Security is Always Excessive, until it’s Not Enough. – CR. Robbie Sinclair
The Cyber Security field is one of the most in-demand domains within the tech industry. As per the projection by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Cyber Security job market is quite likely to expand by 33% between 2020 and 2030. This is an unprecedented growth projected for a decade.
Does this imply that making your way through as a Cyber Security expert is a cakewalk? The answer is certainly ?NO?. The abundance of job openings within the field is also owing to the fact that the supply of adequately skilled security professionals is less. Thus, aspiring candidates need substantial skills at their disposal in order to grab these coveted positions.
In this respect, Cyber Security Certifications do come to your rescue. These Certifications for Cyber Security, not only validate your knowledge of best practices, but also in some cases, compensate for your lack of experience or degree. So what are some of the best Cybersecurity Certifications? Let us find out.
In this blog, we shall look at the 10 Top Cyber Security Certifications. This list of Cybersecurity Certifications will be identified on the basis of several factors such as Cyber Security Certifications for Beginners, Best Cyber Security Certifications for the Advanced Level as well as Free Cyber Security Certifications.
What are Cyber Security Certifications?
Cybersecurity certifications are industry-recognized credentials that demonstrate an individual’s expertise in various areas of cybersecurity. These certifications are designed to validate an individual’s knowledge, skills, and abilities in cybersecurity and provide employers with a way to assess an individual’s qualifications for a particular job.
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
Issued by the Cyber Security professional organization (ISC)2, CISSP is one of the most reputed and sought after Certifications for Cyber Security.
It covers a wide range of topics like security operations and risk management and stands as a testimony to your experience in designing, executing and overseeing a Cyber Security program. It is not one of those free Cyber Security Certifications and the cost is $749.
The pre-requisite for the CISSP exam is 5 or more years of work experience in at least two of the eight domains within Cyber Security. These fields include Security Architecture and Engineering, Security and Risk Management, Identity and Access Management, Security Operations, Asset Security, Software Development Security and Security Assessment and Testing.
A four year degree in Computer Science compensates for one year of work requirement. Part time work and paid internships can also be counted.
This is one of those Cyber Security Certifications which is appropriate for experienced cybersecurity professionals, aspiring to advance in their careers and are targeting positions like that of: Chief Information Security Officer, IT Security Engineer, Information Assurance Analyst, Security Administrator or Senior Security Consultant.
The certification is awarded only after the candidate is able to secure at least 700 marks out of the total of 1000. The duration for the exam is 6 hours and covers different types of questions. Once the candidate clears the exam, he needs to be endorsed by the ISC Code of Ethics.
Individuals securing this certification are expected to fetch a salary in the range of $74,000 to $112,000.
Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
This is considered to be one of the best top-paying and most popular Cybersecurity Certification, which is accredited by ISACA.
An Information Security Manager is one who is responsible for forging connections between Information Security and Management. He provides assistance in ensuring risk management, security, deployment and program development. It is not one of those free Cyber Security Certifications and the cost for members of ISACA is $575, while it is $760 for non-members.
The pre-requisite for the CISM exam is 5 or more years of work experience in a managerial role, related to Information Security. You can do without one or two years of this requirement, with the substitution of another certification in good standing or a graduate degree in any field, related to Information Security.
This is one of those Cybersecurity Certifications which is appropriate for individuals looking to initiate a shift from the technical to the managerial side of the Cyber Security field. Consequently, jobs which might entail the need for a CISM certificate, include: IT Manager, Information Risk Consultant, Data Governance Manager, Information Systems Security Officer, Director of Information Security.
Individuals securing this certification are expected to fetch a salary in the range of $58,000 to $246,000.
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
Issued by the EC-Council, it is one of those Certifications needed for Cyber Security which helps in demonstrating your skills in Ethical Hacking/Penetration Testing, Threat Detection, Attack Prevention and so on.
The course covers some of the most important topics within the field of Ethical Hacking and helps you in acquiring knowledge of the core functionalities of the domain as well as be proficient in code writing for tackling the viruses and reverse engineering any program.
Certified Ethical Hackers are responsible for vulnerability evaluation, reconnaissance, enumeration and other related activities. The certification cost falls in the range of $900-$1200.
The pre-requisite for the course includes a valid degree in the field of Information Security. Other than this, work experience of at least two years in Security Analysis, Networking or other related field to Information Security, will also suffice. Moreover, you are also eligible if you happen to complete EC-Council Training.
This can be one of the best Cyber Security Certifications for all those aspiring for positions of: Penetration Tester, Threat Intelligence Analyst, Cyber Security Engineer, Cyber Incident Analyst, Cloud Security Architect.
Individuals securing this certification are expected to fetch a salary in the range of $70,000 to $98,000.
Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
This is one of the top Cybersecurity Certifications which can give a major boost to your career in Cyber Security Auditing. It is issued by the ISACA.
Individuals who happen to have earned this certification are in a position to govern and tender advice to the IT team of an organization. They acquire skills for developing, testing and implementing Information Security systems. Individuals in possession of the certificate happen to be knowledgeable of how to prevent fraud and non-compliance, in analyzing audit findings and reporting the same to affected organizations.
It is not one of those free Cyber Security Certifications and the cost for members of ISACA is $575, while it is $760 for non-members. The pre-requisite for the course includes five or more years of work experience in IS or IT audit, security, control or assurance. Similarly, one or two years of experience can be substituted by a two or four year degree program.
This is one of those Cyber Security Certifications which is suitable for mid-level IT professionals and aspirants looking to grab positions like: IT Audit Manager, Information Security Analyst, IT Project Manager, Cyber Security Auditor, IT Security Engineer, Compliance Program Manager.
Individuals securing this certification are expected to fetch a salary in the range of $58,000 to $126,000.
CompTIA Security+
This is one of the most common and widely held Certifications for Cyber Security. It is, in fact, one of the best Cyber Security Certifications for Beginners.
It helps validate your knowledge of IT Security and helps testify for your ability in overseeing the security mechanism of an organization as well as monitoring and securing mobile, cloud and IoT environments. On the whole, it projects you as someone who is well versed with the best practices in the Cyber Security domain.
The course covers some crucial topics within the Cyber Security domain like Risk Management, Cryptography, Threats, Attacks and Vulnerabilities; Architecture and Designing of Security Frameworks; Access Management as well as Cyber Tools. The cost for securing this certification is around $370.
The prerequisite for enrolling for the course involves a valid degree in Information Technology, along with 2 years of work experience in the Networking field which is preferred, but not mandatory. Additionally, it is recommended that aspirants should earn the Network+ certification, before they aim for the Security+ certification.
Earning this certification can help you grab designations like that of: Systems Administrator, Security Engineer, Security Administrator, Help Desk Manager, Cloud Engineer, Software Developer, IT Auditor and so on.
Individuals securing this certification are expected to fetch a salary in the range of $43,000 to $97,000.
GIAC Security Essentials Certification (GSEC)
This certification by the Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) is considered to be one of the best Cyber Security Certifications for all those looking to give their careers a push within the Cyber domain and who have some background in networking and information security.
Some of the important topics covered under the course include: Cryptography, Cloud Security, Active Defense Incident Response and so on. You shall acquire skills of designing and building network architecture, utilizing different technologies, execute command line tools as well as acquire practical knowledge of Windows and Linux Security, Threat Management and so on.
As one of the challenging Cyber Security Certifications, the cost of the same is $2,499. There is no specific requirement for enrolling for this course. However, it is expected that individuals should have knowledge of the fundamentals of security as well as of the basic concepts of networking.
If you happen to have a background in IT and are looking for progression within the field of Cyber Security, you can certainly aim for the GSEC certification. Some of the important job positions which utilizes expertise demonstrated by GSECs include: IT Security Manager, Penetration Tester, IT Auditor, Computer Forensic Analyst, Security Administrator and Software Development Engineer.
Individuals securing this certification are expected to fetch a salary in the range of $75,000 to $89,000.
Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)
Granted by (ISC)2, this is one of those Certifications needed for Cyber Security which is appropriate for the mid-level. It provides students with an overview of security strategies as well as equips them with skills to monitor, execute and administer IT infrastructure by making use of best security procedures and practices.
Some of the important topics covered under the course include: Application Security, Risk Identification, Security Administration and Incident Response, Communication Systems, Cryptography, Access Control, and so on. It is not one of those free Cyber Security Certifications and the cost is $249.
There is no formal requisite for the course; however, it is recommended that individuals should have some work experience in the field of Information Systems in general and Information Security in particular. Additionally, knowledge of Information Security practices is important.
This certification is considered to be appropriate for positions of: Network Security Engineer, Systems Engineer, Database Administrator, System Administrator, Security Analyst, Security Consultant and so on.
Individuals securing this certification are expected to fetch a salary in the range of $62,000 to $95,000.
Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)
As the name suggests, this is one of the Best Certifications for Cyber Security which deals directly with the domain of Penetration Testing.
By way of earning this certification, you will be able to acquire in-depth knowledge of ethical hacking concepts as well as acquire expertise in compromising a series of target machines using multiple exploration steps. Moreover, the course content shall enable you to develop understanding of TCP/IP, Bash Scripting, Networking, Python, Linux or Perl.
The basic package of the course which includes Penetration Testing with Kali Linux, along with 30 days of lab access and one exam attempt, starts from $999.
There is no formal requisite for the course; however, it is required that the individual should have experience in coding, should be able to understand networking concepts as well as have knowledge of penetration testing.
The OSCP Certification is considered to be attractive for positions like: Penetration Tester, Threat Researcher, Ethical Hacker and Application Security Analyst.
Individuals securing this certification are expected to fetch a salary in the range of $65,000 to $92,000.
EC-Council Certified Security Analyst (ECSA)
Like the CEH certification, the ECSA is yet another top Cyber Security Certification for all those seeking to advance within the field of Penetration Testing.
The course curriculum is carefully curated in order to help you develop an in-depth understanding of the hacking tools as well as have access to real time scenarios for trying their hands in penetration testing. Moreover, the individual will also be able to acquire skills of writing penetration reports.
The cost of the course is around $250. As a prerequisite for the course, you are required to have a valid degree in the Information Security field, along with plausible work experience in Security Analysis, Networking, and awareness of the industry standards for safeguarding data. Candidates should also have completed the Certified Ethical Hacking course.
This is one of those Cyber Security Certifications which helps you in applying for roles like Information Security Tester, System Administrator, Network Server Administrator, Risk Assessment Professional, Firewall Administrator and so on.
Individuals securing this certification are expected to fetch a salary in the range of $85,000 to $99,000.
Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)
Accredited by the ISACA, this is one of the highest paying and most popular Cyber Security Certifications.
By the end of the course, you will be able to acquire expertise in designing, executing, overseeing and re-evaluating information security controls for an organization.
The course curriculum covers some vital topics like: Risk Assessment, Risk Control, Monitoring and Reporting; Risk Identification in Information Technology; Risk Response and Mitigation. It is not one of those free Cyber Security Certifications and the cost is $615.
The pre-requisite for the course include 10 years of full time work experience, out of which three years should specifically be in CRISC domains.
This is not one of the Cyber Security Certifications for Beginners and is essentially designed for technicians at the enterprise level such as CISOs, CIOs, Business Analysts, Project Managers and so on.
Individuals securing this certification are expected to fetch a salary in the range of $98,000 to $123,000.
Conclusion
If you too are someone who is puzzled by the question of what Certifications should I get for Cyber Security; you have certainly come to the right place. This blog has provided a comprehensive account of some of the most popular, highest paying and top Cyber Security Certifications.
These Cybersecurity Certifications are meant to serve as a testimony for validating your skills and expertise within the Cyber Security domain. They can be all the more useful, if one happens to lack a relevant degree or plausible work experience.
Bootcamps are an attractive avenue of securing Cyber Security Certifications Online. They enable you to acquire Cyber Security expertise, right from the comfort of your homes.
We, at Syntax Technologies, provide you with exactly such an opportunity. Our Cyber Security course has been carefully designed by seasoned experts, in line with the existing industry standards. Enroll now.
