Certified AI Security Professional (CAISP) from Practical DevSecOps covers the full spectrum of AI security: offensive techniques, defensive controls, DevSecOps pipelines, threat modeling, and governance.
COASP (EC-Council) is a pure offensive AI red teaming credential launching March 15, 2026.
If you need job-ready AI security skills right now, CAISP is the clear choice. If you’re a dedicated red teamer who wants to specialize further after building a solid foundation, COASP is worth watching.
Certified AI Security Professional
Secure AI systems: OWASP LLM Top 10, MITRE ATLAS & hands-on labs.
CAISP vs. COASP: The Quick Comparison
| Feature | CAISP (Practical DevSecOps) | COASP (EC-Council) |
| Focus | Full-spectrum AI Security | Offensive AI Red Teaming |
| Modules | 7 Chapters | 10 Modules |
| Frameworks | OWASP LLM Top 10, MITRE ATLAS, STRIDE | OWASP LLM Top 10, MITRE ATLAS |
| Exam Format | 6-hour practical + 24-hour report | TBA (launches March 15, 2026) |
| Lab Access | 60-day browser-based labs | Inquiry-based |
| Cost | $1,099 | Inquiry-based |
| Certification Validity | Lifetime | TBA |
| CPE Points | 36 | TBA |
| Best For | Security Engineers, DevSecOps, AppSec, AI/ML Engineers | Red Teamers, |
| 24/7 Instructor Support | Available | No |
AI security roles are paying $152,000–$289,000 in 2026. Companies are dropping LLMs into production systems faster than security teams can keep up. Prompt injection, training data poisoning, model theft, and agentic AI attacks are no longer theoretical. They are happening in real environments, against real systems, right now.
Two certifications are directly addressing this skills gap: the Certified AI Security Professional (CAISP) from Practical DevSecOps and the Certified Offensive AI Security Professional (COASP) from EC-Council.
Both cover OWASP LLM Top 10 and MITRE ATLAS Framework. Both target AI security professionals. But they are built for entirely unique career paths, and choosing the wrong one will cost you time and money.
This guide breaks down both certifications by curriculum depth, hands-on labs, exam format, cost, and career ROI. By the end, you’ll know exactly which one fits your role.
What is CAISP?
The Certified AI Security Professional (CAISP) is offered by Practical DevSecOps, a cybersecurity training and certifications company specializing in hands-on DevSecOps, AI Security, and Application Security. Practical DevSecOps has trained over 12,500 security professionals and is trusted by organizations including Roche, Accenture, IBM, PwC, and Booz Allen Hamilton.
CAISP is built for security professionals who need to build, defend, and manage AI systems, not just break them. It covers the full lifecycle of AI security: from identifying LLM vulnerabilities and running adversarial attacks to securing DevOps pipelines, threat modeling AI architectures, and meeting compliance requirements under the EU AI Act and NIST RMF.
Who it’s for: AI Security Engineers, AppSec professionals, DevSecOps engineers, Red Teamers, AI/ML engineers, and cybersecurity analysts moving into AI-focused roles.
What Is COASP?
The Certified Offensive AI Security Professional (COASP) is a new offensive AI credential, launched on March 15, 2026.
COASP is a pure offensive program. It teaches professionals how to attack AI systems: reconnaissance, fuzzing, prompt injection, adversarial ML, agentic AI exploitation, and AI forensics. It does not cover defensive controls, DevSecOps pipelines, or governance in any meaningful depth.
Who it’s for: Red Team Operators who want to red-team their own systems.
Curriculum Deep Dive
CAISP: 7 Chapters, Full-Spectrum Coverage
- Chapter 1: AI Security Fundamentals and ML Basics
- Chapter 2: Attacking LLMs using MITRE ATLAS tactics and adversarial tools
- Chapter 3: OWASP LLM Top 10, prompt injection, data poisoning, model theft, excessive agency
- Chapter 4: AI attacks and defenses in DevOps pipelines (SCA, SAST, DAST, AI firewalls, poisoned pipeline attacks)
- Chapter 5: Threat modeling AI systems with STRIDE, IriusRisk, and StrideGPT
- Chapter 6: AI supply chain attacks; SBOMs, MLBOMs, SLSA, model signing, attestations
- Chapter 7: Governance and compliance; NIST RMF, ISO/IEC 42001, EU AI Act
What makes the Certified AI Security Professional (CAISP) different?
The Certified AI Security Professional (CAISP) is the only AI security certification that covers the full picture: attack techniques, defensive controls, DevSecOps pipeline security, AI supply chain integrity, MITRE ATLAS Framework, and governance frameworks like NIST RMF and the EU AI Act. All-in-one credential.
Built by Practical DevSecOps. Trusted by Roche, Accenture, IBM, and PwC. Proven. Practical. Job-ready from day one.
CAISP vs. COASP – Why CAISP Wins:
Covers offense and defense. COASP is offensive-only.
Only cert with DevSecOps pipeline security for AI.
AI supply chain coverage – AIBOMs, model signing, SLSA. COASP skips this.
Governance built in NIST RMF, EU AI Act,ISO 42001. COASP has none.
6-hour practical exam proven format. COASP exam format is still TBA.
12,500+ trained professionals.
$1,099, known ROI. COASP pricing is inquiry-based; there is zero salary data.
Hands-On Labs: A Direct Comparison
CAISP Labs
- 50+ guided exercises across all 7 chapters
- Browser-based-no local setup, start within minutes
- Tools you will use: Garak, FuzzAI, ModelScan, Picklescan, LLM Guard, BackdoorBox, Ollama, Cosign, Syft, Bandit, and Grype, including Streamlit.
- Covers prompt injection, poisoned pipeline attacks, adversarial attacks (Foolbox, ART), model scanning, SBOMs, and threat modeling with IriusRisk
- 60-day lab access window
- AI-powered “Explain to Me” feature for command-level learning
- Verified by learners and rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot
COASP Labs
- Tools include: PyRIT, Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP, and ART.
- Structured around a 3-phase methodology: Recon → Exploit → Defend
- Lab access details are inquiry-based; the program hasn’t launched yet
Bottom line on labs: The Certified AI Security Professional CAISP’s labs are proven, load within seconds, and map directly to the exam. Less waiting, more practice.
COASP is newer. Students have reported slow lab load times, and there are no independent reviews online yet. With CAISP, you know what you’re getting. With COASP, you’re getting in early.
Exam Format
CAISP Exam
- Format: 5 real-world challenges in 6 hours
- Report: 24-hour window to write and submit a professional report
- Online: Take from home or office
- Validity: Lifetime. No renewals.
- CPE Points: 36
- Retake: Available (separate fee)
This format mirrors what an actual AI security engagement looks like. You either know how to do it, or you don’t. There are no multiple-choice shortcuts.
COASP Exam
- Launching March 15, 2026; exam format details available via inquiry
- Based on the past certifications, exams are most likely to be MCQ-based.
- No independent learner reviews available yet
Cost and ROI
CAISP: $1,099
Includes 3-year course access, 60-day browser-based labs, 50+ exercises, a PDF manual, 24/7 Mattermost support, 1 exam attempt, 24/7 instructor support, 36 CPE points, and a digital badge via Credly.
Bundle option: CDP + CAISP for $1,799.
Salary impact: AI Security Engineers with CAISP certification are seeing salaries in the $175,689–$213,882 range, compared to $110,000–$120,000 for uncertified professionals in similar roles. Professionals report a 15–20% salary increase when transitioning into AI security roles with CAISP.
COASP: Inquiry-Based
EC-Council’s typical certification pricing ranges from $999 to $2,799+, depending on training format. Target’s roles pay $175,000–$234,000.
ROI verdict: CAISP has a known price, proven salary data; COASP’s is unproven; the program hasn’t launched yet.
Conclusion
For broad AI security skills + DevSecOps integration + immediate career impact → CAISP
For offensive AI red teaming + EC-Council brand → COASP
For maximum career coverage, do both. Start with CAISP.
CAISP is the stronger choice for most security professionals in 2026. It covers more ground, has a proven track record, costs a known amount, and delivers skills you can apply on day one. COASP is a compelling offensive specialization credential, but it’s launching in March 2026 with no learner reviews, no published pricing, and no confirmed exam format. That’s a lot of unknowns for a significant investment.
Certified AI Security Professional
Secure AI systems: OWASP LLM Top 10, MITRE ATLAS & hands-on labs.
If you’re a Security Engineer, AppSec professional, DevSecOps Engineer, or AI/ML Engineer who needs to secure AI systems right now, CAISP is where you start.
FAQs
CAISP covers the full spectrum of AI security: offensive techniques, defensive controls, DevSecOps pipelines, threat modeling, and governance. COASP is a pure offensive AI red teaming credential focused on attacking AI systems. CAISP is broader; COASP is deeper on the offensive side.
CAISP has 50+ browser-based lab exercises with a proven 60-day browser-based access window. COASP’s lab details are inquiry-based, and the program launched recently. CAISP wins on proven lab quality.
Yes. CAISP covers LLM attack techniques using MITRE ATLAS, prompt injection, adversarial ML attacks, data poisoning, model theft, and supply chain attacks. It’s not a pure offensive credential, but it gives security engineers enough offensive knowledge to run AI red team exercises.
CAISP. It has a dedicated chapter on securing AI systems within DevOps pipelines, covering poisoned pipeline attacks, SCA, SAST, DAST, and AI firewalls. No other AI security certification covers this in depth.
Ready to build real AI security skills? Enroll in CAISP today and join 12,500+ security professionals trained by Practical DevSecOps.
