The US Department of Defense (DoD) hosts a number of directives that set out the requirements of their workforce. DoD 8570, titled “Information Assurance Workforce Improvement Program,” describes the expectations of the DoD in terms of required training, certification and management of DoD workforce members carrying out information assurance (IA) duties.
The directive is specific to those individuals or agencies who have privileged access to DoD systems. Persons who come under the directive include contractors and consultants as well as part-time or full-time military personnel who perform information assurance roles and functions. Personnel affected by DoD 8570 have to be trained according to the directive and also certified against specific skills sets and roles. The types of roles that DoD 8570 describes are those responsible for the protection of vital information that is in the nation’s interests.
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Certification boot camps available for every position category, specialty and level.NOTE : DoD 8570 will eventually be replaced by DoD 8140 . However, at the time of writing, the manual for DoD 8140 is yet to be published. Creation of manuals for DoD directives often takes several years, and until such a time as the directive is documented, DoD 8570 will remain the key directive for the information assurance workforce at the DoD.
The DoD is a highly structured organization with a distinct hierarchy. The overarching structure for IA at the DoD is called the “Information Assurance Workforce, Workforce Improvement Program” (IA WIP). Within this workforce umbrella are two separate categories called Information Assurance Technical (IAT) and Information Assurance Management (IAM).
There are three category levels within the IAT category:
The category levels reflect the system architecture and not the grade of the individual working in that area. Within each level are sublevels that represent the attainment grade of the individual. These attainment levels are:
Each level has a set of functions within it. For example:
Any persons wishing to work within these IAT levels must be certified to the correct level for the function they perform within a category. The IAT categories are cumulative: if you want to work at a Level 2, you need to have mastered Level 1.
Workers in an IAT role have privileged access to one or more category levels in a DoD environment. They also possess the right level of certification and functional requirements of the position. To identify a member of the IAT workforce, the individual needs to have:
Typical entities covered by the IA WIP include:
Certification for an IA position must reflect the functions required for the position. An employee has six months from the first assignment of a position or from their start date for new employees to achieve the required DOD 8570 certification (although waivers are possible under certain circumstances).
If the employee is in a combat situation, the individual has to be fully trained and certified before beginning the assignment. Again, certain circumstances can warrant a time-limited waiver. If an individual fails to attain certification within the six-month period, they will not be allowed privileged access, which is a prerequisite for working in an IA role.
The certifications available for an IAT position are:
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Certification boot camps available for every position category, specialty and level.When starting out obtaining DoD IAT certification, you need to look at the requirements of the level/function you will be working on:
You then need to communicate with your Information Assurance Manager (IAM) in preparation for your training and certification exam.
It is advised to take training courses in preparation for the certification exam. The DoD 8570 manual does not recommend any specific training organization. However, certification bodies usually suggest approved training organizations.
Once you are ready to take the exam, ask your IAM for a certification voucher.
Once you have passed your certification exam, register at the Defense Workforce Certification Application portal.
Let your IAM know you have completed the process.
You do not have to take a training course to sit a certification. However, you do have to prove you are prepared to take the exam, and the DoD strongly encourages specialist exam preparation training. Your IAM may also require you sit a pre-exam or something similar to prove your certification readiness. Unless you can satisfy your IAM of your readiness to pass the certification, they may not release the voucher needed to progress your certification process.
You can retake exams if you fail, and components must support at least one retest. However, there may be a caveat over the number of times you will be funded to take retests. After the initial retest, you may have to self-fund subsequent retests.
Ideally, you should make sure that you are fully prepared to take the exam and pass the first time. This is where a good training course comes in.
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