Michelle Cantone Passes CISSP Exam

James Madison University’s College of Business recently sponsored a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Review Course in McLean, Va. Michelle Cantone, a graduate of the Information Security MBA, participated in the review course, took the exam, and passed it.

Cantone is an I.T. Manager for Noble Drilling Services headquartered in Sugar Land, Tx.  She received her Associates in Application Development from Houston Community College, Bachelor's in Organizational Leadership and Supervision from the University of Houston, and recently completed her MBA in Information Security from James Madison University.

In addition, she is an Adjunct Professor at Houston Community College teaching networking and security. Cantone is an active mentor in the security sector, and has been invited to present on mentoring at a number of conferences, including Women in Cyber Security.  She is also an active member in InfraGard, ISSA, and ISACA.

She talks about her experience with the program and the exam:

"When I started to look at graduate schools, I knew I wanted to pursue a MBA and I wanted a security emphasis. I also knew I was going to pursue my CISSP upon completion of my degree. It was my great fortune when James Madison University collaborated with ISC² to add the CISSP capstone as an augmentation to the program this year.

The CISSP is a daunting exam, and without the in-depth instruction provided by James Madison University, I strongly believe I would not have been nearly as prepared for the exam without the course. Unlike a boot camp, the course went into depth on key information critical to mastering the curriculum. I not only passed the exam, but I learned and retained the material. Additionally, having a certified CISSP professor made the learning environment a safe area to ask detailed questions about the material instead of simply memorizing the ‘best answer.’

I feel having my CISSP and being affiliated with James Madison University augments my resume. I have the confidence to speak about technology and security at the business level. I believe taking the CISSP prep upon program completion is a zero risk investment as a step into the security community. There is an amount of respect immediately gained upon certification, and I expect to see future MBA graduates also reap the rewards for completing their certifications."