Free and open to the public, new Knowledge Credential elevates the standard for foundational identity security industry education to help reduce skills gap
AUSTIN, Texas – October 10, 2024 – SailPoint Technologies, Inc., a leader in unified identity security for enterprises, today announced the Identity Security Leader Credential, a new, first-of-its-kind Knowledge Credential validating the foundational skills leaders need to drive the success of their identity security programs. Designed specifically for new identity security professionals, the free Identity Security Leader Credential is earned by completing the Identity Security Leader training path and passing a credential exam through SailPoint’s Identity University. The Identity Security Leader training path, comprised of 4.5 hours of vendor-agnostic, industry-focused subject matter, enables participants to enhance their identity security expertise as they keep pace in the rapidly evolving technology and threat landscape.
There is a deficit of nearly 4 million cybersecurity employees today, with unfilled cybersecurity positions at 71% of organizations. SailPoint aims to narrow this talent gap through Identity University, its industry-leading online learning platform launched to the public in 2023 with role-based training paths and the ability for participants to track and measure their learning progress, earning credentials and badges that can be shared with others. Since opening Identity University access to the public last year, SailPoint has doubled the program’s enrollment and now expects to train and credential 100,000 new identity security professionals over the next 3 years.
“AI, machine learning, and automation are rapidly transforming our industry, which means our roles as Identity Security Leaders are constantly evolving. We must be adaptable, flexible, and committed to continuous learning,” said Nickisha Bennett-Burton, Identity and Access Management Manager at ECU Health. “I’m thrilled to share my knowledge and experience through SailPoint’s Identity Security Leader training, helping to equip new leaders with the skills needed to navigate the exciting challenges and opportunities in the identity security field.”
The Identity Security Leader training path covers foundational, industry-centric topics, including launching your identity security career, exploring the evolution of identity security, planning your identity security strategy, charting a successful implementation journey, and more. The courses focus on vendor-agnostic skills to strengthen professionals’ knowledge industry-wide, regardless of their platform of choice, in an effort to improve identity security best practices.
With the introduction of the Identity Security Leader Credential, SailPoint is establishing a new accreditation program to attract new professionals to the field of identity security. Knowledge Credentials are designed for professionals with little to no experience with identity security. They are well-suited for people who are just starting their identity security careers and who want to showcase their professional development and learning progression while giving employers and business leaders greater confidence in their identity security knowledge. These credentials differ from SailPoint Professional Certifications, which are SailPoint’s most rigorous accreditation exams intended for identity security professionals with at least 1 year of practical SailPoint experience.
To help expand access to reputable identity security education and to support development of the industry’s talent pipeline, the Identity Security Leader training path and Knowledge Credential exam are free and open to the public, with regular curriculum updates to reflect evolving industry trends and thought leadership. Participants do not need to be a SailPoint customer or partner to enroll. The Identity Security Leader Credential is awarded as a digital badge for professionals to share via LinkedIn.
“As a leader in unified identity security, it’s our responsibility to help bolster the cybersecurity talent pipeline,” said Meredith Blanchar, SailPoint Chief Customer Officer. “At SailPoint, not only do we provide comprehensive training on our products, but we also focus on giving security teams the tools they need to be identity security leaders within the industry. By building confidence across the cybersecurity talent ecosystem, we’re assembling an engaged identity security community that never settles, but constantly strives to learn, grow, and find new ways to secure our world.”
The Identity Security Leader training and credential exam are available now through Identity University. Additional Knowledge Credentials, Professional Certifications, and training will be released in 2025. Other free learning resources, including webinars, virtual boot camps, and user groups, are available as part of the SailPoint Compass Community.
Attendees at SailPoint’s user conference, Navigate, held October 21-24 in Orlando, Florida, will also be eligible to register onsite for Identity University Skilled Sessions, a full day of technical hands-on training. For more information on registering for Navigate, visit the event website.
About SailPoint
SailPoint equips the modern enterprise to seamlessly manage and secure access to applications and data through the lens of identity – at speed and scale. As a category leader, we continuously reinvent identity security as the foundation of the secure enterprise. SailPoint delivers a unified, intelligent, extensible platform built to defend against today’s dynamic, identity-centric cyber threats while enhancing productivity and efficiency. SailPoint helps many of the world’s most complex, sophisticated enterprises create a secure technology ecosystem that fuels business transformation.