Press release · October 26, 2026 · prnewswire.com
ISC2 outlines AI security certification pilot exam
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Summary
ISC2, a nonprofit member organization for cybersecurity professionals, has published the outline for the pilot exam of its AI security certification. The document gives cybersecurity professionals, employers and the wider cybersecurity community visibility into the domains and topics the exam is designed to assess.
The pilot exam is the next stage in ISC2's standards-based certification development process. Input from a pool of nearly 10,000 volunteer professionals worldwide informed that process through Job Task Analysis surveys, exam item development and expert review. The certification is intended for those responsible for securing the design, deployment and maintenance of AI and machine learning systems throughout the AI lifecycle.
The exam outline groups the assessed material into six domains. These cover AI concepts and security fundamentals; AI governance, ethics, risk and compliance; AI data management, privacy and model security; secure AI architecture, engineering and identity and access management (IAM); secure AI operations and incident response (IR); and AI threats, testing and lifecycle management. Each domain includes topics and subtopics.
The proposed experience requirements call for a minimum of four years of cumulative, paid full-time experience in cybersecurity or AI-related fields. Two of those years must be in cybersecurity, and one year must be in two or more domains of the outline. An active CISSP, ISSAP, ISSEP, ISSMP, CCSP or CSSLP credential may replace the entire experience requirement. Candidates are not required to hold an ISC2 certification.
The pilot administration is set to start by the end of the year, and approximately 3,000 qualified volunteers are to be selected to sit for the exam between mid-December and late January. “Reaching this point reflects the extraordinary contributions of ISC2's global volunteer community and the rigorous, standards-based steps taken to define the AI security knowledge, skills and abilities cybersecurity professionals need,” said Casey Marks, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer, ISC2.
“The pilot exam provides critical evidence to evaluate whether the examination measures AI security competence reliably, fairly and defensibly, which are all key facets of the rigor essential to certification integrity and to employers' and professionals' trust in what earning the credential represents,” said Casey Marks, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer, ISC2. If the pilot phase is successful, the certification is set to become operational and launch in 2027.
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