Best Cyber Security Certifications To Boost Your Career in 2021

Best Cyber Security Certifications To Boost Your Career in 2021

The rise of technology is always parallel to the rise in vulnerabilities to exploit in those technologies. This has introduced the term Cybersecurity to the world. Cybersecurity is a set of technologies, processes, and practices to prevent attacks, damage, and illegal access to networks, devices, programs, and data. There are numerous vendors globally that aim to provide knowledge on Cybersecurity. For this purpose, they have introduced cybersecurity certifications that offer knowledge and skills to candidates. Let's have a look at the top 10 cybersecurity certifications for you.

Top 10 Cybersecurity Certifications

1. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

2. Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

3. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

4. Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

5. CompTIA Security+

6. GIAC Security Essentials Certification (GSEC)

7. Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)

8. Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK)

9. Cisco Certified Network Associate(CCNA)

10. CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+)

Top 10 Cybersecurity certifications

1. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

The Certified Information Systems Security Professional certification validates your ability to plan, engineer, and manage an organization's whole security posture. This certification demonstrates that you have knowledge and capabilities in Cybersecurity. This certification is the first step in becoming a member of the (ISC)2. It gives you access to a variety of exclusive tools, educational resources, and peer-to-peer networking opportunities. This certification assesses your knowledge of the following areas:

  1. Security and Risk Management
  2. Asset Security
  3. Security Architecture and Engineering
  4. Communication and Network Security
  5. Identity and Access Management (IAM)
  6. Security Assessment and Testing
  7. Security Operations
  8. Software Development Security

The Certified Information Systems Security Professional certification exam consists of 100-150 multiple-choice questions. The duration of the exam is 3 hours. The cost of the exam is 699 USD.

2. Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

The Certified Information Systems Auditor certification verifies your competence to assess vulnerabilities, track violations, and enforce organizational rules. This certification offers professionals the information and abilities they need to audit, monitor, access, and control data. It demonstrates your honesty in making judgments about an organization's IS/IT defense, risk, and control solutions. It verifies stakeholders' ability to understand significant issues and recommends business-specific methods for promoting and protecting information and related technology governance.

The Certified Information Systems Auditor certification exam consists of 150 questions. The duration of the exam is 4 hours. The cost of the exam is 575 USD for members and 760 USD for non-members.

3. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

The Certified Information Security Manager certification verifies your knowledge of information security governance, incident management, program development and management, and risk management. It gives knowledge and skills for advancing international security best practices. This credential teaches how to manage, supervise, design, and evaluate security issues. It demonstrates a solid awareness of the link between information security systems and overall company priorities and objectives.

The exam code for Certified Information Security Manager is CISM. The exam consists of 200 multiple choices and multiple response questions. The exam duration is a total of 4 hours. The cost of the exam is 575 USD for members and 760 USD for non-members.

4. Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) is a cybersecurity credential that gives security professionals the knowledge and skills they need to find and exploit security vulnerabilities. The CEH certification is designed to help security engineers study the same tools and information that hackers do. Using various penetration testing methodologies, the ethical hacker can identify, analyze, and resolve any present device issues. Cybercriminals' tools are used against cybercriminals in ethical hacking. There are three levels of the Certified Ethical Hacker exam: Central, Intermediate, and Expert.

The exam code for Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification is 312-50. The exam consists of 125 questions. You get a total duration of 4 hours to complete the exam. The exam fee is USD 850 for US Market.

5. CompTIA Security+

The CompTIA Security+ certification is one of the most popular entry-level network security credentials. We all know that network security is a rapidly expanding area of IT. Security+ is a program that focuses on the most important components of security. Because the number of vulnerabilities in the IT network is growing every day, there is a significant demand for IT security professionals. Obtaining a CompTIA Security+ certification in security is an excellent way to swiftly enter the IT profession.

The CompTIA Security+ certification verifies your competence to manage the core security function. It is the only entry-level cybersecurity certification that gives people real-world experience. Because it complies with DoD 8570, Security+ is preferred by many enterprises and defense departments. Security Administrators, Systems Administrators, IT Auditors, IT Project Managers, and others will benefit from this certification.

The exam code for CompTIA Security+ Certification is SY0-501. Recently CompTIA Security+ certification launched a new exam which is SY0-601. These exams act as a medium for individuals to launch into intermediate-level cybersecurity certification. The exam consists of 90 questions. The duration of the exam is 90 minutes. You need to have a passing score of 750 (on a scale of 100-900). This exam costs USD 370. The exam is available in English, Japanese, Portuguese, and Simplified Chinese languages.

Highest paying Cybersecurity jobs

6. GIAC Security Essentials Certification (GSEC)

The GIAC Security Essentials certification verifies a practitioner's understanding of information security concepts and terminology beyond the basics. Holders of the GSEC certification show that they are capable of performing security activities in hands-on IT systems. This entry-level security accreditation from the Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) is for individuals with a background in information systems and networking. This certification verifies your knowledge of active defense, network security, cryptography, incident response, and cloud security.

The exam code for GIAC Security Essentials Certification is GSEC. The exam consists of 180 questions. You will have 1 hour to complete the exam. The passing score for this exam is 73%. 

7. Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)

The Systems Security Certified Practitioner certification is ideal for individuals in operational IT roles who have demonstrated practical and technical skills and hands-on security expertise. This certification verifies a practitioner's competence to implement, manage, and administer IT infrastructure while adhering to information security policies and procedures. It helps to maintain data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. It is an internationally recognized IT security certification that provides instant credibility. It's a great approach to broaden your cybersecurity expertise for individuals who work in a hands-on, operational IT capacity or are just starting in the field.

The exam code for Systems Security Certified Practitioner is SSCP. The exam consists of 125 questions. The exam duration is 3 hours. You need to get a passing score of 700 out of 1000 points. The exam is available in English, Japanese, and Brazilian Portuguese languages.

8. Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK)

The Cloud Security Alliance's Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge is one of the most well-known cloud security credentials. Cloud architecture, governance, risk management, infrastructure security, data security and encryption, incident response, and security as a service are just a few of the topics covered. The CCSK is designed for IT professionals who want to specialize in cloud security as an entry-level certified.

The exam code for the Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge is CCSK. The exam consists of 60 questions. The exam duration is 90 minutes. The passing score is 80%. The exam fee is USD 395 and is available in the English language.

9. Cisco Certified Network Associate(CCNA)

Cisco released a new edition of the Cisco Certified Network Associate certification in early 2020. Network fundamentals, IP services, network access, security fundamentals, IP connectivity, automation, and programmability are all covered by the newest CCNA certification. The Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions (CCNA) course can help you prepare for the exam. This course also covers the fundamentals of Cisco network installation, operation, and verification for all support technicians.

The exam code for Cisco Certified Network Associate certification is 200-301. The exam consists of 40-60 questions. The duration of the exam is 120 minutes. The exam fee is USD 300. The exam is available in English and Japanese languages.

10. CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+)

The CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP) certification is a well-recognized security credential. Risk management and forecasting, enterprise security, and risk analysis are among the topics covered in this program. The CASP certification demonstrates advanced computer security knowledge and capabilities. This certification equips bearers with the knowledge and abilities necessary to manage small and medium-sized businesses. It certifies your knowledge of risk management, enterprise security operations and architecture, research and cooperation, and enterprise security integration.

The exam code for CASP certification is CAS-003. This exam consists of 90 questions. The duration of this exam is 165 minutes. The CAS-003 exam has no scaled passing score. It's either you pass the exam or fail. The exam cost is  USD 466. The exam is available in English and Japanese languages.

Conclusion

Choose any of the above cybersecurity certifications to boost your career. These certifications are all well established and recognized in the IT industry. Find your compatible certificate and start preparing for your certification exam. Good Luck!!!

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