There is a cyberattack every 39 seconds. At least 7 billion files were breached in 2020 alone, and with the COVID-19 situation where people are working remotely, cyber threats are increasing. However, it should be noted that more than half of cyberattacks happen due to human error, which means that knowledge in the field should be improved.
Cybersecurity is an important tool to protect a company’s or organization’s data files. A single breach costs around $4 million, costing government trillions of dollars in damages. At least 3 million jobs in the field will be offered worldwide by 2021. Positions in the field include security specialists and analysts, network and system security administrators, engineers and architects, and even penetration testers. Salaries start with as little as $30,000 a year per entry-level jobs and can go as high as $200,000 based on experience and certifications.
If you are serious about your career, you might want to consider one of the following InfoSec certificates, listed for you by the number of total jobs demands in a single given day.
- CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional
With more than 54 thousand jobs posted in hiring platforms requesting a CISSP, this is also the top endeavoured certificate by professionals in the field. The certificate is issued by the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium or (ISC)2. To obtain the certificate you should have a degree and at least four to five years full-time working experience in two of the (ISC)2’s common body of knowledge domains, which include security management, asset security, engineering and architecture, network security, testing, and software development.
You will need some training prior to getting the CISSP. (ISC)2 offers classroom and online courses, as well as e-learning and practice exams. The exam costs $699, with an $85 annual credential maintenance fee, and the certification should be renewed every three years.
- CISA: Certified Information Systems Auditor
Jobs requesting ISACA’s certificate counted more than 27 thousand offers in hiring platforms. CISA suits best IT professionals keen to information security, and audit control and assurance. Some of the skills a professional candidate must have include ability in identifying and evaluating threats and system flaws, asset protection, security control, auditing, service management and maintenance.
A candidate should hold a degree and have at least one year of working experience with information systems and pass an exam. There are exceptions made for professionals that have experience and education in auditing. The exam costs $575 for members and $760 for non-members of ISACA, and the CISA has an annual maintenance fee of $45 for members and $85 for non-members and must be renewed every three years.
- CISM: Certified Information Security Manager
Following next with over 15 thousand job offers is ISACA’s CISM. This certificate is best suitable for IT professionals that deal with security systems management and development. This certificate is also linked to auditing and security of information systems. Thus, the professionals seeking to get a hold of CISM must have at least three years of working experience in information security management and five years’ work experience in information security overall. Some of the skills also include incident management and response, and governance.
To get the certificate the professional should also have a degree, comply with the code of ethics, and take an exam which costs as much as CISA above. Although there is a similar maintenance fee, CISM certificate also requires a $50 processing and that its members agree to a continuous education policy in the field. This certificate is also valid for three years only.
- CEH: Certified Ethical Hacker
Ethical Hackers are professionals contracted or working for a company that breach into the system in order to find flaws. These professionals use advanced and updated tools to find vulnerabilities in a network and work with the company to fix them to prevent potential cyberthreats.
The CEH is issued by the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants, based on the skills of exploration, enumeration, gaining and maintaining access, and track cover-up. The IT professionals seeking to get hold of a CEH should also have skills in scanning networks, hacking systems and web servers, Trojans, viruses and malware, cryptography, and penetration testing, among many.
The candidates must have an education in the field, and if not, work experience of at least two years dealing with security systems. There is a $100 eligibility fee when applying for the certificate, and the exam costs $950 and lasts around six hours, where the candidate is tested for his/her skills based on 20 scenarios. The CEH is valid for three years
- CompTIA Security+
This certification issued by CompTIA is an entry-level credential for candidates that possess technical skills and various security-related skills. Other skills include identity and threat management, cryptography, security systems and infrastructure, risk identification and reduction.
It is recommended that candidates get a Network+ certificate before applying for Security+. Nevertheless, professionals should have at least two years of working experience in network security, some sort of training, and take an exam which costs $339 which must be renewed every three years.
