If you’re an IT security professional searching for a certification to up your game and improve your skills, this list will be a wonderful place to start. Here are some of the best ways to advance your career, learn new skills, and improve your ability to protect your network and digital assets from different types of attacks. 

You should make sure that your next training milestone will be passing a security certification because this industry necessitates continually learning new abilities. Therefore,  doing so will increase your appeal to potential employers for your next career role.

Here are the top seven qualifications in demand.

CompTIA Security +

The CompTIA Security+ exam is one of the most popular entry-level tests. The fundamental skills necessary for every cybersecurity function are established through vendor-neutral security certification. Many people view Security+ as a stepping stone to intermediate-level certifications and a wider range of career roles.

The Security+ has five domains that candidates must master and will be helpful for aspiring information security professionals: 1. Attacks, threats, and vulnerabilities (24%); 2. architecture and design (21%); 3. implementation (25%); 4. operations and incident response (16%); and 5. governance, risk, and compliance (14%).

• Prerequisites: Two years of experience managing systems with a focus on security and a CompTIA Network+ certification are preferred, but not required.
• 90-minute exam with a maximum of 90 multiple-choice and performance-based questions. On a scale of 100 to 900, 750 is the cutoff.
• Exam fee: US$381 for registration.

Candidates who pass the Security+ exam will undoubtedly get their money’s worth. More than 500,000 people hold the most widely used cybersecurity certification in the world, Security+, and those who hold it are typically well compensated.

Candidates have a chance of getting a job in the government because CompTIA Security+ satisfies the requirements of Directive 8570.01-M and ISO 17024. Those who are brand new to the field of information security should take a close look at this top-notch entry-level cybersecurity certification.

View our Security+ certification portal for more information on the Security+ certification.

EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker:

The Certified Ethical Hacker certification places a lot of emphasis on offensive hacking methods and technology. Its design is to evaluate the candidate’s skills in real-world situations. People who have certificates can pretend to be an outside intruder or test the security of a network from the inside.

The C|EH from EC-Councils is one of the most sought-after ethical hacking certificates on the market due to its practical focus.Candidates will gain knowledge of the most recent hacking tools and methods to legally breach an organization’s security.

• Prerequisites: Candidates must have either gone through formal training or worked in information security for at least two years.
• Exam: four hours and 125 multiple-choice questions; passing scores vary from 60% to 85%.
• Exam cost: $1199 for a Pearson VUE (312-50) voucher and $950 for an ECC EXAM (312-50) voucher.

One of the most well-known certifications for entry-level offensive security is the CEH. It is adaptable since individuals with a CEH are qualified for a variety of security professions. This is partly attributable to the hands-on nature of this security certification, which provides students with a firm foundation in security fundamentals such as information security threats and attack vectors, attack detection, attack prevention, processes, and techniques.

 Before moving on to more advanced certifications, this is a fantastic place for security professionals to start if they want to gain real experience in ethical hacking and penetration testing.

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

One of the most prestigious and sought-after cybersecurity certifications is the CISSP, but it is not an entry-level certification. Because it necessitates both passing a challenging exam and practical experience, the CISSP is frequently used as a benchmark by hiring managers. Achieving CISSP status demonstrates your expertise in creating, engineering, and implementing information security systems in the workplace.

The CISSP is highly sought-after and well-known around the world. Numerous opportunities will become available to you after obtaining the certification, allowing you to advance your cybersecurity career.

• Prerequisites : Candidates need to have at least five years of total paid job experience in at least two of the eight CISSP CBK domains. The CISSP experience waiver can be used to fulfill some of the requirements for those who lack the necessary work experience. For those lacking the necessary job experience, passing the exam and receiving an associate’s in (ISC)2 certification is another possibility. Following that, candidates will have six years to accumulate the necessary job experience for the CISSP.
• Exam: 125–175 advanced creative and multiple-choice questions with a four-hour time limit for the English CAT version; a score of 700 out of 1000 is required to succeed. 250 multiple-choice and sophisticated creative problems make up the CISSP linear test, which can take up to six hours to complete. available in Korean, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, English, and Spanish.
• Exam Fee: $749 in all areas, excluding Europe and the U.K. (585 pounds) and 665 euros. PPC and PVTC Selected Authorized (ISC)2 Pearson VUE Testing Centers administer the exam. 

A great way to advance in your IT career and raise your earning potential is to earn the CISSP certification. It is a good choice for experts who want to show they know a lot about a wide range of topics and get a certification with a good name around the world. 

ISACA Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

Not all cybersecurity positions require a technical background. The CISM imparts useful administrative skills related to information security. In this field, assurance and risk management play significant roles in job requirements. It is based on useful and important security management principles that are needed to do the job.

Numerous options for career advancement are made possible by this higher-level qualification. The CISM is good for information risk managers, IT security managers, and managers in charge of cybersecurity and IT security. 

• Prerequisites: a minimum of five years of professional experience managing information security. However, if a person meets certain educational or certification requirements, up to two years may be waived.
• Exam: It takes four hours to finish the 150 multiple-choice questions on the test. A score of 450 qualifies as passing, and the scoring range is 200 to 800. The exam covers four knowledge areas, or domains, that are used in the job. The test can be taken in person at a testing center or online with remote proctoring.
• Exam fees : are USD 760 for non-members of ISACA and USD 575 for members of ISACA.This certification can give you the authority you need for promotions and pay raises if you are already in a managerial position.

Another well-known certification, it is highly valued by businesses that place a high value on security and the procedures required to maintain compliance and security in the IT environment. 

ISACA Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

The CISA gives a lot of weight to the skills that allow candidates to audit, control, and keep an eye on business and IT systems.Any security expert who wants a certification that is an internationally recognized standard in system audits and controls should consider getting this security certification. Certification shows that you know how to figure out if an organization’s IT internal controls, policies, and laws are appropriate and work well.

If you are a professional at the beginning or middle of your career, CISA can show that you know how to plan and carry out audits using a risk-based approach.

• Prerequisites: Candidates must have at least five years of relevant work experience, especially in jobs that involve auditing, controlling, assuring, or securing information systems.
• Exam : A 150-question multiple-choice exam takes four hours to complete. 

 The passing score for the exam is 450, while the score margin ranges from 200 to 800.

• Exam fees:  are USD 760 for non-members of ISACA and USD 575 for members.

This priceless certification, which is also ANSI-accredited, satisfies the IAT Level III and CSSP Auditor criteria of DoD 8570.

 Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)

Getting the CCSP is essential since cloud cybersecurity challenges vary every day.

• Employers can be sure that candidates with the CCSP credential from (ISC)2 have the advanced technical knowledge and skills needed to design, manage, and secure cloud-based data, applications, and infrastructures.
• Prerequisites: Candidates must have a minimum of five years of full-time IT experience, of which three years must be in information security and one year must be spent in at least one of the six CCSP CBK domains.
• Exam: Four hours are allotted for a 150 multiple-choice question exam with a passing score of 700 out of 1000. English, Chinese, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish are all official test languages.
• Exam Fee : The exam is conducted by Pearson VUE and costs $599 per attempt.

With this certification, candidates can show how well they know application security, day-to-day operations, and cloud architecture, among other things. 

GIAC Security Essentials 

The GSEC is an entry-level certification that helps people who want to show they know about security and networking but have never done it before.

This certification is useful for anyone who works in an IT department where security is a top priority. It verifies skills related to real-world IT security tasks. 

• Prerequisites: Nothing 
• Exam: consists of an open-book exam with 106–180 questions and a four–5 hour time limit for candidates to finish. The required percentage is 73%. Web-based exams need to be remotely proctored by ProctorU and on-site proctored by PearsonVUE.

• Exam Fee: USD 949 for a GSEC certification attempt and two practice tests.

If a potential employer is reviewing your resume or CV and you want to stand out for your practical talents, this certification is another excellent option. It certifies your expertise and competence in information security. To know more about IT certifications you can click here.