If you desire to validate your network security knowledge and skills, there are some certifications that you can explore to give you an edge in the Information Technology industry. There are a good number of credentials for information security managers, network penetration testing experts, and network security specialists that can transform positively their career. Irrespective of your current job level, there is something for you to consider. The year 2019 is a great time to start charting a course for your certification and career paths. Whether you are an entry-level specialist or an experience professional, the certifications highlighted in this article can be the turning point for your career.
CompTIA Security+
CompTIA Security+ is the fundamental security credential for the professionals in the field of IT who have ample theoretical security skills and knowledge. The certification is recognized and respected globally. It is designed to validate your skills and knowledge on the foundational concepts of IT security. It covers the basic principles of risk management and network security, which makes it a crucial starting point for an information technology security career. To earn the certificate, the students are expected to write the exam. The test covers a wide array of scopes ranging from network security, operation and compliance security, vulnerabilities and threats to application, host security, and data. The candidates considering the test should also have the knowledge of access control, cryptography, and identity management. The certification exam is made up of 90 questions. It entails performance-based and multiple-choice questions. The applicants are allowed 90 minutes for the completion, and the passing score is 750 on a scale of 100-900 points. The test is available in English, Simplified Chinese, Portuguese, and Japanese.
CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner – CASP
CASP is designed to meet the high demand for advanced information technology security in an enterprise. It is recommended for the IT professionals with a minimum of five years of experience. The CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner certificate provides critical judgment over a broad scale of security disciplines. It needs the individuals to execute clear solutions in intricate environments. The credential covers risk management and incident response, enterprise security, integration of computing, business disciplines, research and analysis, and technical integration of enterprise constituents. The certification exam is made up of 90 multiple-choice and performance-based questions. 165 minutes is allotted for completion of the test. There is no scaled score for the exam: you either pass or fail it. To be qualified for it, you need to have at least ten years of work experience in information administration with at least five years of technical security experience.
Certified Ethical Hacker– CEH
The professional with this credential understands the technical know-how of identifying vulnerabilities and weaknesses in target systems. This person understands how to use similar tools and knowledge as malicious hackers, access the security posture of the target system. The certification validates the professional skills in a specific network security area of Ethical Hacking from the vendor neutral standpoint. The certification exam is offered by EC-Council and made up of 125 questions. A total of four hours is allocated for the completion of the test.
EC-Council Certified Security Analyst – ECSA
This is offered for the candidates with hands-on and real-world penetration testing skills. It is a globally recognized and accepted penetration and hacking testing course that covers the testing of contemporary infrastructure, application environments, and operating systems. It also focuses on tutoring the candidates on how to write and document penetration testing report. The key techniques and tools used in the process are those learnt from the Certified Ethical Hacker training course. The students will learn how to fully exploit and apply the skills of CEH through the use of the published penetration testing techniques and methodology of EC-Council. The exam consists of 150 multiple-choice questions. The time allocated for the completion of the test is four hours, and the passing score is 70% of the total exam questions.
GIAC Security Essential – GSEC
GIAC (Global Information Assurance Certification) is a leading developer and provider of Cybersecurity credentials. GSEC is designed for those security professionals who aim to validate their hands-on skills and experience on IT systems and security tasks. The individuals pursuing the credential are required to display a strong understanding of IS over and beyond basic concepts and terminology. There is no special training required for writing the certification test, and there are various resources available for the exam preparation. The students will be required to take one proctored exam that is made up of 180 questions. The total duration that is allotted for the completion of the test is 5 hours. The minimum passing score is 75%.
Systems Security Certified Practitioner – SSCP
The SSCP credential is designed for the professionals with proven technical and practical security knowledge and technical skills in hands-on functional IT roles. The certificate offers an industry leading validation of one’s ability to implement, administer, and monitor IT infrastructure through information security policies and techniques that ensure the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of data. SSCP validates that a professional has the technical capability to handle operational responsibilities and demands of security, including security testing, incident response and recovery, authentication, intrusion detection and prevention, cryptography, attacks and counter-measures, and malicious code counter-measures, among others. The certification exam is made up of 125 multiple-choice questions. The time allocated for the completion of the test is 3 hours. It is administered through the Pearson VUE testing center and can be taken in English, Brazilian Portuguese, and Japanese. To pass the exam, the candidates are expected to score at least 700 out of a total of 1000 points.
Certified Wireless Security Professional – CWSP
The professionals working as wireless network security experts should have an extensive understanding of the latest tools, software, and trends, as well as the various wireless available technologies. Certified Wireless Security Professional is a professional wireless LAN credential for the CWNP program. The candidates who want to pursue this certification should first obtain a valid and current CWNA certificate. Earning CWSP requires to write the CWSP certification exam with score points of at least 70%. The test is made up of 60 multiple-choice questions, and the students have 90 minutes to complete it. You can take the exam at any of the Pearson VUE testing centers. The credential is valid for a period of three years, and you need to pass the latest CWSP exam in order to recertify it.
Certified Information Systems Security Professional – CISSP
CISSP is a high-level cybersecurity credential. It is vendor neutral and is designed for the professionals with proven technical and managerial skills, competence, credibility, and experience. These specialists have the capability to engineer, design, manage, and implement the overall information security program to safeguard organizations from the increasing sophisticated threats and attacks. The certification is globally recognized and accepted. Besides, it is the first certificate in information security field to meet the strict prerequisite of ISO/IEC Standard 17024. It is ideal for the professionals working as security consultants, security managers, IT director/manager, network architects, security architects, security auditors, security systems engineers, directors of security, and chief information security officers, among others. The CISSP certification exam is offered by (ISC)² and administered through Pearson VUE. It is made up of 250 multiple-choice and advanced innovative questions. The time allocated for its completion is 6 hours, and to pass the test, you are required to score at least 700 on a scale of 1000 points. The exam is available in English, Spanish, French, Brazilian Portuguese, German, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese. It is also available for the visually impaired candidates.
Cisco Cybersecurity Specialist
This Cisco credential validates the competence of security experts who have achieved specialized, proven knowledge, and extensive expertise in the core areas of proactive cyber threat recognition and mitigation. It is aimed at the professional security analysts and leverages the characteristics of Cisco and other network security products that are currently in use. The Cisco Cybersecurity Specialist credential focuses on the subjects of security event/traffic/alarm analysis, incident response, and event monitoring.
Conclusion
The certifications highlighted above are some of the top credentials for the professionals working in the security or information security fields. In case you are looking to explore this area in the Information Technology industry, these certificates are some of what you should consider.
