3/28/2007 -- The SANS Institute announced this week that it will soon offer a new line of certifications for programmers looking to verify their skills in creating secure code.

The GIAC Secure Software Programmer (GSSP) title, also part of the SANS Institute's Software Security Initiative, will consist of four exams dedicated to four different programming languagues: C/C++, Java/J2EE, Perl/PHP and .NET/APS. Candidates will choose what language to specialize in.

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"This assessment and certification program will help programmers learn what they don't know, and help organizations identify programmers who have solid security skills," said Alan Paller, director of research at the SANS Institute, in a released statement. "The certification will allow security-aware programmers to stand out in an increasingly competitive marketplace."

A number of companies joined SANS in creating this certification, including Seimens, Jupiter Networks, Fortify Software and more than a dozen others.

According to SANS, the first exams will debut this summer in a Washington D.C. "pilot" test. The organization expects a full rollout by the end of 2007. Self-assesment versions of the exams will be posted online at the SANS Institute Web site.

More information on the new certifications (including free sample questions for the C/C++ and Java exams) can be found on SANS' Software Security Institute home page here. -Becky Nagel