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Top Information Security Certifications for 2019

Certifications prove valuable for security professionals at any stage in their career

High Demand for Cybersecurity Professionals-1Whether you are an entry level IT professional, a CIO, or something in between, the potential offered in certification has never been better. By enrolling in a cybersecurity training program, technical professionals receive the education and specialized skills they require to design, maintain, analyze, and govern core IT enterprise systems infrastructure. For network and systems administrators, security is an essential element of operating in an IT environment.Your most comprehensive cybersecurity plan - built layer by layer. Download the  eBook >

Cybersecurity certifications ensure that IT operations are controlled with the appropriate measures to ward against the cornucopia of threat vectors that exist today.

CompTIA Security+

With more than 2,000,000 credential holders, CompTIA’s certifications have proven their worth in the 36 years since their inception. The Security+ credential in particular is a well-respected, vendor-neutral security credential. Credential holders are recognized as possessing superior technical skills, broad knowledge, and expertise in multiple security-related disciplines.

While Security+ is an entry or foundation-level certification, successful candidates should possess at least 2 years of experience working in the area of network security and should consider first obtaining the Network+ certification. Credential holders possess expertise in knowledge areas such as cryptography, identity management, security systems, organizational systems, security risk identification and mitigations, network access control, security infrastructure, and more.

The CompTIA Security+ credential is also approved by the U.S. Department of Defense to meet requirements for the information assurance (IA) technical and management certifications. And according to Payscale.com, the average salary of an employee with CompTIA Security+ certification is $73,000.

View CompTIA Security+ Courses


CEH: Certified Ethical Hacker

Hackers are certainly innovators and constantly find new ways to attack information networks, systems, and exploit system vulnerabilities. Savvy businesses proactively protect their information systems by engaging the services and expertise of IT professionals skilled in beating hackers at their own game (often called “whitehat hackers” or simply “whitehats”). Such professionals use the same skills and techniques used by hackers to identify system vulnerabilities, access points for penetration, and prevent unwanted access to network and information systems. Certified Ethical Hackers also make good money, an average of $90,000 according to Payscale.com.

The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) credential is an intermediate level credential offered by the International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants (EC-Council). It’s a must-have for IT professionals pursuing careers in ethical hacking. CEH credential holders possess skills and knowledge on hacking practices in areas such as footprinting and reconnaissance, scanning networks, enumeration, system hacking, Trojans, worms and viruses, sniffers, denial of service attacks, social engineering, session hijacking, hacking web servers, wireless networks and web applications, SQL injection, cryptography, penetration testing, evading IDS, firewalls and honeypots, and more.

View Certified Ethical Hacker courses


CCNP: Cisco Certified Network Professional—Security

Cisco Certified Network Professional Security (CCNP Security) certification program is a professional-level certification and is aligned specifically to the job role of the Cisco Network Security Engineer responsible for Security in Routers, Switches, Networking devices and appliances, as well as choosing, deploying, supporting and troubleshooting Firewalls, VPNS, and IDS/IPS solutions for their networking environments.

CCNP Security professionals are qualified to recommend and choose networking solutions for firewalls, VPNs, and IDSs/IPSs, as well as deploy, support, and maintain such solutions. In addition, The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) recognizes that Cisco CCNP Security courseware meets the CNSS 4013 training standard, and they make an average of $113,000 according to Payscale.com.

View our Cisco Network Administrator career pathway


Now is the time to invest in your organization's cybersecurity or training for yourself. As cyberattacks continue to rise, they can cost your organization time, money, and reputation. And if you're looking for a lasting career, companies are expected to spend over $1 trillion on cybersecurity by 2021, according to Cybersecurity Ventures. With proof of your expertise through certification, you can easily move into this lucrative field.

Still looking? See all of our Cybersecurity courses and certification offerings here.

Your Most Comprehensive Cybersecurity Plan - Download the eBook

Categories: Cybersecurity

Terry Mott

Terry Mott

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