Symantec Retools Certification Plan

Under the new program, a solution provider with a passing grade on a Symantec security exam plus an approved vendor-neutral certification can earn one of Symantec's certifications, said Allyson Seelinger, Symantec vice president of enterprise and consumer channels. "This will help us get new partners into the program and help them get certified quickly," she said.

For example, the Symantec Product Specialist (SPS) certification requires a Symantec exam plus either the Security++certification from CompTIA or the System Security Certified Practitioner certification from the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)2.

Symantec overhauled its certification program in response to feedback from partners who expressed "angst" with the growing number of vendor-specific certifications in the security industry, Seelinger said.

Other vendor-neutral certifications that Symantec accepts include the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) from (ISC)2 and certain types of the SANS (SysAdmin, Audit, Network, Security) Global Information Assurance Certification.

Cupertino-based Symantec also reduced the number of certification exams to four in broad security areas such as firewall/VPN technologies and intrusion-detection, from 12 mostly product-specific tests.

In addition, the vendor is offering instructor-led training for free to its Enterprise Security and Enterprise Solutions Partners. That training usually costs about $1,000 to $2,000 per class, depending on length.

"With the large number of different certifications available, it's refreshing to see a company like Symantec build its certification process on top of robust, industry-recognized certifications," said Andrew Brinkhorst, a Lexington, Ky.-based independent security consultant and certified Symantec Technology Architect. "Customers will benefit from the more strategic or holistic approach to security that the new certification process will emphasize."

Chris Ellerman, vice president of professional services at Meridian IT Solutions, Schaumburg, Ill., said the company already has many Symantec certifications but agreed that the vendor is making the right moves.

"It makes a lot of sense because it's not just a certification that you understand Symantec products but [also] that you understand Symantec products in relation to security concepts," he said. "The security world is a process, not just a product."