Those individuals who have chosen to pursue a career in cyber-security in today’s world need to be lauded. That’s because, as the list of cyber-attacks grows and each one of these attacks becomes more intense, the demand for qualified Cybersecurity individuals will be on a consistent rise. And according to many different surveys, this demand is only likely to grow more in the future.
The current field of Cybersecurity can give professionals who pursues it, an incredible amount of financial benefits in the form of above-industry average salaries in the IT domain. But how exactly do you increase your chances of not just landing a good job but negotiating a much better salary package than your peers? One answer is certifications.
Global Knowledge ran a survey in 2018 that said that 41% of employers in the US consider a big challenge to source professionals who have professional certifications. On top of this, a certified professional in this sector will earn around 22% more on average as compared to those who don’t have these certifications.
So the incentives to pursue professional certifications are quite robust, but which certifications should you exactly opt for if you willing to give your Cybersecurity career a boost?
In the Cybersecurity industry, two certification providers are highly recognized, (ISC) and ISACA, with both of them offering different certifications. In this article we’ll discuss one certification from each of these two bodies, ISC’s Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and ISACA’s Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).
These certifications are high end and certainly don’t target beginners in the Cybersecurity field. An individual needs to have at least 5 years of experience to even become eligible to enroll itself in them. Along with this, there is an incredible amount of maintenance and investment required post certification in order to continue maintaining the validity of these certifications.
Considering by these requirements, the choice is not an easy decision to make so its best that you gain in-depth knowledge of what exactly each of these certifications entail, what are their advantages, what actually do they offer and how beneficial will each of them will be for your career.
Offering these very insights, here is our analysis and a comparison of both these certifications, aimed to arm you with right knowledge necessary to make the best decision:
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
Overview:
CISSP is the top course offered by ISC and its highly credible, with more 140,00 successful professionals holding this certification currently in the world.
Primed for top level executives like managers and Cybersecurity practitioners, this course focuses on multiple skills related towards managing a Cybersecurity environment in an organization ranging from implementation to design to control to even maintenance.
Furthermore, candidates can even opt for three advanced level certifications in addition to this base course that focus on architecture, engineering and management of information systems security.
Becoming a Qualified CISSP Professional:
Just passing the course is not enough to become a Qualified CISSP profession. Prior work experience in a Cybersecurity role for at least 5 years is also mandatory to enroll in this course in at least two of the following areas:
- Security and Risk Management
- Asset Security
- Security Architecture and Engineering
- Communication and Network Security
- Identity and Access Management (IAM)
- Security Assessment and Testing
- Security Operations
- Software Development Security
After passing the course, you will have a period of just nine months in which you have to secure an official endorsement by another CISSP certified professional.
Continuing the Certification’s Validity:
$85 is the fee that you will have to pay annually to keep your CISSP valid, but this validity period lasts for just three years, after which you have to take the exam again and repeat all other processes. If you want to avoid this, 120 continuing professional education (CPE) credits are required over the course of these three years.
Financial Incentives:
The requirements to become a CISSP certified professional might be quite stringent but the financial reward is worth the effort. Global Information Security Workforce study that came out in 2017 reported that a professional could earn up to $120,000 in average salary after becoming a CISSP professional, making the most lucrative certification in the whole Cybersecurity domain.
Certified Information Systems Auditor – CISA:
Overview:
For jobs related to governance and audit of enterprise IT business systems, CISA is the course you need to opt for. An individual who passes this course and all its requirements will become able to perform tasks such as analysis, control, monitoring and audit of Cybersecurity networks. Most professionals that get this certification are either related to governance, consultancy or audit.
Individuals who come under these five CIA job domains are eligible to enroll in the course:
- Domain 1: The Process of Auditing Information Systems
- Domain 2: Governance and Management of IT
- Domain 3: Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation
- Domain 4: Information Systems Operations, Maintenance and Service Management
- Domain 5: Protection and Information Assets
Becoming a Qualified CISSP Professional:
Candidates require 5 years of prior experience in related job domains (listed above), an agreement to observe the certification’s code of ethics and passing the course itself. The exam for this course are held at three different times each year.
Continuing the Certification’s Validity:
A maintenance fee of $45 for members of its accreditation body and $85 for non-members is to be paid each year. The certification will expire after 3 years if you don’t earn 20 CPEs each year.
Financial Incentives:
With an average salary in the range of $97,000, becoming a CISA professional will allow you to come at par with the average salary range currently prevalent in the USA.
Which One Should You Exactly Opt For?
If you just take a look at the average salary you can secure with each certification then CISSP is obviously the more lucrative career choice with earnings much higher than you can earn as a CISA professional. While financial incentives are definitely one of the most important factors that can affect your final decision, you should really introspect on your career path before making the plunge.
CISA is most suitable for you if you wish to remain in audit or governance related roles in the Cybersecurity industry, but if you want to gain a high level certification that enables you to become an authority on most Cybersecurity related aspects, then CISSP is the most suitable choice you can opt for.