Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned cybersecurity expert, earning a credible and recognized cybersecurity certification can help boost your cybersecurity career.
Cybersecurity certifications are a great way to help students and professionals validate and demonstrate their cybersecurity skills, knowledge, and experience. Having a credible certification under your belt, you can enhance your employability, demonstrate your latest industry-relevant knowledge, and showcase your commitment to lifelong learning in the cybersecurity industry.
Not only that but gaining certification can also help you earn higher salaries. Currently, the annual average salary of Cybersecurity Specialists is $164,961 in the US (Glassdoor), and with credible certification under your belt, you can earn up to 40% higher.
So, let’s explore some of the top cybersecurity certifications that will help boost your career.
Top Cybersecurity Certifications
These are some of the best cybersecurity certification programs for various cybersecurity job roles and experience levels offered by premium institutes, vendor-neutral organizations, and tech giants.
- Certified Cybersecurity Consultant (CCC™)
The Certified Cybersecurity Consultant (CCC™) is a mid-senior level cybersecurity certification program offered by the United States Cybersecurity Institute (USCSI®). It is designed for experienced cybersecurity professionals having a minimum of 2-5 years of work experience who want to validate their skills and knowledge in devising efficient cybersecurity strategies for their organizations or clients. As a certified cybersecurity consultant, you can develop effective security architecture for internal and external applications.
What makes USCSI® certification distinguished?
- Online self-paced learning programs that can be completed within 4-25 weeks
- Get resources like eBooks, HQ lecture videos, and practice codes to prepare for the exam
- Earn a digital sharable badge upon completion of the certification
- Get attractive discounts on program fees through USCSI’s partners and Speedster programs
- Flexibility to schedule certification exams at your own convenience
- Nominal re-examination fees of $149 for each unsuccessful attempt
With so many offerings, you can make learning cybersecurity skills fun and easy with USCSI®.
- CompTIA Security+
It is a beginner-level certification for students and professionals looking to validate their strong foundation in cybersecurity careers. This can be a great addition to your resume if you are looking to get started with your cybersecurity career journey. Having this certification, you can showcase your skills in securing and monitoring cloud, mobile, and other important infrastructure.
Earning this certification opens the door for several career opportunities including:
- Systems Administrator
- Help desk manager
- Security engineer
- Cloud engineer, and more
It is recommended to gain at least 2 years of work experience in the field of IT and security and earn Network+ certification before you register for CompTIA Security+.
- Google Cybersecurity Certificate
This popular cybersecurity certification from Google is a complete and well-designed online program that empowers students and professionals with the necessary cybersecurity skills and knowledge required to pursue entry-level roles in the field of cybersecurity. This is available in Coursera and can be taken by students from varying technical backgrounds.
This program focuses on enhancing practical skills where learners can gain hands-on experience using industry-standard tools and techniques. Once completed, you can become eligible for cybersecurity jobs like security analyst, security operations center analyst, information security analyst, etc.
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
This is another senior-level cybersecurity certification program designed to validate professionals’ expertise as a certified and efficient information security manager. This certification program is more inclined towards the management side of information security and the applicants can master topics like governance, program development, risk management, etc.
A minimum of 5 years of work experience is required to enroll in this certificate program with a minimum of 2 years of work experience in general information security. By earning CISM, you can advance in your cybersecurity career to senior positions such as:
- IT Manager
- Information Systems Security Officer
- Information Risk Consultant
- Director of Information Security, etc.
Conclusion
Cybersecurity is an evolving field. You can find new tools and technologies being launched regularly to strengthen the overall security measures of sensitive information and critical infrastructure. Earning these credible and recognized certifications will help you display your commitment towards learning the new skills and you can also earn an edge over your competitors with the latest industry-relevant knowledge. So, register now and take your cybersecurity career to the next level.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are cybersecurity certifications worth it?
Yes. A lot of employers give preference to candidates having cybersecurity certification under their belt as it helps them gauge the candidate’s skills, experience, and knowledge.
- Can I get a job after earning cybersecurity certification?
Though most cybersecurity certifications require prior work experience, you can enhance your credibility to get your first cybersecurity job with beginner-level certification. However, having a certification doesn’t guarantee a job, it’s your skill, knowledge, and your performance in the interview that will help you get the job.
- How much time and cost are required to earn cybersecurity certification?
All certification programs are different and of varied duration and fees. You can complete certification within a few weeks to few months and it can cost anywhere between $200-$20000 depending upon chosen program.
