CISSP Certification Is Vital for Cybersecurity Specialists, Isn’t It?

Individuals seeking a job in the field of cybersecurity must be ready to explore the world of certifications for their career. An IT certificate will also position you in a good light for your potential employer. There are a number of credentials that are targeted at the cybersecurity specialists and those who are planning to start a career in this path. In case you are wondering what to do in order to feel free into the world of cybersecurity, the CISSP certification is a great place to start. There are some impacts that it can have on your career growth on the short and long term run. In this article, we look at the reasons why the CISSP certification is vital to the career path of a cybersecurity specialist. However, before we explore this, let us first understand what CISSP is all about.

General Overview of the CISSP certification

CISSP is for Certified Information Systems Security Professional. The credential is designed and administered by the ISC² (International Information System Security Certification Consortium). This is an international non-profit organization that specializes in IT security. There is the Common Body of Knowledge domain that is maintained by ISC², and it also offers a wide range of security credentials, which include CISSP, CSSLP, and CAP. It is important to mention that the CISSP certification is a vendor neutral one and is designed for those professionals who want to demonstrate intensive managerial and technical competence, experience, credibility, and skills to design implement, manage, and engineer comprehensive information security program to protect enterprises from sophisticated attacks. It is also essential to point out that CISSP is a certification that gets in line with the strict prerequisites of the ANSI/ISO/IEC Standard 17024. Thus, it is a globally respected and recognized benchmark of achievement in the industry.

Why is CISSP essential for cybersecurity specialists?

The CISSP certification is highly recommended for those professionals who want to earn a senior position in information security. The content offers a comprehensive overview of the Common Body of Knowledge, which is a compendium of the vast information security standards and practices that have been compiled by the organization. It is important to mention that this CBK is regularly updated by the organization to reflect the development and innovation in the industry. The CISSP credential is very crucial for the comprehensive understanding of the information security field. No doubt, it has gained relevance and importance as a major component in the recruitment process for many management level information security job positions. In case you are not sure if the certification is right for you, there are some top reasons below why you should give it a serious thought, especially if you would like to make a career in information security.

• Global Recognition

Unlike many other security certifications, CISSP is an industry-recognized and globally accepted credential in the field of cybersecurity. In 2015, it is acknowledged by the SC Magazine for the 5^th time as the Best Professional Certification. In addition to this, it is also recognized by the leading multi-nationals all around the world, including P&G, Google, and IBM. CISSP is also a crucial prerequisite in about 56% of cybersecurity positions in various industries. If you are interested in taking up a challenging career in the world of IT security, the CISSP credential is the springboard you need to get you to your desired job.

• High Level of Job Competence

In the 2015 edition of the Global Workforce Study conducted by ISC², it was reported that the qualities that showcase excellent and successful cybersecurity specialists rely heavily on the extensive understanding of the security field, awareness of the newest security threats, and communication skills. Interestingly, the CISSP credential focuses on the development of the skills pertaining to this range of information security management. The Common Body of Knowledge contains eight different domains, which include:

• Security and Risk Management
• Asset Security
• Network Security and Communication
• Security Engineering
• Identity Access Management
• Software Development Security
• Security Operations
• Testing and Security Assessment

According to the Global Workforce Study, there is also a comparison between the job roles of professional members of ISC² and non-members. Based on the report, professionals with the CISSP certification take up more specialized job roles, even though they possess core skills in a wide range of information security field. Some of the specialist job roles they can get include a Security Architect, a Security Advisor, a Security Consultant, or an Information Assurance Manager. It is a common belief in the industry that the professionals who can demonstrate specific skills are more valuable by employers because these skills are complex to teach and cannot be randomly picked up. Non certified professionals on the other hand are likely to take up generalist roles like a Security Systems Administrator, a Technical Consultant, or a Network Administrator.

• Membership of ISC²

The professionals with the CISSP certification are automatically members of ISC². Membership of this body comes with various benefits and resources that can broaden your professional network and your knowledge. Some benefits you enjoy as a member of the ISC² include:

1. Free access to a large network base. With more than 110,000 certified members in about 160 countries, you will have access to many other professionals with the CISSP credential, and you can share knowledge with them within the community.
2. Opportunity to acquire CPEs. This is very crucial to the maintenance of your certification in excellent standing.
3. Great discounts on various industry conferences and free access to online events.
4. It also gives you access to leading industry wide research, which includes the Global Information Security Workforce Study and the ISC Journal.
5. Industry recognition. This is a fact that acknowledges exceptional information security specialists.
6. Security Central. This is a special resource that reviews and trails vulnerabilities with the use of state of the art and proprietary algorithms to categorize, aggregate, and prioritize vulnerabilities that are affecting thousands of enterprises and products.
7. Digital Badges. With the issuance of your CISSP certification, you can proudly share it online with your credentials using a professional badge.

• High Earning Opportunities

The CISSP credential validates that you have the advanced knowledge, commitment, and skills needed to earn higher wages. There are high standards that have been set for professionals with the credential, which justifies the higher wages they earn. For instance, they are expected to have at least five-year experience working in two of the eight domains that have been highlighted above. To earn the certification, they also have to complete a total of 250 multiple-choice questions during the exam. Although the certification process is quite difficult, the return on investment is worth every stage of the process. The cybersecurity specialists with this credential earn an average of $102,267 compared with $83,333 for similar job roles without the CISSP credential.

• High Demand for Security Specialists and Higher Spend on Security

The CISSP certification will remain a top credential in the field of security for many decades to come. The reason for this is not so farfetched. As organizations are becoming more dependent on IT, the relevance of cybersecurity is growing by bounds. It has been projected that the cybersecurity field will spend about $1 trillion globally on security between 2017 and 2021. The professionals with CISSP are positioned to be the part of this rapidly growing field and can take advantage of the numerous inherent opportunities.

Conclusion

ISC CISSP is not only a certification that can propel your career in the field of IT, it is currently one of the most highly demanded credentials in the field of cybersecurity. If you want to explore the gold mine in this industry, you cannot afford to miss out on the CISSP certification.