Cyber security certifications are quite different to what are normally considered academic certificates. Academic certificates normally come in a pecking order beneath masters degrees, undergraduate degrees etc. Certificates are considered valid in their particular subject, but normally contain less academic content or experience in areas such as research projects.
Certificates in cyber security training are normally quite specialised, and focus on specific areas related to the practical world of cyber security, programming, information security, cloud security etc. It is worth checking out the cyber security career path post before signing up to any course.
Most certificates our highly regarded within the industry, especially those that carry the names of companies such as IBM, Google, Microsoft, AWS, Cisco etc. Many of the courses can be done online, and some can be done as a sort of Boot Camp in a residential setting, normally over one or two weeks.
Some certificates include a mix of academic and practical training, and may include some type of exam as proof of completion of the course. The exam aspect should be carefully considered before signing up any certificate, as the exam will normally be held in a physical location at certain times of the year, which will require a degree of forward planning.
It is also worth noting that some certificates may be included as part of a cyber security or computer science degree, which can maximise the benefit of obtaining both qualifications.
Below are some of the most common cyber security qualifications, with links through to more detailed information (as @December 2022)
IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate
CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional
CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor
CISM – Certified Information Security Manager
CompTIA Security+
Google IT Support Professional Certificate
CEH – Certified Ethical Hacker
GSEC – GIAC Security Essentials Certification
SSCP – Systems Security Certified Practitioner
CASP – CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner
GCIH – GIAC Certified Incident Handler
OSCP – Offensive Security Certified Professional
CompTIA A+
CCNA – Cisco Certified Network Associate
CompTIA Security
Microsoft Fundamentals
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
Amazon Web Services Cloud Practitioner (AWS)
Google Associate Cloud Engineer
CompTIA IT Fundamentals (ITF+)
CompTIA Network+
GIAC Information Security Fundamentals (GISF)
Google Cloud Digital Leader
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
Amazon Web Services Solutions Architect – Associate (AWS)
Google Associate Cloud Engineer
IBM Certified Technical Advocate – Cloud v3
Cloud Security Alliance: Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK)
Apple Certified Support Professional
Apple Certified IT Professional
Best Cyber Security Certifications
What are considered the best cyber security certifications all depends to a large extent in the area of cyber security that someone wants to working – see cyber security career path. Once someone has identified their career path, then check out the relevant jobs on sites such as Indeed, Monster etc.
Be as targeted as possible in terms of job titles, and check out different parts of the country you are looking to work in, as well as different countries.
Job ads are normally very specific in terms of what training and qualifications are required, and this should indicate clearly which certificates are deemed most in demand for job candidates, and are either deemed as essential or desirable.
The more job ads that can be checked, the clearer it will come which certificates are of the most value, and time can be spent researching how to sign up them, either online or in a physical location.
Cyber Security Certifications for Beginners
IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate
Free Cyber Security Certifications
Cyber Security Certifications Online
IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate
Entry Level Cyber Security Certifications
IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate
