With the ever-changing nature of cyber threats, there is an enormous need for qualified cybersecurity professionals. In addition to being one of the sectors with the greatest rate of growth, cybersecurity is also one of the most important, with businesses all over the world trying to defend their networks, systems, and data against ever-more-sophisticated cyber attacks. Getting the appropriate qualifications can be your key to success if you want to launch a successful cybersecurity profession. Certifications can greatly improve your employability by validating your talents and demonstrating your dedication to the industry. In this post, we’ll look at some of the best certifications to help you advance in your cybersecurity profession.

EC-Council Certifications

EC-Council is a well known organization who is providing individuals with the training as well as the certifications related to cybersecurity. Let us discuss a few from which individuals can benefit from.

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

CEH is a worldly known certification that is also recognized by employers. CEH is not an advanced certification, but rather a basic one. CEH is a MCQ based exam where individuals are required to solve the exam in a specific period of time. CEH course outline consists of 20 modules whose details can be seen on below link

https://www.eccouncil.org/train-certify/certified-ethical-hacker-ceh/

The details of 20 modules are as follows

Although CEH credentials are known worldwide, I must mention here that this is a basic level certification. But it provides a very good start for someone who is new to the cybersecurity field as modules cover all the areas of security. The certification is beneficial for all whether you are planning for red teaming or blue.

CEH Master

CEH master is the next step in CEH certification. CEH is the theoretical exam while to become a CEH master, you have to go through a practical exam as well. The practical exam consists of 20 questions where students need to solve questions and find flags. CEH master is the combination of CEH & CEH Practical exam. The course outline for both the exams is the same. The path to the CEH master title is below.

CHFI – Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator

The Certified Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI) certification is a specialized credential offered by the EC-Council, designed for professionals who are interested in learning how to detect hacking attacks, gather evidence, and conduct investigations into cybercrimes. CHFI focuses on the processes and methodologies used to identify, preserve, analyze, and present digital evidence in a way that is legally admissible. Unfortunately it is also a theoretical certification that is a little boring but it is a good addition in certifications of professionals. The certification is beneficial for all whether you are planning for red teaming or blue. Course outline can be seen below.

There are many more certifications provided by EC-Council such as CPENT etc and details can be found on below link

https://www.eccouncil.org/train-certify/

OffSec – Offensive Security

When it comes to offensive security, the OffSec has its own mark over the world. OffSec offers quality certifications that are necessary to boost our profiles and are even demanded in the job descriptions from employers. Let’s take a look at few

OSCP – PEN-200

OSCP is the top certification that can give holders definitely a benefit over the employees without it. The OffSec Certified Professional (OSCP) exam is a 24-hour practical assessment of your penetration testing skills. After the exam, you have an additional 24 hours to submit a comprehensive penetration testing report. The report is the key to success here. If you do excellent in the exam but the report is not up to the mark, you won’t get the benefit so report quality must be adequate. The course content from the official website looks like

Below is the example of how OSCP is demanded in job descriptions from linkedin.

OSEP – PEN-300

OSEP is the advancement of OSCP. The OffSec Experienced Penetration Tester (OSEP) exam is a proctored 48-hour assessment designed to evaluate your advanced penetration testing skills in a real-world environment. Both OSCP and OSEP are for penetration testers.

OSWE – WEB-300

The Offensive Security Web Expert (OSWE) certification is associated with the WEB-300 course, titled “Advanced Web Attacks and Exploitation.” This certification is designed for professionals who want to specialize in web application penetration testing. OSWE focuses on advanced techniques for identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications, including bypassing security mechanisms, exploiting logic flaws, and crafting complex attacks.

OSED – EXP-301

As we are moving forward, the certifications are becoming advanced. OSED stands for OffSec Exploit Developer (OSED). Individuals are given an environment with several vulnerable machines and they are supposed to craft exploits according to environment making it a very challenging exam. But the rewards are extraordinary. 

OffSec provides more certifications that can be found using the below link

https://www.offsec.com/courses-and-certifications/

TCM Security

TCM security has also introduced quite few certifications and they are very budget friendly with no compromise on quality. Cyber Security experts already know that the individuals who are qualified by these certifications have qualities as well. Let us explore some quickly.

PJPT – Practical Junior Penetration Tester

PJPT is a beginner-level penetration testing exam experience. This exam will assess a student’s ability to perform an internal network penetration test at an associate level. A very good thing about PJPT is that it also involved Active Directory which is crucial for beginners as well.

Students are given a total of four days in which the first two days are for performing testing and the last two days are to craft a report for judges.

PNPT – Practical Network Penetration Tester

PNPT is a very known certification by TCM security. It not only involves internal network testing but also external network testing. The exam is for a total of seven days, five for testing and two for report. In the end, individuals have to present in front of the board how they solved the exam which is quite a nice step. PNPT involves

• OSINT
• Active Directory
• Lateral and Vertical Movement
• Compromising Domain Controller
• Report preparation
• Interview

Other Certifications from TCM Security

• PJMR: Practical Junior Malware Researcher
• PWPT: Practical Web Penetration Tester

ICS2

When it comes to cyber security, we cannot skip a famous certification from ICS2 called CISSP.

CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional

The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is a globally recognized certification in the field of cybersecurity. It is designed for experienced security practitioners, managers, and executives who are involved in designing and managing an organization’s security posture. The CISSP covers a broad range of topics, including security and risk management, asset security, security architecture and engineering, communication and network security, identity and access management, security assessment and testing, security operations, and software development security.

Although we know the blog is about jumpstarting a career, CISSP requires five (5) years of work experience. But it can really give a boost to the career that is for sure. A quick glance how exam looks like from official ICS2 website

INE Security

INE Security is a known name for providing quality certifications. Let us explore a few with short details

eCPPTv2

eLearnSecurity Certified Professional Penetration Tester focuses on hands-on penetration testing, teaching skills in network, web application, and exploit development.

eWPT

eLearnSecurity Certified Web Application Penetration Tester specializes in identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications.

eMAPT

eLearnSecurity Mobile Application Penetration Tester specializes in mobile application security, teaching professionals how to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in iOS and Android applications, as well as securing mobile apps against potential threats.

eWPTX

eLearnSecurity Web Application Penetration Tester eXtreme is an advanced certification focusing on complex and advanced web application penetration testing techniques. It covers topics like advanced web attacks, bypassing web application firewalls, and exploiting difficult web vulnerabilities, preparing professionals to tackle the most challenging web security scenarios.

INE Security offers other certifications as well but famous ones are already mentioned above. 

Security Blue Team

Security blue team is offering three (3) certifications for blue teaming from beginner to advanced level.

• Blue Team Level 1 – Junior Security Operations Certification
• Blue Team Level 2 – Advanced Security Operations Certification
• CSOM – Certified Security Operations Manager

IBM 

IBM also offers certifications that can help blue teamers in getting professional experience related to SIEM solutions. IBM has one of a kind SIEM solution QRadar whose training can give individuals a benefit over others.

More details can be be found here

Certifications are crucial in cybersecurity as they validate your expertise and signal to employers that you have the skills to tackle real-world challenges. By earning certifications, professionals not only deepen their knowledge but also enhance their credibility in the industry. For those looking to jumpstart their careers, certifications can open doors to advanced roles, provide a competitive edge, and set the foundation for long-term success in this dynamic and critical field.