls,” said Urs Fischer, chair of ISACA’s CRISC Task Force. “We conducted an extensive amount of research globally and found that enterprises are becoming more risk-aware and are looking to identify professionals who possess the skills to help them protect their assets and enhance their businesses. CRISC fills a gap that currently exists in the marketplace.”

CRISC complements ISACA’s three existing certifications: Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), established in 1978 and earned by more than 70,000 professionals since its inception; Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), earned by more than 12,000 professionals since it was launched in 2002; and the newer Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT), earned by more than 4,000 professionals since it was developed in 2006:

• CISA is designed for IT professionals who perform independent reviews of control design and operational effectiveness; CRISC is for IT and business professionals who design, implement and maintain IS controls.
• CISM is for individuals who manage, design, oversee and/or assess an enterprise’s information security, including the identification and management of information security risks; CRISC is for IT professionals whose roles also encompass operational and compliance considerations.
• CGEIT is for IT and business professionals who have a significant management, advisory or assurance role relating to the governance of IT, including risk management; CRISC is for IT and business professionals who are engaged at an operational level to mitigate risk.

Additional information about the CRISC certification is available at www.isaca.org/crisc.