Main cibersecurity certifications

Generally, cybersecurity certifications develop a particular set of skills, specially selected to work on specific issues within the framework of IT protection. After acquiring the necessary knowledge, candidates are assessed through exams held throughout the year. Successful completion of these exams leads to an internationally recognized professional level. The prerequisites for obtaining them vary according to the type of previous training and minimum experience required.

These certifications are aimed at professionals who are already working in cybersecurity and wish to further specialize in specific technical skills. Obtaining one of the most important certifications in the industry offers several advantages. Properly certified personnel are more productive and perform their duties with greater quality and specificity, which helps bring greater value to the companies they work for.

Legislative tools such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) demand greater care in terms of privacy and information security. It is increasingly necessary to ensure the most effective solutions to prevent an entity’s assets from being compromised by malicious actions. The aim is to avoid both the consequences of an attack (data leaks, ransomware, etc.) and the financial penalties that authorities may impose for failing to adequately protect against threats. In addition, certified professionals make fewer mistakes in the execution of cybersecurity-related tasks, which increases their commitment and understanding of the critical aspects of their work. The “It Skills & Salary Report” devotes several analyses related to the benefits of the various certifications.

Main Cibersecurity Certifications

Currently, there is a wide variety of certifications to suit different degrees of experience within cybersecurity, as well as the career goals you want to achieve. Below are some of the most prominent ones:

AWS CERTIFIED DEVELOPER – ASSOCIATE

It is obtained through Amazon Web Services. It provides an introductory foundation in AWS technology, including the development and maintenance of cloud- based applications.

In order to obtain it, candidates must have:

• At least one year of experience with cloud services.
• Knowledge of at least one programming language.
• Basic understanding of how cloud-based applications work.
• Knowledge in application development.

AWS CERTIFIED SOLUTIONS ARCHITECT – PROFESSIONAL

Offered by AWS. Attainment ensures the ability to solve complex problems in optimizing cybersecurity related processes. At least two years of experience in cloud- based AWS architecture development is required. Along with this aspect, you also need:

• Proficiency in Windows and Linux environments
• Knowledge of scripting languages.
• Experience with AWS APIs and AWS management consoles, among other related elements.
• Ability to evaluate cloud-based applications in order to design best-practice hybrid architectures

CERTIFIED ETHICAL HACKER (CEH)

Granted by the EC-Council. It is aimed at all those who, without previous experience, are interested in applying the principles of ethical hacking to identify vulnerabilities and thus be able to counter potential cyberthreats. It enables the acquisition of skills in reconnaissance and other strategies to discover the security status of a variety of systems, networks, devices and applications.

CERTIFIED IN RISK AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS CONTROL (CRISC)

Issued by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA). It qualifies for the implementation of best practices in risk management, both in terms of response and reporting. It is aimed at professionals with several years’ experience in the field of cybersecurity who wish to focus on this area of specialization, which is closely related to issues covered by regulatory compliance (ISO 27001, ENS, etc.).

CERTIFIED INFORMATION SECURITY MANAGER (CISM)

Like the previous certification, it also depends on ISACA. Obtaining it prepares for cybersecurity incident management and various aspects of governance and compliance within an organization. It is aimed at professionals with several years of experience in dealing with information security.

CERTIFIED INFORMATION SYSTEMS AUDITOR (CISA)

Also issued by ISACA. It provides the necessary skills to plan, execute and elaboration of cybersecurity audit reports. It requires more than five years of experience in the world of cybersecurity.

CERTIFIED INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECURITY PROFESSIONAL (CISSP)

Offered by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2). It is probably one of the most recognized certifications. It is aimed at the design, implementation and management of cybersecurity programs. The professional profile is adjusted to a senior level with more than five years of experience, and who, in addition, already have other certifications in the field of cybersecurity. Obtaining it requires a great knowledge of aspects involved in information security.

CompTIA Security+

Provided by CompTIA, an entity accredited by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and ANSI. It is possibly one of the best known certifications. It enables compliance with the security requirements demanded by international standards, as well as to analyze and respond to threats. The monitoring of network security, or the development of procedures, are some of the responsibilities that this certification enables. It is suitable for those who are starting their professional career in cybersecurity, as it does not require experience to obtain it.

CompTIA recommends that, prior to this certification, person interested should first hold the CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Network+ certifications. However, neither is required as a condition of eligibility.

GOOGLE CLOUD – PROFESSIONAL CLOUD ARCHITECT

Granted by Google, this certification is designed for professionals who want to focus their careers on designing, building and developing secure enterprise cloud technology.

As we have seen, there are different types of certifications, with varying levels of difficulty based on the technical complexity of the issues they address or the experience required to tackle professional challenges. JakinCode is a company with a staff that is suitably trained according to the activity they carry out, with the appropriate experience to respond to the needs of its clients, and that is committed to talent oriented towards continuous learning, backed by the main certifications in the cybersecurity sector.