Posted by In today’s article, we will talk about the best cyber security certification one can get. Cybersecurity professionals are essential in today’s digital landscape, where sophisticated threats increase.
These Certifications provide education, compliance, and insurance requirements for professionals to safeguard sensitive data.
Table of Contents
Who is a Cybersecurity Specialist?
A Cybersecurity Specialist is responsible for providing security during and after software and network development stages, identifying and managing risks in hardware and software systems. They monitor attacks and intrusions, build firewalls, and respond to security events.
They develop unique strategies for software systems, networks, data centers, and hardware, performing security audits, analyzing logs, providing support for firewalls and networks, scanning network devices, designing and enforcing security standards, designing policies, and training colleagues. They also maintain required security standards and stay up to date.
Overview of Cyber Security Profession
Cybersecurity is the practice of defending computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks, and data from malicious attacks. It is divided into four categories: network security, application security, information security, and operational security.
A Cybersecurity Specialist is responsible for providing security during and after software and network development stages, monitoring and monitoring all attacks and intrusions.
They are responsible for designing firewalls, monitoring data usage, safeguarding information, and protecting networks.
Skills of a Cybersecurity Specialist include collaboration, determination, good research and writing skills, adaptability, leadership skills, and understanding of business risks.
Soft skills include collaboration, determination, good research and writing skills, adaptability, leadership skills, and understanding of the risks of the business.
Hard technical skills of a Cybersecurity Specialist include security incident management, security information and event management (SIEM), analytics and intelligence gathering, data management protection, and firewall/IDS/IPS skills.
The career development for a Cybersecurity Specialist includes entry-level positions, senior-level positions, and executive-level positions.
The average salary for Cyber Security Specialists in the United States is $133,080 per year, while the range typically falls between $120,600 and $151,980 per year.
In the United Kingdom, the average salary for Cyber Security Specialists is £53,387 per year, while in Canada, it is $87,241 per year or $44.74 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $63,538 per year, while experienced workers make up to $104,877 per year.
List of the Best Cyber Security Certification
Below are the 20 best Cyber Security Certification:
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
- Security+
- GIAC Security Essentials Certification (GSEC)
- Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)
- CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+)
- GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)
- Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)
- GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA)
- GIAC Mobile Device Security Analyst (GMOB)
- GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN)
- CCNP Security
- Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)
- Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK)
- Certificate of Cloud Auditing Knowledge (CCAK)
- Certified Wireless Security Professional (CWSP)
- Certified Protection Professional (CPP)
- Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Security.
Best Cyber Security Certification
1. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Cost: $749
The CISSP is a widely recognized cybersecurity certification designed for experienced professionals in corporate cybersecurity programs.
It focuses on eight areas: security and risk management, asset security, security architecture, and engineering, network and communication security, identity and access management, security assessment and testing, security operations, and software development security.
The certification is valid for three years, with yearly continuing education requirements. Candidates must have at least five years of experience in paid positions and pass a four-hour test with a minimum score of 700 out of 1000.
Time commitment varies depending on experience and training method.
The CISSP is an ideal general certification for security administrators and analysts seeking coverage on general security topics.
2. Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
- Cost: The cost of taking the CISA exam is $575 for ISACA members and $760 for non-members
The CISA, offered by ISACA, is a certification for experienced professionals and entry-level professionals seeking to expand their cybersecurity skills.
It covers five cybersecurity areas: information systems auditing processes, IT governance and management, information systems acquisition, development, operations, and protection of information assets.
The certification is valid for three years and requires a minimum of 450 points to pass the exam. The exam is four hours long and contains 150 questions. It is best suited for emerging leaders and security managers seeking more experience in auditing procedures.
3. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
- Cost: The cost of the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) test can be up to $760 for qualifying applicants. Existing ISACA members will need to pay $575.
The CISM certification, offered by ISACA, focuses on cybersecurity program governance, incident response, and remediation.
It covers four security domains: information security governance (17%), information risk management (20%), information security program development and management (33%), and information security incident management (30%).
The certification is valid for three years and requires continuing education credits earned through online training courses, labs, and volunteer opportunities.
The exam fee is $575 for ISACA members and $760 for non-members, with a $50 application fee. The exam is four hours long and has 150 questions.
4. Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
- Cost: The Certified Ethical Hacker exam cost is $1199
The CEH certification, offered by the International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants, focuses on building security analysis skills and offensive and defensive security competence.
It includes 20 modules, including network scanning, vulnerability analysis, IoT and OT hacking, and cryptography. The certification is valid for three years and requires Continuing Education for recertification. Applicants must have prior CEH certification or two years of experience in an InfoSec domain.
The official EC-Council training course is intensive and suitable for large organizations, particularly healthcare and financial services.
5. Security+
- Cost: $370
CompTIA’s Security+ certification is for security professionals seeking intermediate-level positions, covering the entire cybersecurity program lifecycle. It is valid for three years and can be extended through continuing education and training.
The exam costs $392 and requires CompTIA Network+ certification and two years of security-focused IT administration work experience. The exam is 750 out of 900 and is best for junior security personnel with one year of relevant work experience.
6. GIAC Security Essentials Certification (GSEC)
- Cost: $1899
GIAC Security Essentials certification is offered to professionals at all levels, covering eight primary security information areas: active defense, cryptography, AWS, and Microsoft cloud, defense network architecture, vulnerability scanning, Linux security, SIEM, web communication security, and Windows security.
The certification lasts for four years and requires continuing education and training.
The exam fee is $949, and it covers various topics, making it an ideal choice for both new and experienced security professionals.
7. Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)
- Cost: $250
SSCP certification is an ISC)2 program for networking and system security professionals, covering seven knowledge domains: access controls, security operations, risk identification, incident response, cryptography, network and communications security, and systems and application security.
It is valid for three years and requires continuing education credits.
The exam is a four-hour test with 150 multiple-choice items. Designed for junior professionals, it covers a broad range of topics.
8. CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+)
- Cost: $466
CASP+ is an advanced certification for security practitioners, addressing four technical and operational security skills: security architecture, security operations, governance, risk, compliance, and security engineering and cryptography.
Valid for three years, it requires continuing education and training.
The exam is pass/fail and 165 minutes long, with a maximum of 90 questions. Ideally suited for experienced security business leaders, such as security analysts and senior engineers.
9. GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)
- Cost: $1049
GCIH certification is suitable for professionals involved in incident identification and response, focusing on incident handling, computer crime investigation, computer, and network hacker exploits, and hacker tools. Valid for four years, it requires continuing education and training.
The exam is $949 and requires a minimum 70% passing score. Suitable for security incident responders, it is ideal for those with experience in cybersecurity functions.
10. Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)
- Cost: $800
Offensive Security offers OCSP certification, an ethical hacking training program focusing on penetration testing. It covers practical competencies such as target identification, script writing, public explicit code analysis, attacks, web application exploits, network tunneling, and creative problem-solving.
The certification is valid indefinitely and does not require recertification or continuing education. Applicants must have knowledge of TCP/IP networking, Bash or Python scripting, and Windows and Linux administration experience.
The PEN-200 e-learning course includes over 17 hours of video and a 24-hour practical exam.
11. GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA)
- Cost: The GIAC Certified Forensics Analyst (GCFA) exam costs $1049 if taken without training, or $499 if taken with training.
GCFA, short for GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst, teaches computer data analysis skills for investigating incidents, managing data breaches, and understanding cyber attackers’ anti-forensic methods.
Ideal for professionals like incident response teams, SOC analysts, digital forensic analysts, information security professionals, penetration testers, and GCFE and GCIH certification holders.
12. GIAC Mobile Device Security Analyst (GMOB)
- Cost: $1999
The GIAC Mobile Device Security Analyst course equips learners with skills in securing mobile devices, preventing malware, jailbreaking and rooting, assessing application security, network traffic, and penetration testing.
It is suitable for security professionals, penetration testers, ethical hackers, security auditors, and systems and network administrators. No prerequisites, but a minimum of one or more years of experience in security is beneficial.
13. GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN)
- Cost: $1,699
GPEN is an intermediate-level GIAC certification offering advanced Windows power shell skills, vulnerability scanning, password attack prevention, and the exploitation phase of penetration tests.
It is suitable for security professionals, penetration testers, ethical hackers, Defenders, Auditors, and Forensic specialists. No specific prerequisites, but at least one or more years of experience in security is beneficial.
14. CCNP Security
- Cost: The package cost for the CCNP Security certification is USD $5000, and the per exam cost is USD $2500.
This certification enhances IT security and automation skills for security engineers, network engineers, information analysts, and information security engineers. No prerequisites, 3-5 years of experience is recommended.
15. Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)
- Cost: $575 for ISACA members and $760 for non-members.
CRISC certification enhances enterprise IT risk management skills, enabling learners to implement best practices, become experts in IT security governance, and familiarize themselves with risk monitoring and reporting.
It is suitable for middle-level Information Security auditors with ten years of experience in the security domain, three in CRISC.
16. Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK)
- Cost: $395
CCSK is a Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge program that teaches learners to develop a holistic cloud security program, implement best practices, and configure robust security controls.
It is suitable for cybersecurity analysts, security engineers, security architects, and administrators. No specific prerequisites, but at least one or more years of experience is beneficial.
17. Certificate of Cloud Auditing Knowledge (CCAK)
- Cost: The cost of the CCAK (Certificate of Cloud Auditing Knowledge) exam is $395 for CSA and ISACA members and $495 for non-members.
CCAK is a Certificate of Cloud Auditing Knowledge program designed for professionals, including internal and external assessors, auditors, compliance managers, security analysts, and security architects.
It equips learners with skills to perform full-fledged auditing in the cloud environment, ensure confidentiality and integrity, prevent risks, and resolve challenges in technology stacks, DevOps, deployment frameworks, and CI/CD.
18. Certified Wireless Security Professional (CWSP)
- Cost: $2,495
CWSP is a certification for Certified Wireless Security Professionals, focusing on securing wireless LAN connections efficiently.
Learners gain knowledge of WLAN discovery, intrusion and attack techniques, Wireless Intrusion Prevention Systems (WIPS), network security models, robust network design, and effective wireless security policies.
19. Certified Protection Professional (CPP)
- Cost: $200
CPP is a cybersecurity certification offered by ASIS to develop competent security management professionals. It focuses on seven key domains and requires at least seven years of experience, with three years in specific functions.
20. Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE Security)
- Cost: $450
CCIE is a Cisco cybersecurity certification designed to create leaders in security technologies.
It includes a qualifying exam and lab exam, focusing on resolving complex security problems, designing, implementing, and repairing full-scale security technologies, and reducing threats and vulnerabilities.
FAQs on the Best Cyber Security Certifications
Why are cyber security certifications important?
The cybersecurity certifications are important because it provides tangible evidence of a person's knowledge, skills, and expertise in the field of cybersecurity.
Are there any prerequisites for obtaining cyber security certifications?
Yes, different certifications have varying prerequisites. Some may require prior experience in the field, while others may require specific educational qualifications. It's important to review the prerequisites of the certification program and determine if you meet the requirements.
How long does it take to obtain a cyber security certification?
The duration of a cyber security coding boot camp could range from six months to two years.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, Cyber security certifications are very important for professionals to enhance knowledge, validate skills, and advance their careers. Continuous learning and professional development in this career path are crucial for maintaining relevance and effectiveness.
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