Taking a Look at Security Certifications

There are many different security certifications out there, and with high demand for security professionals, its no wonder employers are looking for people who qualify. But a new article wonders if security certifications are worth all the hype.

In an article on the CSO website, staff writer Simone Kaplan examines the various security certifications to find out which ones are relevant – and which ones aren’t. Security skills are in demand these days, she says, and there aren’t a lot of people who have the much-needed years of experience. As a result, demand for security pros is high.

“In response to all that pent-up demand for trained staff, the certification industry—those companies that administer or provide training for exams—has created a bevy of new certifications,” Kaplan says. “There’s so much money to be made from those seeking certification that everyone wants a piece of the action. The good news: There’s a lot to choose from. The bad news: It’s that much more difficult to differentiate between meaningful certifications and expensive diploma mills.”

Kaplan reviews a number of certifications to provide readers with a guide to the jungle of acronyms. “Two or three years ago, there were so few certifications that everyone knew what acronyms like mcse and ccse stood for, and what the exams entailed in terms of experience and knowledge,” she says. “Earning a certification such as the CISSP, which was widely viewed as the most valuable and upstanding information security certification available, was seen as a measure of one’s knowledge, and a validation and recognition of accomplishment in the security field. Today’s proliferation of certifications, however, is less meaningful.”

To read the full article, click here: http://www.csoonline.com/read/100702/certifiable.html