Cybersecurity Certifications: What You Need to Know
It’s not cocky to know you’ve got what it takes to launch a cybersecurity career, but you need a clear game plan for success. Getting a cybersecurity certification could be the adrenaline shot you need so you can start making a name for yourself.
There’s a huge opportunity for women in cybersecurity. It’s estimated there are over 700,000 total cybersecurity job openings, and a global shortage of over 2.5 million professionals in the industry to face the future of cybersecurity work.
These numbers are driving employers’ willingness to pay for training and certifications for employees–currently, over 90% of employers claim they’ll do so to help fill the gaps. That spells an opportunity for smart, ambitious women like you.
Certifications improve your chances of getting your stiletto-clad foot in the door when you’re starting out in cybersecurity. They can also help you nab a better salary when you’re first hired and as you start earning promotions (because, of course, you will). Plus, they provide you with valuable skills that will make you more capable and knowledgeable every day you show up to work.
In this blog post about cybersecurity certifications, we’ll look at:
Why cybersecurity certifications are so valuable
Examples of cybersecurity certifications and skills
How to choose the right certification for you
Why building your network should start today
Why Are Cybersecurity Certifications So Valuable?
A piece of paper is nice, and something to hang on the wall in your office is cool, but you’re here to earn that six-figure salary with hard work. So, real talk–here are the top three benefits of cybersecurity certifications: competencies, employability skills, and real-world experiences. These are all vital when getting started in cybersecurity.
Certifications can help with career changes and advancement by lending credibility to your expertise and skills. For example, you may have a host of transferable skills that a new employer would find valuable, but having a certification that helps prove this value can also be key, especially regarding your technical understanding.
Taking the time to establish, build, and certify your skills can also pay off when it comes to salaries. Compared to beginner-level salaries, those with certifications can demand salary premiums of anywhere from 10 to 45%. You can do that math, and it looks like a fast way to start hitting some serious financial goals.
Exploring Cybersecurity Certifications and Skills
First, it’s a good idea to get familiar with some of the skills employers will be looking for as they hire. The more comfortable you are with the language and expectations of employers, the more easily you can vet potential programs and credentials you may want to pursue.
When researching certification options, pop online and look at cybersecurity job postings that seem appealing to you. Once you find a few, check the postings for common requirements or job responsibilities.
Entry-level cybersecurity skills
For example, some of the top tasks for entry-level candidates include monitoring networks, responding to alerts, documenting processes, and coming up with new ways to detect unauthorized activity. Pursuing a foundational cybersecurity certification can help you demonstrate knowledge in all of these basic cybersecurity activities, even if you don’t have any experience.
Mid-level to advanced cybersecurity skills
Some of the more advanced skills you may want to consider include network security, cloud computing, internal auditing, ethical hacking, incident response, digital forensics, and management. You can stack the deck by acquiring skills in these areas or target employers who are willing to train you. Reality check though—nobody is expected to be an expert in everything in cybersecurity. It’s more important to spend time getting hands-on-keyboard experience than studying for your 11th certification. Once you know your stuff, you don’t need to keep proving it with more certifications..
Cybersecurity certifications
Let’s look at some of the certifications you might be considering as you weigh a cybersecurity career. Each of these will provide you with broad or foundational knowledge and help open pathways to different jobs.
(ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC)
CompTIA Security+
CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+)
GIAC Information Security Fundamentals (GISF)
GIAC Security Essentials Certification (GSEC)
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
Google Cloud Digital Leader
Online cybersecurity career tools can help you match certifications and skills to job titles, as well as get a better sense of which are more entry-level, mid-level, or advanced. Want your mind blown? Check out all the options in a full cybersecurity education and training catalog or this cybersecurity certification roadmap.
How to Choose the Right Cybersecurity Training
So, how can you choose? Consider how you best learn. You may want to hit the books on your own, join a study group (we can help you there!), take a training course made for passing the certification exam,, or even consider associate or bachelor’s degree programs that can set you up to earn these certifications in addition to a cybersecurity degree.
Here are a few elements to assess before you look at specific certifications and courses:
Current career goals
Demonstrated strengths and aptitude
Skills and experience you already have
Areas of potential interest or specialization
Next, you’ll want to compare and contrast different certifications and study options to see how they align with your budget and how you best learn.
It’s time to dig into a few cybersecurity certifications to compare:
What they cover
Potential outcomes and career paths
Exam prerequisites
Cost of the exam
Available study and training options
Reviews and feedback from people who have already taken the exam
Learning formats for study/training (physical or digital book, online self-paced, virtual class, in-person class)
Time commitment and schedule to get through the study/training material
As you work through this process, you may find that certain certifications stand out because they are a good fit for your current understanding of cybersecurity and comfort with computers, natural talents, your career goals, and your capacity to add study and learning time to your schedule.
Others may seem interesting but are better suited to later exploration once you’ve earned a stripe or two in the industry. There won’t be any stopping you once you get going, so putting a pin in an idea or two is just fine.
Lock In Your Network Now
No matter what path you choose for cybersecurity certification, remember that research is cool, but you also need to take action and get building connections now.
There are successful women already blazing trails in cybersecurity careers who have buckets of wisdom to share. They can offer insight into which certifications might serve you best and help connect you with a broader network of cybersecurity professionals.
Are you ready to connect with inspiring women and get the actionable advice you need to kick off your cybersecurity career? Become an Insider today and join our exclusive community of fellow ambitious, like-minded women in cybersecurity.
