What Is the Lead Cybersecurity Certification (LCSPC™)?
The Lead Cybersecurity Professional Certification (LCSPC™) is a CertiProf credential that validates your ability to use the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to manage cybersecurity risk, protect information and implement or improve a cybersecurity program. It is a professional-level certification with an online exam in English, Spanish or Portuguese.
What the LCSPC™ validates
Cyber attacks usually aim to access, change or destroy sensitive information, extort money from users or interrupt normal business processes. Protecting against them is harder every year: there are more devices than people, and attackers keep innovating.
The LCSPC™ helps you understand the core functions of a security framework and why cybersecurity should protect information based on the three pillars of data security. The certification focuses on leading that work: choosing priorities, managing risk and explaining cybersecurity in terms the business understands.
Learning objectives
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Cybersecurity fundamentals with NIST CSF 1.1The core concepts behind the Cybersecurity Framework.
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Introduction to the frameworkIts structure: the Core, the Implementation Tiers and the Profiles.
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Risk managementHow the framework supports cybersecurity risk management.
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Implementing the frameworkSteps to put the framework into practice in an organization.
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Communicating cybersecurityEstablish or improve how cybersecurity requirements are communicated.
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Privacy and civil libertiesA methodology to protect privacy and civil liberties.
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Self-assessmentAssess your organization's cybersecurity risk with the framework.
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework, explained
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) created the Cybersecurity Framework to help organizations of any size understand, manage and reduce cybersecurity risk. It has three parts: the Core, the Implementation Tiers and the Profiles.
1. The Core: five functions
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Identify
Know what you must protect: assets, data, people, suppliers and the risks that affect them.
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Protect
Put safeguards in place: access control, awareness training, data security and maintenance.
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Detect
Spot cybersecurity events in time through continuous monitoring and detection processes.
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Respond
Act on a detected incident: plan the response, communicate, analyze and contain it.
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Recover
Restore the services affected by an incident and improve based on lessons learned.
2. Implementation Tiers
Tiers describe how rigorous and integrated an organization's cybersecurity risk management is.
| Tier | What it means |
|---|---|
| Tier 1: Partial | Risk is managed ad hoc and reactively. |
| Tier 2: Risk Informed | Risk practices are approved by management but not organization-wide. |
| Tier 3: Repeatable | Practices are formal policy and updated as risks change. |
| Tier 4: Adaptive | The organization adapts its practices from lessons learned and predictive indicators. |
3. Profiles
A Current Profile describes the cybersecurity outcomes an organization achieves today. A Target Profile describes the outcomes it needs. Comparing the two reveals the gaps and gives you a prioritized action plan.
Built for people who lead or support cybersecurity
No formal prerequisite is required. New to cybersecurity? Start with the Cybersecurity Foundation (CSFPC™).
- Cybersecurity professionals
- IT professionals
- Business managers
- Compliance professionals
- Auditors
- Students pursuing a cybersecurity career
CSFPC™ vs. LCSPC™: which one is for you?
Both are CertiProf cybersecurity certifications. The CSFPC™ builds the foundations; the LCSPC™ focuses on leading cybersecurity with the NIST framework.
| LCSPC™ (Lead) | CSFPC™ (Foundation) | |
|---|---|---|
| Level | Professional | Foundation |
| Focus | Managing cybersecurity risk with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework | Core cybersecurity knowledge across the field |
| Based on | NIST Cybersecurity Framework 1.1 | CyBOK v1.0 + NIST Cybersecurity for Small Business |
| Questions / time | 40 / 60 min | 40 / 60 min |
| Exam languages | English, Spanish, Portuguese | English, Spanish |
| Price | USD 180 | USD 150 |
How to become a certified Lead Cybersecurity Professional
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1
Learn the framework
Read the NIST Cybersecurity Framework 1.1 and understand its Core, Tiers and Profiles.
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2
Buy your exam
Choose English, Spanish or Portuguese. The exam costs USD 180 and includes two attempts.
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3
Get your voucher
Your access code arrives by email right after purchase. Check your spam folder if you don't see it.
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4
Take the exam online
Answer 40 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes. Use your attempts within six months of purchase.
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5
Share your credential
Pass with 32 of 40 and receive your certificate and an Open Badges 3.0 digital badge.
Why cybersecurity leadership pays off
The BLS projects 16% job growth for these managers from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average. The LCSPC™ helps you show you can lead cybersecurity with a recognized framework.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Professionals who earned the LCSPC™
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Officially Cybersecurity Leader. #LCSPC #certiprof
DBDiego Andres BeltranLCSPC™ certified -
Hace un par de semanas logre certificarme como Lead CyberSecurity Professional Certificate (#LCSPC) con CertiProf.
APAlejandro PachecoLCSPC™ certified · Original in Spanish -
Um novo certificado: Lead Cybersecurity Professional Certificate - LCSPC™ de CertiProf!
LHLuis F HidalgoLCSPC™ certified · Original in Portuguese
Companies with LCSPC™-certified professionals
Earn your LCSPC™
Lead Cybersecurity Professional Certification (LCSPC™)
USD 180, one-time payment. Exam in English, Spanish or Portuguese.
- Voucher by email right after purchase
- 2 attempts within 6 months
- Certificate + Open Badges 3.0 badge, valid 3 years
Already have your voucher?
Open the exam in the language you bought and enter the access code from your purchase email.
Questions about the LCSPC™
What is the LCSPC™?
The Lead Cybersecurity Professional Certification (LCSPC™) is a CertiProf credential that validates your knowledge of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and how to use it to manage cybersecurity risk.
What does the LCSPC™ exam cover?
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework, Version 1.1: its Core functions (Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond and Recover), the Implementation Tiers, the Profiles, risk management, implementation steps, communication of requirements, privacy and self-assessment.
How is the exam structured?
40 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, taken online. You pass with 32 correct answers (80%). Each purchase includes two attempts, to be used within six months of purchase.
Do I need a prerequisite?
No formal prerequisite is required. If you are new to cybersecurity, the Cybersecurity Foundation Professional Certification (CSFPC™) is a good first step.
How much does the LCSPC™ cost?
USD 180, a one-time payment that includes the exam voucher with two attempts. The voucher arrives by email right after purchase.
Which languages are available?
The exam is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. You choose the language when you buy.
What do I receive when I pass?
A CertiProf certificate and a verifiable Open Badges 3.0 digital badge issued through BadgeClaimed, valid for three years, which you can share on LinkedIn and in your CV.
Which version of the NIST framework does the exam cover?
The LCSPC™ exam is based on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, Version 1.1 (April 16, 2018).
LCSPC™ or CSFPC™: which one should I take?
Take the CSFPC™ to build broad cybersecurity foundations. Take the LCSPC™ if you lead or support a cybersecurity program and want to show you can manage risk with the NIST framework.
This certification is based on the Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity, Version 1.1, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), April 16, 2018.