There are a number of certifications ranging from entry to expert level, offered by different security certification providers. EC-Council, ISACA, ISC2, CompTIA rule when it comes to security certification providers though and here is why. Simply put these organizations are trusted by companies that hire and their certifications because of that are specifically requested when you look at job listings. That is why in most instances we need to specifically look at what these organizations offer and choose from these lists.
Cyber security field has secured an integral position because of the growing numbers of cyber-attacks. Apart from millions of cyber-attacks launched on personal gadgets of the people, attempts are made by the hackers almost every year to shutdown companies, cities, or even countries. The successful cyber-attacks put a question mark on the vigilance of the deployed cyber-security measures. Therefore, organizations and businesses in the world only look for specialized cyber-security personals to keep them secure from the internal and external cyber threats. Many organizations evaluate the proficiency of the cyber-security personals on the basis of the certifications they possess. Following is a list of some of the top level cyber-security certification providers. Certifications offered by these providers are highly endorsed by world organizations.
EC-Council | eccouncil.org
The International Council of E-Commerce Consultants, also known as EC-Council, was founded in 2001. The organization offers information security training and certification programs to the researchers and cyber-security professionals. Following is a list of top-level certifications offered by EC-Council in the field of cyber-security.
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
- CEH (PRACTICAL)
- Certified Network Defender (CND)
- Licensed Penetration Tester | LPT Master
- Advanced Penetration Testing (APT)
- Computer Hacking Forensic Investigation Specialist (CHFI)
- Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO)
- Certified Thereat Intelligence Analyst (CTIA)
- EC-Council Certified Security Analyst (ECSA)
- EC-Council Certified Security Specialist (ECSS)
- Certified Application Security Engineer Java | CASE – Java
- Certified Application Security Engineer .Net | CASE – .Net
- Disaster Recovery Professional
These certifications are divided into different categories depending on the skills and experience required to avail the certifications. For example, APT and LPT are the Advanced level certifications for the experienced individuals. CCISO falls in the Management category, designed for the professionals looking for the executive levels positions in the information security. Similarly, CEH, CEH (PRACTICAL), CDN, and ECSA are the core level certifications offered by EC-Council.
(ISC)2 | isc2.org
International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC)2 is considered as the world’s largest IT security organization offering certifications to the cyber-security professionals. The top level cyber-security certifications offered by (ISC)2 include:
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)
- Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
- Certified Authorization Professional (CAP)
Among these, CISSP is the most famous certification offered by (ISC)2. CISSP is designed for the experienced information security professionals capable of designing, developing, and managing the overall security posture of the organizations.
CompTIA | comptia.org
Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a nonprofit trade association offering different industry certifications including the cyber-security. CompTIA offers the following cyber-security certifications to the individuals.
- CySA+
- CASP+
- PenTest+
- Security+
The Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) certification is designed for the professionals who can apply the behavioral analytics to identify and prevent the cyber-threats in networks and devices. Comptia Advanced Security Professional (CASP+) certification is a technical certification for professionals responsible for implementing the policies defined by the cyber-security managers. PenTest+ is a new certification for professionals interested in penetration testing. Similarly, Security+ certification validates the knowledge and skills of the cyber-security professionals.
ISACA | isaca.org
Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) is another nonprofit, independent global association working for the development and usage of worldwide accepted Information System (IS) knowledge and practices. The core certifications offered by ISACA are as follows.
- Certified Information System Auditor (CISA)
- Certified Information system Manager (CISM)
- Certified in Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT)
- Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)
CISA certificate validates users’ skills of auditing, controlling, monitoring, and assessing IT and business systems. CISM is designed to validate the managerial expertise of cyber-security professionals. CGEIT is designed for individuals working in the governance field. Similarly, people having CRISC certification are considered highly professional in handling the enterprise level cyber-security risks.
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