As the UK's AI market grows to become one of the largest globally and Ireland's AI labour demand doubles, four new AI certifications and Certified CISO v4 help close the gap between rapid AI adoption and the skilled workforce needed to govern, secure, and scale it
LONDON and DUBLIN, Feb. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EC-Council, creator of the world-renowned Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) credential and a global leader in applied cybersecurity education, today launched its Enterprise AI Credential Suite, with four new role-based AI certifications debuting alongside Certified CISO v4, an overhauled executive cyber leadership program. The dual launch is the largest single expansion of EC-Council's portfolio in its 25-year history, built for one clear reality: AI is scaling faster than the workforce trained to run, secure, and govern it.
The launch aligns with a defining phase in the United Kingdom and Ireland's AI growth trajectory. According to the latest market research, the UK AI ecosystem is now the third-largest in the world, valued at approximately $92 billion in 2024 and projected to grow at an annual rate exceeding 28 percent through 2033. More than 52 percent of UK businesses are already using AI in operations, with 77 percent reporting measurable productivity gains from adoption. London alone hosts over 2,700 AI companies, making it one of Europe's most active and strategically significant AI hubs.
Ireland's AI labour market is also expanding rapidly: recent analysis shows that AI-related jobs and usage have doubled in the past two years, reflecting strong demand for AI skills and positioning the country as a key European technology market. Ireland ranks among the top in AI adoption and digital skills readiness, with research pointing to robust opportunities for the workforce and employers alike.
"AI is moving from experimentation to infrastructure, and the workforce has to move with it," said Jay Bavisi, Group President, EC-Council. "These programs are built to give professionals practical capability across adoption, security, and governance, so organizations can scale AI with confidence and clear accountability."
Role-Aligned Certifications
The Enterprise AI Credential Suite is structured to mirror how AI capability is developed in practice. Artificial Intelligence Essentials (AIE) serves as the baseline, building practical AI fluency and responsible usage across roles, and it is supported by EC-Council's proprietary Adopt. Defend. Govern. (ADG) framework, which defines how AI should be operationalized at scale in real environments.
Adopt: Prepare teams to deploy AI deliberately, with readiness and safeguards
Defend: Secure AI systems against emerging risks, including prompt injection, data poisoning, model exploitation, and AI supply-chain compromise
Govern: Embed accountability, oversight, and risk management into AI systems from the outset
Within this structure, the four new certifications align directly to specific workforce needs across the AI lifecycle.
- Artificial Intelligence Essentials (AIE) builds foundational AI literacy.
- Certified AI Program Manager (CAIPM) equips to translate AI strategy into execution, aligning teams, governance, and delivery to drive measurable ROI and enterprise-scale intelligence.
- Certified Offensive AI Security Professional (COASP) Builds elite capabilities to test vulnerabilities in LLMs, simulate exploits, and secure AI infrastructure hardening enterprises against emerging threats.
- Certified Responsible AI Governance & Ethics Professional (CRAGE) Focuses on Responsible AI, Governance and Ethics at enterprise scale with NIST/ISO compliance.
Alongside the new AI certifications, Certified CISO v4 updates executive cyber leadership education for AI-driven risk environments, strengthening leadership readiness as intelligent systems become part of core business operations and security decision-making.
"Security leaders are now accountable for systems that learn, adapt, and influence outcomes at speed," Bavisi added. "Certified CISO v4 prepares leaders to manage AI-driven risk with clarity, strengthen governance, and make informed decisions when responsibility is on the line."
The portfolio also builds on EC-Council's long-standing work with government and defense organizations, including its existing DoD 8140 baseline certification recognition, as AI security and workforce readiness take on greater national importance.
To explore the full range of training and certification opportunities, visit the EC-Council AI Courses library.
About EC-Council:
EC-Council is the creator of the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) program and a leader in cybersecurity education. Founded in 2001, EC-Council's mission is to provide high-quality training and certifications for cybersecurity professionals to keep organizations safe from cyber threats. EC-Council offers over 200 certifications and degrees in various cybersecurity domains, including forensics, security analysis, threat intelligence, and information security.
An ISO/IEC 17024 accredited organization, EC-Council has certified over 350,000 professionals worldwide, with clients ranging from government agencies to Fortune 100 companies. EC-Council is the gold standard in cybersecurity certification, trusted by the U.S. Department of Defense, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and leading global corporations.
For more information, visit: www.eccouncil.org
Media Contact:
press@eccouncil.org
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