Cybersecurity/IT Certifications

What is the importance of certifications?

These days, there is a growing emphasis on the need for certain certifications when seeking internal promotions or applying to new jobs within the cybersecurity and information technology industries. Certifications provide evidence of specialized skills in fundamental topics such as networking, IT, incident response, penetration testing, and more, granting one a leg up against competition. There are many organizations that offer certifications within the cybersecurity and information technology industry, however, their degrees of reputation and accreditation differ and should be taken into account when selecting a certification to pursue.

Certifications for Career Advancement

We have compiled a list of certifications by the certifying organization and one’s level of career progress that we believe to be worthwhile in the pursuit of advancement in career and professional development.

Career Maturity	ISC2	CompTIA	GIAC	ISACA
Expert	Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)	Cybersecurity Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+)	Security Expert (GSE) / Security Professional (GSP)	Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
Advanced		Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+)	Experienced Cyber Security (GX-CS)	Cybersecurity Practitioner (CSX-P)
Entry-Level	Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)	Security+	Security Essentials Certification (GSEC)	Certified Cybersecurity Operations Analyst (CCOA)
Foundational	Certified in Cybersecurity (CC)	A+

Certifications for Career Specialization

In addition to general advancement, there are several certifications that help confirm that the recipient has mastered a specialization within the industry.

Information Technology

• CompTIA IT Fundamentals+
• CompTIA Tech+
• ISACA Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT)

Cloud Security

• ISC2 Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
• CompTIA Cloud Essentials+
• CompTIA Cloud+
• GIAC Cloud Security Essential Certification (GCLD)
• GIAC Public Cloud Security (GPCS)
• GIAC Cloud Threat Detection (GCTD)

Networking/Network Security

• CompTIA Network+
• Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

Web Security

• ISC2 Certified Secure Software Development Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP)
• GIAC Certified Web Application Defender (GWEB)
• GIAC Web Application Penetration Tester (GWAPT)

Penetration Testing

• CompTIA Penetration Testing (PenTest+)
• OffSec Certified Professional (OSCP) Penetration Testing
• EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
• GIAC Penetration Tester Certification (GPEN)
• GIAC Experienced Penetration Tester (GX-PT)
• GIAC Cloud Penetration Tester (GCPN)

Digital Forensics

• GIAC Certified Forensic Examiner (GCFE)
• GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA)
• GIAC Experienced Forensic Analyst (GX-FA)
• GIAC Advanced Smartphone Forensics Certification (GASF)
• GIAC Cloud Forensics Responder (GCFR)

Laws & Regulation

• ISC2 Governance, Risk, and Compliance (CGRC)
• GIAC Law of Data Security & Investigations (GLEG)
• ISACA Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE)

Data Science & Analytics

• CompTIA Data+
• CompTIA DataSys+
• CompTIA DataX

Additional Resources

Within the core teams responsible for maintaining the functionality of the K-12 Cybersecurity Program (NCDPI, Friday Institute, MCNC, NCDIT, NCJCTF), many team members have completed several of the certifications listed above. Feel free to reach out to them to inquire about the logistics of the exams or potential routes to maximize certification benefits.

Cybersecurity/IT Certification Roadmap by Paul Jerimy

SANS Institute “Coolest Careers in Cyber” Poster

Southeast Regional Technician’s Collaborative – IT Certifications Presentation (January 2024)