The recent prediction shows that there are more than 3 million unfilled cybersecurity positions. It is not a secret that companies are facing challenges when it comes to setting up their cybersecurity teams, Cybersecurity needs to grow 145% to Close Skills Gap and Better Defend Organizations Worldwide.
Many cybersecurity positions are in high demand in current job market, and some of the most sought after are:
- Cybersecurity Engineer
- Cybersecurity Analyst
- Cybersecurity Administrator
- Network Architect/Engineer
- Cybersecurity Consultant
- Vulnerability Analyst/Penetration Tester
But this demand is not exclusively of great significance to those entering the cybersecurity job market; many IT roles are being redefined with the adoption of secure development practices and a multi-layered approach to cybersecurity throughout the organization.
What was once the responsibility solely of CISOs, security engineers and analysts, has now shifted to the entire IT department: software developers, network and system engineers were usually unconcerned about cybersecurity, but are now in a way forced to adopt more secure practices. Organizations are pushing security to the beginning of the development process and place security at the centre of all their operations.
When entering the field, or when looking to improve your skills, knowing which cybersecurity and information security certifications are in the highest demand and are respected the most is a good place to start in propelling your career. But there are just so many of them out there! And we don’t blame you if you get lost and confused about which ones to choose.
Are you just looking to expand on your skills and add to your existing certification, or you’ve just entered the security industry, and are looking for a good place to start?
We have looked into both of these scenarios, and today, we have a list of information security and cybersecurity certifications, all of which are well-respected, relevant and high paying. For this list, we focused on more advanced and higher-paying certifications but stay tuned for a list more suited to those just entering the field.
CISM – Certified Information Security Manager
This certification is aimed at those that want to validate their expertise in managing enterprise information security teams.
CISM offers more career advancements, and in turn higher earning potential to those who earn the credentials. As the name implies, this is a certification designed for information security managers that wish to solidify their position as leaders of an enterprise security program and are already well-versed for this role as one of the requirements is a minimum of five years’ experience in information security, and three of those should be in a management role.
The credential is offered by ISACA, a nonprofit, independent association that advocates for professionals involved in information security, assurance, risk management and governance.
If you want to take your role away from the technical side of the industry, and into management, CISM is the certification to earn.
CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional
CISSP is one of the highest-paying and well-respected cybersecurity certifications out there. In addition to being recognized since 2003, it is supported by the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, known as (ISC)2, which makes this vendor-neutral credential highly respected in the industry.
To attempt to take the CISSP exam and get certified, you would need to have at least a five-year experience in two or more of the (ISC)2’s eight Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) domains or four years of experience in two or more of CBK domains and a college degree or an approved credential. Those domains are:
- security and risk management
- asset security
- security architecture and engineering
- communications and network security
- identity and access management
- Security assessment and testing
- Security operation
- Software Development Security
Individuals that hold the CISSP certification are those who showcased knowledge in all domains of security of information systems and it is more of a management level credential, rather than a technical one. That is not to say they don’t possess said technical knowledge: they will be behind decision-making processes of organizational security protocols.
CRISC – Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control
CRISC is another ISACA certification on this list, and is equally as globally recognized and provides those that earn it with career and monetary benefits, and with an opportunity to showcase their skills in enterprise risk management and implementing information systems controls.
Professionals who go for this certification are those who are already in business risk management and controls, compliance analysts and managers, project managers and similar. You are required to have three years of experience managing IT risk and designing and implementing controls. You also have to have experience across at least two of the four CRISC domains. Those domains are:
- IT risk assessment
- risk and control monitoring and reporting
- risk response and mitigation
- IT risk identification
CRISC is one of the most valued certificates when credential holders want to solidify their position in the real-world threat landscape, evaluate and manage enterprise risks using advanced security tools.
With career advancement opportunities and competitive advantage holding this certification has, if you are someone that wants to invest in their risk management career, this is the cybersecurity certificate for you.
CSSLP – Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional
And yet again, an (ISC)2 certificate makes its way to our list. This certification is there to help professionals officially show their Application Security skills and their knowledge of security problems that happen during the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC). Due to its domain, individuals that are pursuing this certification are mostly application security professionals, application designers, software engineering, security and network professionals, as well as software developers.
To qualify for the CSSLP, you are required to have four or more years of experience in one of the eight SDLC domains, that are also covered in the test for the certification. The domains are:
- Secure Software Concepts
- Secure Software requirements
- Secure Software Design
- Secure Software Implementation and Programming
- Software Testing
- Secure lifecycle Management
- Software Deployment, operations, and Maintenance
- Supply chain and Software acquisition
CSSLP, once earned, will validate the candidate’s expertise in application security, vulnerability management, how they handle application vulnerabilities during each part of the SDLC, and pinpoint threats that are targeting applications. As application security is becoming more important in the current organizational security environment, this is a valuable cybersecurity certification to earn.
HCISSP- Healthcare Information and Privacy Technology
The HCISPP is the only certification that combines cybersecurity skills with privacy best practices and techniques. It demonstrates you have the knowledge and ability to implement, manage and assess security and privacy controls to protect healthcare organizations using policies and procedures established by the cybersecurity experts at (ISC)².
Earning the HCISPP healthcare cybersecurity certification is a proven way to build your career and show employers you’re on the forefront of protecting patient health information and navigating a complex regulatory environment.
CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor
CISA stands for Certified Information Systems Auditor and is globally recognized for security auditing professionals and those looking into this field. Certified individuals have proven knowledge in auditing, control and assurance of an organization’s information technology and systems.
And what skills do you gain and vouch for with the CISA certification?
Information systems auditing process, governance and management of information systems, as well as their operations, development and implementation and how to protect their assets.
As with plenty of other entries on this list you need a minimum of five years of experience in order to take the test, and that experience should be in information system auditing or security, however, there are ways to reduce that requirement with other notable professional and/or educational pursuits.
While a higher-level and well-paying cert, CISA can be a good choice even for an entry-level auditor, as you can pass the exam and wait to fulfill the work experience requirements. This certification will show employers that you possess knowledge for planning, executing and maintaining on audit operations.
SSCP- System Security Certified Practitioner
SSCP is the ideal certification for those with proven technical skills and practical, hands-on security knowledge in operational IT roles. It provides confirmation of a practitioner’s ability to implement, monitor and administer IT infrastructure in accordance with information security policies and procedures that ensure data confidentiality, integrity and availability.
The broad spectrum of topics included in the SSCP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) ensures its relevancy across all disciplines in the field of information security. Successful candidates are competent in the following 7 domains:
- Access Controls
- Security Operations and Administration
- Risk Identification,
- Monitoring, and Analysis
- Incident Response and Recovery
- Cryptography
- Network and Communications Security
- Systems and Application Security
Conclusion
There are plenty of cybersecurity and information security certifications out there, and it can be daunting to choose which one to pursue, as many of them are investment in both time and money. And should you go for the most popular ones, or more niche ones is up to you. But with this list in mind, we hope that those looking to further their career and skills in the industry have found one to add to their portfolio.
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