What is COBIT?

COBIT or Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology is an IT governance and management framework. It was developed by ISACA (Information Systems Audit and Control Association) with an aim to help businesses develop, organize, and implement strategies on information management and governance. The goal of COBIT is to offer a common communication platform, or rather, a language that Business Executives can use to communicate with each other about IT-related goals, visions, and results.

Earlier Versions and the Present COBIT 5

The first version of COBIT was released in 1996. ISACA had designed COBIT as a compilation of IT control objectives to allow Financial Auditors to better function in IT and IT-related environments. After two years (in 1998), ISACA expanded the COBIT framework beyond the auditing realm by releasing the COBIT version 2. In the 2000s, version 3 was released – it included management and information guidelines. This was followed by the release of COBIT 4 and COBIT 4.1 in 2005 and 2007 respectively. These versions incorporated information and instructions on IT-related business processes, responsibilities in value creation, and risk management. After five years, in 2012, ISACA launched the COBIT 5, followed by an add-on (about information security) to COBIT 5 in 2013 to include detailed information for businesses on information governance and risk management.

Why COBIT 5?

Up until the release of COBIT 5, the previous versions of COBIT faced a lot of criticism. There was an urgent need for an updated version that could provide:

• A more coherent understanding of how the existing standards, best practices, and other tools complement each other.
• A more comprehensive and end-to-end business scope covering all business and IT functions.
• Better guidance on emerging technologies and hot-topic concepts like Enterprise Architecture.
• More seamless integration of COBIT and other ISACA research tools and frameworks.
• More seamless integration with external standards, recommendations, and frameworks.

Unlike the earlier versions that had limited possibilities and information, COBIT 5 was designed to combat all the criticisms effectively while also addressing the requirements mentioned above.

The five core principles of COBIT 5 are:

1. Efficiently meeting the requirements of stakeholders.
2. Offer end-to-end enterprise information and solutions.
3. Leverage the application of a single integrated framework.
4. Ensure a holistic approach to business decision-making.
5. Distinguish governance from management.

Since COBIT 5 encompasses a broader aspect of IT management including management and information guidelines, information governance and risk management, information security, and other IT business processes, it allows businesses to generate optimal value from IT functions. COBIT 5 enables the governance and management of IT holistically by maintaining a smooth balance between optimizing risk levels and resource use and realizing benefits. Not only does it consider the entire end-to-end business and IT functional areas of responsibility, but it also takes into account the interests of internal and external stakeholders.

Cobit 5 Certifications             

There are five different levels of COBIT 5 Certifications:

1. Foundation Level

As the name suggests, this is the primary, beginner-level COBIT 5 certification. It focuses on teaching the fundamentals of COBIT 5. On obtaining this certification, you will gain an understanding of the governance and management of enterprise IT; you can analyze and determine the condition of your organization’s enterprise IT, and you can identify the specific components of COBIT 5 that would best suit the issues faced by your organization.

2. Implementation Level

The COBIT 5 Implementation certification will teach you the ways to effectively apply COBIT 5 elements to solve specific business issues, pain points, and risk scenarios within your organization. You will learn about implementation challenges and pitfalls; how to assess the latest business drivers and best practices, and how to determine and assess the present processing capability of your organization.

3. Assessor Level

The COBIT 5 Assessor certification introduces you to the best practices for guiding implementation activities. The certification uses case studies throughout the course to help students learn better. The key takeaway of this certification is that you will learn how to execute a process assessment effectively and how to analyze the results of the same. Furthermore, you will also learn how to leverage those results to the advantage of your organization, such as improving business processes or measuring the success of the short-term business goals.

4. Implementing the NIST Cyber Security Framework with COBIT 5

This COBIT 5 certification exclusively focuses on cybersecurity. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) designed a voluntary risk-based cybersecurity framework to meet the requirements of Order 13636 that demanded a cybersecurity framework that is “prioritized, flexible, repeatable, performance-based and cost-effective”. This certification will teach you the nitty-gritty of how to implement the NIST cybersecurity framework using COBIT 5, thereby allowing you to make your enterprise more resilient against cybersecurity threats.

5. COBIT Assessor for Security (AS)

This COBIT 5 certification serves as the foundation for assessing and understanding an enterprise’s process cybersecurity capabilities as measured against the COBIT 5 Process Assessment Model (PAM). It is an evidence-based learning model that facilitates a reliable, consistent, and iterative way to evaluate IT process capabilities, thereby allowing IT leaders to undertake improvement strategies accordingly.

A COBIT 5 certification will not only prepare you for the global challenges confronting the business IT processes, but it will also help you understand various IT management issues and the impact they have on organizations; the principles of enterprise IT and IT governance, and how to implement COBIT 5 in ways that ensures that all the five core COBIT 5 principles are met. As organizations leveraging IT functions within their infrastructure continue to face complex IT management and governance challenges, it is driving the demand for COBIT 5. Enterprises are now creating a massive demand for COBIT 5 certified professionals who can add value to their business processes through the proper implementation of COBIT 5. In light of this, the value of a COBIT 5 certification is only increasing by the day.

If you wish to make hay while the sun shines, enroll in a COBIT 5 certification course today.