The potential for cybersecurity increases as more businesses realize the importance of hiring trustworthy people to protect themselves from and prevent cyberattacks. This means that there are plenty of security-related jobs available.
However, the excellent people for the task aren’t always easy to locate and employ. Finding professionals who have accreditation from accredited bodies aids.
Alongside the trustworthiness they provide, they also increase the chances of climbing the job ladder and encourage you to be a shrewd learner to stay up-to-date with ever-changing technology.
While YouTube videos and courses for free are fantastic, choosing an established reputation and quality as an expert in cyber security is vital.
That’s why we’ve given you our top picks among the accurate cybersecurity certificates. The courses are evaluated based on their job quality, relevancy, and price to benefit your selection process.
Cybersecurity Certifications
The following certificates are mandatory for many cybersecurity positions and are recognized by the most prestigious authorities that deal with cyberspace.
Google Cybersecurity Certificate
Google recently announced its own Cybersecurity Certification program via Coursera.
The program’s foundational structure was designed to benefit anyone interested in cybersecurity. It does not require prior experience or knowledge to start.
The courses offered in this program provide a solid basis for your future endeavors in cybersecurity. In addition to this program, RAM graduates are granted access to the CompTIA Security+ exam and more education at a reduced cost.
Completing the Google Cybersecurity Certificate and the CompTIA Security+ exam confers a credential demonstrating well-qualified expertise in security programming, information and event management, intrusion detection systems, and much more.
It is an excellent way to begin your journey as an aspirant cybersecurity professional, although we may be biased, as Splunk was a proud participant in creating this certificate!
- Requirements: It is an initial step towards a job working in cybersecurity. No formal education or experience is required.
- Price: Coursera offers a free trial period followed by a monthly charge of $50. Certification costs can vary depending on how long it takes to master the self-paced course.
- Time to completion: Google estimates this program will take six months, with students working seven hours weekly. However, if students can move faster than the recommended routine pace, they could get their certificates within a month or two.
Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK)
The CCSK is from The Cloud Security Alliance and bills itself as “the standard of expertise for cloud security.” This is a good place to start; the title states it all: businesses want to ensure that their internal personnel are experts in working with the cloud (and not just moving randomly, as many businesses do). CCSK V5 is due to be released in July 2024.
It is a 14-domain exam. To be found in this exam! What will you be able to accomplish when you have earned the CCSK?
- Enhance your chances of being a cloud expert, as the skills gap for cloud professionals will be a major issue.
- Explain how you can make use of security controls that are specifically tailored for the cloud.
- Find out how to benchmark the perfect security practices. This is essential for security professionals who have many duties.
The CCSK is a great choice and can be used with other credentials, such as the CCAK, CCSP, CISSP, and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).
- Cost: $395 includes two exam examinations, valid for two years from the date of purchase. (Are you a U.S. veteran? It’s absolutely nothing! )
- time to finish: You are given 90 minutes to answer 60 multiple-choice questions. The perfect aspect is that it’s an open-book exam.
CompTIA Advanced Security Personnel (CASP+)
This advanced certification allows security professionals to design and implement security engineering architecture on a corporate scale.
In the same way, contestants are supposed to comprehend how security systems in an enterprise work and the methods of installing, monitoring, defending, and analyzing them. Therefore, it targets senior security analysts, engineers, SOC managers, and architects.
- The requirements: As it’s a certificate for top positions, contestants must have at least five years of work experience and understand Network+, Security+, or even PenTest+.
- Cost: The exam costs $499. Various pricing plans with add-ons, such as an exam plan and lapse practices, could make the price considerably more expensive.
- Time to complete: CompTIA provides participants with a time of 165 minutes to complete 90 questions to obtain the certification.
Wrapping up
Being a well-known cybersecurity expert requires work, but it’s excellent for your long-term success. For those just starting, you can begin by completing CompTIA Security+ and its other programs, such as Network+.
These programs will provide the foundation for taking on new challenges and getting certifications as you move up the ladder.
For professionals at the top of their profession, CISSP ranks highly on the list.
However, obtaining it requires enough work. OSCP can also benefit you by allowing you to gain interviews because it’s highly rated by those who play in the offensive wing.
