Top Cybersecurity Certifications to Boost Your Career

As the cyber threats have become more sophisticated, there is a huge demand for cybersecurity professionals. Both government and corporate organizations are hiring cybersecurity professionals to protect information and computer networks from hackers. One of the essential approaches to verify your abilities and climb the career ladder in the field of cybersecurity is getting certifications. According to your experience and career interests, there are some certifications that will make you more marketable and can provide you with better and more well-paying positions. Below is a list of some of the most well-known and reputable cybersecurity certifications to pursue.

CompTIA Security+

CompTIA Security+ is an entry-level certification in cybersecurity that is recognized globally and validates your fundamental understanding of technical IT security concepts and activities. They include the network and host security, attacks and threats, application security, identity, and risk management. Since it is vendor-neutral, the skills and concepts that are taught are portable from one job to another and different technologies. 

Chasing the CompTIA Security+ certification also indicates to the employers that you understand some basic concepts of cybersecurity and security measures that enable you to mitigate security threats. With this certificate, you can be eligible for entry and mid-level cyber positions such as a security analyst, network security engineer, systems security administrator, security architect, cloud security architect, security auditor, as well as a security consultant. This certification exam has performance-based questions and the focus of the questions is to make you show how much you have grasped by offering simulations and tasks. 

For being a Security+ certified, one is required to have a minimum of 2 years experience in technical IT tasks as well as preparing for the exam. It is valid for 3 years, after which one has to repeat the test to maintain the certification.

CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional 

The CISSP is one of the most internationally acclaimed advanced cybersecurity certifications for professionals. CISSP is offered by International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)2 and proves that the holder has a profound technical knowledge and practical experience in security operations, governance, delivery, engineering, and architecture across the major areas that include cloud security, software development security, network and communications security, asset security and Identity and Access Management. 

To be a holder of the CISSP certification, one must sit and pass an exam that covers eight domains of the Common Body of Knowledge (CBK). You also require a minimum of five years of cumulative paid work experience in at least two of the CISSP domains. On the other hand, four years’ experience plus a college degree can be equated to one year of experience. The CISSP certification is highly regarded and can help place cyber workers in technical and executive positions such as CISO, Director of Cybersecurity, Security Architect, and Security Engineer. It also leads to better paid positions with an average annual wage above $120,000 per year.

The CISSP has exam prerequisites such as Background Checks and compliance with (ISC) 2’s Code of Ethics to maintain high professional ethical standards. You need CPE credit every year and it takes three years for the certification and then you do the exam again to get it renewed.

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

The EC-Council has designed the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) for mid-level to the senior-level professional specialized in evaluating the vulnerability of networks and systems by mimicking hackers. It does this through training you on how attackers work and how they compromise security using current hacking methodologies and tools, making it possible for you to identify vulnerabilities before the actual attackers do. 

Being an advanced form of penetration testing program, the CEH certification proves your capability in not only identifying weaknesses but also in strengthening the network by proactively addressing the weaknesses before malicious attackers can capitalize on them by applying patches. This examination is up to date with hacking threats, methodologies, vectors, mobile platforms, and cloud technology. 

The CEH certification earns you well-paying jobs such as Cybersecurity Analyst, Vulnerability Assessor, Security Consultant, Cyber Forensics Expert, and Penetration Tester. CEH credential holders are sought out by leading organizations for security positions and are paid some of the highest wages ($90,000+) annually. Similar to CISSP, CEH also has ethics which prohibit the candidate from reporting his findings to the wrong channel. To be certified as CEH, aside from being able to pass the exam, you have to sign on the (EC)Council’s Code of Ethics. The CEH certification is valid for three years and to keep the credential, one has to earn EC-Council Continuing Education (ECE) credit hours per year. 

CISM stands for Certified Information Security Manager.

The CISM certification from the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) attests to your knowledge of information security program development, management, governance, investigations, and compliance. CISM prepares you for leadership positions and is recognized by CISOs and other security professionals worldwide; positions that you qualify for include CIO, CISO, Chief Risk Officer, Cybersecurity Program Manager, and Senior Cyber Risk Analyst. The salary of CISM certified experts is above $145,000 per annum.

To be awarded a CISM certification, a candidate is required to have worked for at least five years in a job related to CISM or across three or more job practice areas of CISM as defined by ISACA. Apart from this required professional experience, candidates are required to pass an examination based on the CISM Review Manual and areas such as Security Program Development and Management, Information Risk Management, Information Security Incident Management, and Information Security Governance.  

The job practice requirements of the CISM certification guarantee that holders of the certification are experts in designing, directing, building, and managing enterprise cybersecurity programs. As with other ISACA top credentials, CISM obliges its holders to uphold ISACA’s Code of Professional Ethics and the continuing professional education policy that prescribes earning and documenting 120 continuing professional education (CPE) credits over a three-year reporting period to retain the credential. In summary, a CISM certification is an acknowledgment of your ability to manage, evaluate, and control information security threats in an organization.

GIAC Security Expert (GSE)

Cybersecurity professionals who want to verify additional expertise beyond the core security concepts can benefit from taking the GIAC Security Expert (GSE) exam created by the SANS Institute that is recognized as the ultimate proof of expert-level proficiency in the specified fields. As opposed to passing an exam, the GSE credential expects you to show deep understanding through thought leadership contributions; this makes the credential to not only showcase technical competency but also other key skills such as communication, critical thinking as well as strategic security planning. 

Provided in such specific sectors as penetration testing, cybersecurity, cloud, automation, critical infrastructure protection, and security management, GSE certifications prepare you for various technical and executive roles, including Lead Penetration Tester, Cyber Resilience Architect, Lead Security Architect, and CISO. Some of the GSE certified experts disclosed an average monthly remuneration of over $150,000.

To obtain the GSE credential, one has to already possess a corresponding base GIAC certification such as the GPenTest or GCWN within the same area. Extending from the foundation, the GSE certification involves preparing a research paper of high quality that contributes a significant knowledge to the profession. The GSE accreditation is assigned after the research and paper is reviewed by a board of several other professionals who work in the same specialty. You then need to continue with CE (Continuing Education) requirements to keep the credential current. In total, GSE attests to your ability to perform at the expert level in discovering threat and vulnerabilities that bypass typical measures of protection.

Bottom Line

Since cyberattacks and breaches are on the rise, getting certified is a great way to progress in your cybersecurity career and secure well-paid positions. These certifications are regarded as widely accepted in demonstrating specialized and all-rounded cyber skills that prepares you to secure structures and important data that is vital for organizations and governments. Think about where you are in your career and your technical and leadership goals to decide which certification aligns with your goal to advance your career as an ethical cyber professional. 

Continuing education is essential to learn new attack approaches and practice appropriate measures in any cybersecurity position. Therefore, make plans to get certified but do not make it impossible to also be constantly updating your skills and knowledge, whether certifications or otherwise. Cybersecurity is an ongoing lifelong commitment to studying and adhering to the highest ethical principles. However the certifications journeyed earlier in this article gives you the important stages through which you could tell your story of growth and qualification to be among the leading experts in the field.