Category Archives: Certification

Understanding the EU Cyber Resilience Act

24 Thursday Apr 2025

Posted by in Applications, Certification, Programming

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The EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) is a significant piece of legislation that establishes a common set of standards and requirements on various types of software, including open source, to ensure cybersecurity and resilience. Products will bear the CE marking  to indicate that they comply with the CRA requirements.

The CRA entered into force on the 10th December 2024 with parts of the act coming into place with the full act coming into force on 11 December 2027.

Key requirements of the act:

  • The Act mandates compliance strategies for digital products and outlines how to navigate uncertainties in the law, particularly for open source software
  • It includes provisions for ICT risk management, incident reporting, resilience testing, and third-party risk management 

To help gain and understanding of the CRA, The Linux Foundation and Open SSF have recently launched a course: The Linux Foundation – Understanding the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) (LFEL1001)

I have to thank a former colleague for posting about it on LinkedIn which drew my attention to the course. Having taken the the course I found it to be very informative and provides a good overview. There are useful links and material that can be used for further research into the CRA.

The course is presented in 4 chapters which cover:

  • Course Introduction
  • CRA Overview and Key Concepts
  • Requirements and Conformity Assessments
  • Adapting to the CRA

Upon taking a final exam, a digital badge is awarded.

I would recommend the course to anyone wanting a greater understanding of CRA and looking to implement it. 

Embracing Excellence: The Value of Chartered IT Professionals (CITP)

24 Monday Feb 2025

Posted by in BCS, Certification, F-TAG

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This week is “Charted Week” (24th to 28th Feb 2025) and it is an opportune moment to reflect on what it means to be chartered in the IT industry and why other IT professionals should consider this significant step in their careers.

It’s Chartered Week! Let’s celebrate Chartered practice and the people, organisations and registrations that are raising standards of competence and ethics across society today. This year’s theme is Celebrating Trusted Professionals. It’s a great opportunity to recognise the Chartered heroes whose work and commitment help to strengthen public confidence in their sector.
 – https://www.charteredweek.uk/

There are over 30 institutes and organisations taking part in Chartered Week across many different industries and professions.

I am a Charted IT Professional and a Fellow of the BCS.

What It Means to Be Chartered in IT as a CITP with BCS

Becoming a Chartered IT Professional (CITP) with the BCS is more than just a title. CITP is a testament to a persons dedication to excellence in the field of IT. The CITP status is the only Chartered IT registration that validates both technical expertise and professional behaviours, endorsing not just what you know but how you apply it. CITP also has a focus on ethical values that are reflected in a persons performance.

Benefits of achieving CITP status

  • Professional Credibility: Chartered status recognises you as an expert who meets the highest standards in IT professionalism and capability.
  • Independent Validation: Your knowledge and skills are formally validated, giving you and others confidence in your abilities.
  • Greater Influence: Chartered status endorses your leadership and decision-making skills, giving you more influence in your field.
  • Chartered Network: Joining the CITP community connects you to a network of respected professionals in the IT industry.
  • Continuous Development: As a Chartered professional, you demonstrate a commitment to continuing professional development (CPD), staying updated in a fast-paced industry.
  • Register of Chartered IT Professionals: Listing on the Register of Chartered IT Professionals.

Why Other IT Professionals Should Consider Becoming Chartered

Becoming a Chartered IT Professional is a significant achievement that offers numerous benefits:

  • Professional Recognition: Chartered status provides formal recognition of your expertise and competence, enhancing your professional standing.
  • Career Advancement: It opens doors to new opportunities and positions you as a leader in your field.
  • Ethical Standards: Upholding ethical standards in all aspects of your work is a key component of being Chartered, which is increasingly important in the IT industry.
  • Networking Opportunities: Joining the CITP community connects you with like-minded professionals, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Becoming a Chartered IT Professional with BCS is not just about achieving a title; it’s about committing to excellence, ethical practice, and continuous professional development in the ever-evolving world of IT.

To find out more visit : https://www.bcs.org/membership-and-registrations/get-registered/chartered-it-professional/

Taking the ServiceNow Administrator Certification

07 Tuesday Jun 2016

Posted by in Certification

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DevelopmentIts been a while since my last blog post, mainly because of studying to take an exam following a course on ServiceNow Administration so my mind has been on passing this.

Getting back into taking exams has been an interesting process for me as I have been recently learning and practising what I have learnt for my CPD (Continual Professional Development) and Personal Development.

Right from taking exams back at school the advise given then has always stuck with me. Break the subject down into the parts needed for the exam then Learn, Revise and Test.

Back in my day (sounding old now!) we had pen and paper and index cards that were written out with crib notes. I have since moved to a mini tape recorder and then to notes on a computer, videos and online tests/practice exams. Each of these methods have their place and still in use today.

Studying for the exam, I found myself going back to the recording my notes as a good method of learning.

The internet does provide a good set of resources available to study from, such as:

  • Training Courses
  • Self-paced training modules
  • Knowledge Base’s / Wiki’s
  • Blogs
  • Forums
  • Official Documentation
  • Developer/API resources
  • Videos/Youtube
  • Demos/Test/Dev Systems to study on

I did pass the exam and am now looking at my next area of study and certification.

Keeping yourself current and up to date and recording your CPD is important. I have written some blog posts on this subject previously:

Recording your CPD
The Nature and Cycle of CPD
CPD is a two way street
A balance of Verifiable and Non-Verifiable CPD
How much CPD/Training should you be doing?

For those taking the ServiceNow Certifications this blog post is a good start on how to start learning ServiceNow:

https://community.servicenow.com/groups/developer-certification/blog/2015/09/03/learning-servicenow-from-scratch-and-prepping-for-the-certification-exam

Good luck if you are taking an exam.