DoD Directive 8570.1
Department of Defense Directive 8570.1
In 2004, the US Department of Defense (DoD) established Directive 8570.1: Information Assurance Training, Certification and
Workforce Management. It requires that all DoD information assurance technicians and managers are trained and certified to effectively
defend DoD information, information systems and information infrastructures.
DoD 8570.01-M. DoD Approved Baseline Certifications
| IAT Level I | IAT Level II | IAT Level III |
| CompTIA A+ CompTIA Network+ SSCP |
GSEC CompTIA Security+ SCNP SSCP |
CISA GSE SCNA CISSP (or Associate) GCIH |
| IAM Level I | IAM Level II | IAM Level III |
| CAP GISF GSLC CompTIA Security+ |
CAP GSLC CISM CISSP (or Associate) |
GLSC CISM CISSP (or Associate) |
| IASAE I | IASAE II | IASAE III |
| CISSP (or Associate) | CISSP (or Associate) | CISSP - ISSEP CISSP - ISSAP |
| CND Analyst | CND Infrastructure Support |
CND Incident Reporter |
CND Auditor | CND-SP Manager |
| GCIA CEH |
SSCP CEH |
GCIH CSIH CEH |
CISA GSNA CEH |
CISSIP-ISSMP CISM |
How does the mandate impact contractors doing business with DOD? DOD officials recently added a clause to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) that will require any company bidding on new DOD information technology (IT) contracts to have 8570-compliant personnel. The agency is currently asking for public comment on the clause, though a few requests for proposals (RFPs) and requests for quotes (RFQs) are already incorporating the new language.
What is the significance of this mandate and of commercial certification in general? This mandate will have far-reaching implications, including:
- The Directive is viewed as a government endorsement of the effectiveness and cost efficiency of commercial certification.
- It provides military and civilian personnel with a certification that is professional, internationally recognized and vendor-neutral (not tied to any agency, technology or product).
- It provides a portable certification that is recognized in both the public and private sectors.
- It mandates and endorses a global standard (ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024).
- It positions the information security profession as a distinct job series.
Are there different certification requirements for managers than for technically-oriented information assurance or information security personnel?
Yes. There are six categories outlined in the Directive matrix with different roles and responsibilities and different certifications applicable for each category. Information assurance personnel must be certified under a credential that meets the criteria laid out in these six matrix categories. Managers must meet the certification requirements outlined under the Technical III (T3) and all Management categories (M1, M2 and M3). Technical personnel must meet the certification requirements outlined under the Technical I (T1) and Technical II (T2) categories (see chart above.) The DOD 8570.1M Manual states that additional certifications will be added in the future.
