Five Best Cyber Security Certifications To Have in 2022
Today’s technologies have evolved beyond our imagination, and so is the Cyber Threats and Vulnerabilities. In a study in 2021, it was found that one cyber attack happens every 39 seconds, which amounts to 2,200 attacks per day. These circumstances raise the demand for Cyber Security personnel in every organization. Are you planning a cyber security career? This article presents the five best Cyber Security Certifications to help you land your dream job.
Cyber Security Certifications
But before that, if you’re new to Cyber Security, here is a summary of the Importance of Cyber Security Certifications.
Why Should You Have a Cyber Security Certificate?
The Security domain undergoes constant changes, so employers are looking for a professional who can safeguard their business interests. Cyber security certificates ensure the organizations that you’re skilled enough to do the job.
Another reason, the IT field is not simpler as before. Now, the term Cyber Security covers Network Security, Cloud Security, Information Security, Data Security, and so on. Having a certificate in a particular area can increase your chance of getting hired than having a general cyber security resume.
The burning glass study shows that 35% of the IT security roles request at least one industry-standard certification. And students are encouraged to pursue cyber certifications with their academic work.
Five Best Cyber Security Certifications:
1. CISSP ( Certified Information Systems Security Professional)
CISSP is an advanced Information Security certificate offered by the (ISC)2. It is a vendor-neutral renowned certificate best for IT pros, having more than five years of experience in two (ISC)2 domains. (ISC)2 also provides CISSP certificates targeting specified areas, which cost $559 each. They are –
- CISSP – ISSAP for Architecture
- CISSP – ISSEP for Engineering
- CISSP – ISSMP for Management.
A normal CISSP costs $749 and $125 annually to maintain the certificate. You should apply for recertification every three years, and you will be recertified if you have 120 CPE credits (40 each year). If you’re pursuing senior roles like – chief information security officer (CISO), security administrator, or architect, then CISSP is the best for you. An average salary of a CISSP certificate holder is $120,552 in the USA and $92,639 globally.
2. CISM (Certified Information Security Manager)
CISM is also an advanced-level certification offered for professional IT personnel by ISACA. This advanced certification is more focused on the managerial side, where CISSP balance both technical and management.
It costs $760 for non-members and $575 for ISACA members. As the previous one, CISM is valid for three years and requires an annual maintenance fee of $45 for members and $85 for non-members. The certificate holder should have 120 CPE credit points in 3 years and at least 20 credits per year. It is one of the popular and high-paid certifications with an average salary of $135,782.
3. CEH ( Certified Ethical Hacker )
Are you interested in cyber security after watching movies? Then this intermediate-level certificate is for you. Ethical Hacker is also known as a white-hat hacker or penetration tester. He takes an offensive style on Cyber security where he lawfully hacks the organization and finds vulnerabilities.
Big organizations and governments hire ethical hackers to track the attackers and prevent the data. This CEH certificate provided by EC- Council is demanded by more than 20% of the employers who wish to secure their resources. You need to have a minimum of 2 years of experience in IT security or undergo training. It costs $950 – $1,199 per exam. You can also apply for the CEH Practical test certificate, which costs $550.
4. Security+
It is the entry-level certificate offered by CompTIA. Most beginners, students, and other individual developers in the IT field will be holders of this certificate. To pass this exam, you have to score 750 out of 900.
The exam covers many security areas like cyber attacks, design, governance, risk management, incident response, etc. The exam costs $381 and has no minimum experience criteria. However, it is recommended to have 1 -2 years of experience.
5. SSCP ( System Security Certified Practioner )
The last on our list is the SSCP certificate by (ISC)2. It is a beginner-level certificate that solidifies you are equipped with technical skills to monitor or administer IT infrastructure by following security practices and procedures.
It is a budget-friendly certificate a beginner can choose if he is planning to join a small team of developers or to do freelance. The exam costs $249 and requires zero experience. However, getting familiar with basic computer science and related technologies is recommended.
Conclusion:
Here is a summary of things we have seen in the article –
| Certification | Prerequisites | Cost | Best for… |
|---|---|---|---|
| CISSP | Minimum 5 years of experience. | $749 | Professionals intending to move to senior roles or management roles. |
| CISM | 5 Years of Experience with proof | $760 | Professionals who want to certify their managerial experience. |
| CEH | 2 years of experience | $950 | Persons interested in penetration tester role. |
| Security+ | 0 – 2 years of experience | $381 | Beginners who are new to the security field |
| SSCP | Basic computer knowledge | $249 | Students and beginners with a limited budget. |
The above certificates are general cyber security certificates. There are many different types of certificates out in the market focusing on a specific area like cloud, network, etc. If you want to know more about them, please let us know. We hope this article has helped you to find the best Cyber security certification to increase your career success. If you have any further questions, please leave them in the comment section below.
