3 Steps We Take to Safeguard Your Salesforce Credentials

Salesforce has a portfolio of 50+ credentials to validate your skills and grow your career. Safeguarding the integrity of credentials is core to what we do and is a critical piece to maintaining the high standards we upload for Salesforce Credentials. Here’s how you can work with us to keep your Salesforce Credentials safe.

Keeping your Salesforce credentials secure is our top priority

The team at Trailhead — Salesforce’s free online learning platform — is committed to protecting the value of the Salesforce credentials you display on your Trailblazer profile. Earning those certifications wasn’t easy, and you’re justifiably proud of them.

So it’s our job to make sure those credentials really reflect all the hard work and study time you put in to earn them. Here are three key steps we take every day to make sure that Salesforce credentials are secure.

Step 1. Defense – We designed a strong system

Our system is under constant review and evaluation. Whether we’re scanning for changes in test-taking behavior or updating exams themselves, we keep credentials safe by:

• Keeping exams up to date: We continuously update our exams throughout the year, which keeps them current and in alignment with Salesforce release cycles. Users also give us great insight and feedback, and we use that to update the exams as well.
• Making exam questions and answers random: We purposely design each exam to be a unique experience for the test-taker. We randomize the exam questions, the order of the questions, and the order of the answers.
• Keeping track of unusual exam statistics: We keep an eye on our average exam scores, the pass/fail trends, and other statistics that might indicate a compromised exam. We can quickly detect any potential problems and make decisions about whether an exam needs to be updated or changed, even outside the regular release cycle.
• Limiting exam retakes: We know that not everyone will pass their exam on the first try, and that’s OK! But as a security measure, we limit the number of times one user can retake the same exam during any one release cycle. This prevents anyone from simply memorizing all the questions and answers until they get it right. Learn more about our exam retake policy here.

Step 2. Identification – We monitor for security issues

We know that it’s important to quickly identify potential credential security violations, so we’re always looking out for any behavior that may compromise certification exam content or superbadge solutions.

We want to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to prepare for earning a certification or superbadge.

• Continuous internet monitoring: We’re always scanning the internet for any person or company that requests, or offers to share or sell Salesforce Certification exam content or superbadge solutions. We work with industry experts to scale this process beyond and offer greater coverage.
• Strong proctoring protocols: Both in-person and online exams are closely monitored by proctors, who are trained to identify potential cheating behaviors during a certification exam.
• Violation Reporting: Think you’ve seen a Credential Security violation? Submit a case for our team to look into.

Step 3. Correction – We act quickly to address any problems

We take various corrective actions against anyone who violates security protocols, depending on the situation:

• Removal of compromising posts: When posts are shared in the Trailblazer Community or Partner Community that could compromise the security of a certification exam or superbadge, we follow up and send a warning notice to the post author. Any post that is in violation of credential security policies is deleted.
• Official takedown notices: Some compromising content is shared on platforms we do not control, and for that type of content, we’ll send takedown notices to both the hosting site and content author, with an explanation of how the content violates our credential security and the consequences for not immediately removing it.
• Updating any compromised exam content: Compromised certification exam questions and superbadge content will be replaced.
• Permanent actions for offenders: Depending on how severe the violation is, we can take actions including revoking any credentials awarded, and permanently banning violators from the program.

What to do (and not do)

When you participate in our credentials program, you’re asked to agree to the terms of the Salesforce Certification Program Agreement and Code of Conduct. We consistently update the code of conduct to set the standard for best practices in the industry. 

You can help protect the value of your credentials by using trusted Salesforce materials to prepare for your exams, such as:

• Use Trailhead — the only official resource — when you’re preparing for certification exams or superbadges. We’ve designed a great library of content to get you ready for your exam, including trails, trailmixes, exam guides, Knowledge Articles, and practice exams.
• Use the Developer Org and Trailhead Playground to practice scenarios.
• Join an existing study group in the Trailblazer Community, or form your own!
• Find a mentor in the Trailblazer Community.
• Once you’ve gotten the results of your certification exam, carefully read the section-level feedback for a better understanding of your unique strengths and any potential areas of improvement.

Salesforce Credentialing Program participants are prohibited from:

• Sharing, using, or requesting exam dumps. Not only can these contain inaccurate and outdated information, but users having access to exam material before they take an exam devalues the certification for everyone.
• Sharing any content including but not limited to exam questions, exam answers, and superbadge solutions.
• Use any devices or get any outside help during your exam — review the guidelines for more information on procedures for both online and in-person exams.

The most recent updates to the code of conduct include new candidate requirements that allow Salesforce to take punitive actions for:

• Providing false or misleading information to Salesforce
• Launching an exam with any malicious code, viruses, worms, or other programs that could be used to avoid security mechanisms
• Selling or sharing voucher and coupon codes or using them for an unapproved purpose

All reported security violations are taken very seriously and reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

There are potential long-term consequences for any Program Agreement violations, including suspension from online proctored exams, suspension from all certification exams, revocation of certifications, and being removed from the Salesforce Credentials program and the Trailblazer Community entirely.

Help us keep credentials secure

We do everything we can to design a secure system, quickly identify any potential problems, and immediately correct any security issues we find, but keeping the system safeguarded requires your help, too.

We have a system set up to take reports of any suspicious activity — whether it’s a post in the Trailblazer Community asking for an exam dump or a video posted with superbadge solutions.

So if you see anything suspicious you can take action.

• Open a Credential Protection case: Submit a case to our security team. We’ll look into it and take action right away if a security violation is confirmed.
• Let us know about violations in social/community groups: Hit the “flag as spam” notification button to alert us to the suspicious post, or report it to the group moderator.
• Promote our security protocols: Support our security efforts by sharing the Salesforce Certification Program Agreement and Policies and the Credential Protection case form, so that other Trailblazers know the protocols.

Thank you for your help

Hopefully, now you have a better understanding of the system we’ve set up to help safeguard the valuable credentials you’ve worked so hard to earn. Thank you for helping us identify and correct any potential security violations.