Many organizations are shifting to digital and relying on sophisticated, secure networks to support them.
Many companies are looking for skilled IT and data cybersecurity professionals to help them design protected networks, threat detection system, and incident response plans. There are many opportunities for professional growth and advancement in cybersecurity careers. You can find great job opportunities by obtaining vendor-neutral certifications.
This article will discuss the top 5 cybersecurity certifications, which are vendor-neutral.
Why are vendor-neutral cybersecurity certifications important?
Vendor-specific certifications are for specific software platforms, applications, or technologies that protect data. They allow vendors to demonstrate knowledge in a single product such as AWS or Microsoft Azure.
Vendor-neutral certifications are preferred by employers because they provide practical knowledge that can be applied regardless of the technology or software used. Vendor-neutral certificates are not likely to become redundant, as long as cybersecurity is important.
Top 5 vendor-neutral cybersecurity certificates
CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+). The CompTIA CySA+ certification validates your knowledge in threat detection techniques, data evaluation and deciphering, addressing vulnerabilities, and recommending preventative measures.
CompTIA recommends that you have sufficient knowledge in networking and security, or at least 4 years’ experience in this area. This exam is 165 minutes long and includes multiple-choice questions and performance-based questions. It costs US$ 381.
This certification can be applied for in the following job roles: IT security analyst (SOC) analyst vulnerability analyst cybersecurity specialist, and security operations center analyst (SOC). The average annual salary is approximately US$ 95,510.
CompTIA penTest+: This CompTIA PenTest+ certification covers all stages of penetration testing. It will confirm that you have the knowledge and skills to plan and scope a vulnerability scan, understand legal and regulatory requirements, evaluate results, and provide a written report with recommendations.
CompTIA recommends that you have sufficient knowledge in networking and security, or at least 3-4 years’ experience in this area. The exam takes 165 minutes, is multiple-choice and performance-based and costs US$ 381.
You can apply for the following cybersecurity certification job roles: vulnerability tester, penetration tester, security analyst (II), vulnerability assessment specialist, etc. The median annual salary is approximately US$ 99,730.
CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+). The CASP+ certification is a technical understanding and ability to create, engineer, incorporate and deploy secure solutions in complex settings for a security firm while maintaining control, risk and regulatory compliance.
CompTIA recommends you have ten years’ experience in IT, with at most 5 years of security experience. The exam costs US$480. The exam consists of multiple-choice questions and performance-based questions that you must answer in 165 minutes.
This cybersecurity certification can be applied for in the following job roles: security engineer, technical lead analyst and application security engineer. The average annual salary is approximately US$ 104.650.
EC Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH v12). The CEH v12certification will assess your knowledge on emerging attack vectors and cloud computing.
EC Council certificationrequires 2 years of information security experience with proof of the same approval during application (unless you attend their official training). You have four hours to complete this exam, which has multiple-choice questions. For those who have not received formal training, it costs US$ 100.
This certification can be used to obtain the following job roles: security engineer, penetration tester, IT security administrator, and application security manager. The average annual salary is US$ 83591.
EC Council Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator: The CHFI certification is a proof of your knowledge and expertise in digital forensics. It focuses on dark web, IoT and cloud forensics. You will be tested on your digital inspections using the most advanced digital forensics technologies.
EC Council requires two years of information security experience. If you do not attend their official training, proof of this must be submitted. Multiple-choice questions are available on this exam.