Smart Card Alliance LEAP Education Program Announces Upcoming CSCIP Exam Dates, New Government-Specific Certification

Smart Card Alliance LEAP Education Program Announces Upcoming CSCIP Exam Dates, New Government-Specific Certification

Princeton Junction, N.J., April 8, 2010–The Smart Card Alliance, as part of its Leadership, Education and Advancement Program (LEAP), today announced its next Certified Smart Card Industry Professional (CSCIP) preparation course and exam to be held at its 2010 Annual Conference in Scottsdale, AZ on May 17th and May 20th, respectively. The Alliance also announced plans for a new separate designation for industry professionals that wish to become a CSCIP in the specialized area of government credentialing programs and technologies, as well as new international CSCIP exams and company training packages.

Certified Smart Card Industry Professional, which includes an exam that requires demonstrated proficiency in a broad body of industry knowledge. The 2010 exam schedule and expansion announcements come as the Alliance’s LEAP program and CSCIP exam moves into its second year. Participation in the U.S. program has been strong, with 70 industry professionals joining the program and 16 earning their CSCIP designation.

“In this tough economic climate, organizations and individuals are searching for ways to differentiate themselves when competing for new business,” said Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance. “The CSCIP designation from a respected industry body allows employees and their organizations to establish strong credentials that helps them stand out from the pack.”

New CSCIP/G Designation

A new designation, CSCIP/G, will require industry professionals to demonstrate proficiency in the specific area of U.S. government identity credentialing programs and technologies.

The CSCIP/G certification will cover:

  • FIPS 201 and common identity, security and privacy requirements
  • PIV card, physical attributes, data elements, logical credentials, and cryptographic specifications
  • PIV card issuance and lifecycle
  • FIPS 201 and biometrics
  • Assurance levels
  • Use cases for physical and logical access
  • Federal PKI infrastructure
  • And more

“Government agencies are in the midst of issuing every employee and contractor a smart card-based identity credential for physical and logical access,” said Vanderhoof. “It’s critical that all stakeholders in these credentialing projects are well versed in all aspects of the FIPS 201 PIV program and technologies. The CSCIP/G designation is ideal for these individuals.”

CSCIP/G training materials will be completed by May 1st. Instructor-led training courses will be held in Washington, DC on June 28th and November 16th and the CSCIP/G exam will be held June 29th and November 19th, 2010 in Washington, DC.

International Exams

The Smart Card Alliance LEAP program will broaden its reach beyond the United States, with plans for its first two international CSCIP exams. The first CSCIP training course will be held in Canada on June 21st in conjunction with Cardware 2010 with the CSCIP exam on June 24th. The second international CSCIP offering will be offered in Paris in December at Cartes 2010. More information on these exams and program application information can be found on the LEAP Web site.

Company Training Packages

The Alliance is now offering a 2-day training and certification package for organizations looking to more broadly expand their employees’ smart card expertise. With the package, the Smart Card Alliance brings CSCIP certification right to a company’s facility. The first day includes a training and preparation workshop for the CSCIP exam, with the exam held the second day. The corporate CSCIP training program provides organizations with ten or more smart card professionals with an opportunity to have all of their employees trained in one setting, at a substantial discount. The Alliance has already scheduled one corporate training for later this spring and several other organizations have expressed a great deal of interest in the package.

The Smart Card Alliance Annual Conference is being held at the Camelback Marriott Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, AZ, from May 17th–20th, 2010. The CSCIP preparation workshop will be held on May 17th, with the exam on May 20th. For more information about the Smart Card Alliance Annual Conference, LEAP and/or the CSCIP designation, visit https://www.securetechalliance.org and /activities-leap.

About LEAP

LEAP is an individual membership option offered by the Smart Card Alliance open to all individual professionals working in the smart card industry in the United States and worldwide, regardless of whether their organization is a current member of the Smart Card Alliance. LEAP members have access to the following members-only benefits: the LEAP Web site containing a comprehensive library of educational materials such as Smart Card Alliance reports, white papers, videotaped workshops, past webinars recordings and conference presentations; a social networking site to meet and share information with other LEAP members; private webinars and briefings on relevant industry topics; special networking receptions; and discounts to events and services.

About CSCIP

LEAP members can apply to be accepted into the Certified Smart Card Industry Professional (CSCIP) certification program. The program provides experienced smart card industry professionals a path to be accredited as a Certified Smart Card Industry Professional. The Smart Card Alliance has developed a comprehensive body of knowledge on smart card technology and applications that will prepare accepted candidates for the CSCIP Exam. The program is administered and reviewed annually for relevance and updates by the Smart Card Alliance Professional Development Committee, comprised of Leadership Council-level members and board members of the Smart Card Alliance Board of Directors.

Membership information and fees for LEAP and CSCIP are found at /activities-leap. For more information, contact the Smart Card Alliance at 1-800-556-6828 or email the LEAP administrator at LEAPinfo@smartcardalliance.org.

About the Smart Card Alliance

The Smart Card Alliance is a not-for-profit, multi-industry association working to stimulate the understanding, adoption, use and widespread application of smart card technology.

Through specific projects such as education programs, market research, advocacy, industry relations and open forums, the Alliance keeps its members connected to industry leaders and innovative thought. The Alliance is the single industry voice for smart cards, leading industry discussion on the impact and value of smart cards in the U.S. and Latin America. For more information please visit https://www.securetechalliance.org.