ISC2 plans its first AI security exam for the start of 2027

ISC2, the nonprofit group behind the CISSP qualification, announced its 10th certification on 26 October 2026 in Denver, in the US. The new credential is for persons who make AI systems safe. It has no name. Input from 10,000 volunteer professionals shaped the first phase. The CEO, Scott Beale, thinks that it opens in the first quarter of 2027, possibly in January.

What the exam covers

The exam has 6 areas:

• AI concepts and security basics
• AI governance, ethics, risk and compliance
• AI data, privacy and model security
• Safe AI systems and access control
• AI operations and incident response
• AI threats, testing and lifecycle management

Who can take it

Members and non-members can get the credential. A candidate must have 4 years of full-time work in cybersecurity or AI, and 2 of them in cybersecurity. Holders of CISSP and some other ISC2 credentials do not need to show this experience.

What is not known

The pilot must show if the exam measures skill reliably, fairly and defensibly, tells Casey Marks, the ISC2 chief operating officer. The exam is not complete.

Insight: Two bodies race to set the standard for AI trust

In October 2026, AICPA and AIUC announced a certification for AI agents, with a launch in the first quarter of 2027. ISC2 aims at the same quarter, but for persons. This reads as a race to set the standard: the first credential that buyers and employers want can set the rules. Leaders must plan for the 2 types of trust.