NCSC announces forthcoming closure of CCP scheme

The UK Cyber Security Council assumed stewardship of the National Cyber Security Centre’s Certified Cyber Professional (CCP) assured service in 2022 as one of the steps on its journey towards the creation of a new professional standard for cyber security and in line with the organisation’s long-term goals for individual specialisms within it.

It's the UK Cyber Security Council’s stated mission to ensure and maintain the UK’s global leadership in the cyber industry through the development of this series of professional standards. This is not just about defining standards: the Council is ensuring that cyber security practitioners receive the recognition they richly deserve – be it through associate, principal or chartered status – in parity with other chartered professions.

The UK Cyber Security Council is also ensuring that businesses can make the best and most informed decisions when it comes to their cyber recruitment and provision under the new scheme.

The chartership title has now been piloted for the Governance and Risk Management and Secure System Architecture and Design specialisms. As a direct result of this, the National Cyber Security Centre will now be closing the CCP scheme in preparation for the launch of the Council’s chartership title specialisms. New applications to the scheme will end on 30 June.

What does this mean for organisations?

Those organisations who have adopted CCP as part of their career development and recruitment processes should now take steps to review those procedures and update them in order to reflect the new UK Cyber Security Council chartership titles as they become available. The same requirement is applicable to UK Government contracts.

For those individuals who do apply and pay fees by this date, they will still be able to undertake a maximum of two attempts at their Case Study requirement (should a second attempt be required), but it must be noted that the latest expiry date for certifications will be 31 December 2026. There will be no extensions to certification beyond this date.

CCP certifications will continue to be recognised until the last ones through the scheme expire in December 2026.

In terms of the journey from CCP to chartership, the timeline is as follows:

*30 June 2023: CCP applications close

*CCP remains valid until all are expired (latest expiration: 31 December 2026)

*Late July 2023: Chartership titles launched

Benchmark of excellence

Both the National Cyber Security Centre and the UK Cyber Security Council are working together to ensure that these new standards meet not only the requirements of the UK’s National Cyber Security Strategy, but also the longevity of these new awards as a benchmark of excellence during a period in which the cyber security profession continues to evolve.

In a statement on the organisation’s website, the National Cyber Security Centre has concluded: “We hope this clarifies how and why this scheme is closing and how it represents an exciting new time in the development of the cyber security profession, as well as the establishment of professional standards under the auspices of the UK Cyber Security Council.”

*Further information is available by sending an e-mail to dcsp@ncsc.gov.uk