Whether or not you should get your CISSP is a question with a simple answer: It depends. That’s not a very satisfying answer. But when it comes to security certifications, there are many good options (We know. It’s a tough problem to have.). So, let’s start with the facts.

Positions that require CISSP certification typically pay very well. Depending on where you live, CISSP certification holders can typically make six-figure salaries. There’s also no shortage of security positions in the United States. Next year, it’s estimated there will be two million more security jobs than professionals to fill them. That’s a compelling consideration.  

Let’s be honest, though — these numbers are only interesting to anyone thinking about a security career. For those currently working as a security professional, you know that it’s all about personal preference and your professional strengths.

Here are a few reasons you should (or shouldn’t) work toward your CISSP.

It depends on your work experience

Here’s the first thing you should know, and it’s important: CISSP certification is unattainable if you’re just starting out in a security role. Sure, you can take and pass the exam. But you won’t earn the certification until you have five years of paid work experience. There are ways to shorten that time by a year. But that’s still four years, and you can’t make that time pass any faster.

On the bright side, there are great reasons to earn the CISSP if you don’t have five years of paid work experience. You can still become an (ISC)² Associate by passing the CISSP certification exam. CISSP Associates gain exclusive access to (ISC)² career resources and networking groups. They’re also more desirable to employers, especially federal employers.

To earn your CISSP certification as an Associate, you’ll have six years to gain the five years of required work experience, while meeting continuing professional education (CPE) requirements.

You shouldn’t start with CISSP

If you’re trying to break into your first security job, then you shouldn’t start with the CISSP. You should instead go for a certification that validates the basics. CompTIA offers two certification exams — Security+ and CySA+ — that fall into this category.

CompTIA Security+ is an entry-level cybersecurity exam consisting of 90 possible questions that must be answered in 90 minutes. It’s not necessarily an easy exam, but it’s not supposed to be. It’s intended to validate all the knowledge you’d learn in your first year as an IT and security professional. If you account for the difficulty of questions you’ll face on the CISSP exam, the Security+ is arguably a simpler exam.

CompTIA CySA+ is another great option if you’re new to IT security. CompTIA introduced this certification in 2017 to bridge the skill gap between the foundational Security+ and expert-level CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP) certification. It’s a step up from the Security+ cert and validates everything you’d typically learn in your first four years as a security professional.

The CISSP is a great next step beyond either of these two exams. If you earn either one, then you can also knock a year off the CISSP experience requirement. So, they might be good options for you to consider.  

If you have broad infosec experience, you’re good to start with the CISSP. Otherwise, it’s better to start with another certification.

CISSP is great for government jobs

Many large organizations require the CISSP for career progression, including (and especially) the federal government. DoD Directive 8570.01-M requirements apply to all members of the DoD Information Assurance workforce (Read more about DoDD 8570).

The baseline certifications for government employees has four tiers:

• Information Assurance Technical (IAT)
• Information Assurance Management (IAM)
• Information Assurance System Architect and Engineer (IASAE)
• Cybersecurity Service Provider (CSSP)

You can see how these baseline certs breakdown in this chart.

You may notice that the CISSP appears quite a bit. In fact, the CISSP satisfies more IA baseline certification requirements than any other certification. So if you’re in need of fulfilling an IA baseline certification requirement, the CISSP is a top choice.

If you’re looking for the next best option, consider the CASP. The CASP is CompTIA’s advanced-level cybersecurity certification. It satisfies all three levels of the IAT position and the first two levels of the IAM (one level difference compared to the CISSP) and IASAE positions.

CISSP requires recertification (and that’s a good thing)

Just like the certification process, you’ll have to jump through some hoops to recertify the CISSP — and that’s not a bad thing. CPE credits are easy enough to earn by doing things you should be doing in your career anyway. For that reason, recertification is one reason to get your CISSP.

Here’s how it works:

Every three years, CISSPs (and Associates) must submit a minimum of 90 Group A CPE credits and 30 additional Group A or Group B CPE credits to maintain certification. Typically, you can earn one credit for each hour spent learning.

For instance, you can perform any of these educational activities pulled straight from the (ISC)2 Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Handbook:

• Reading a magazine, book, or whitepaper.
• Publishing a book, whitepaper, or article.
• Attending a conference, educational course, seminar, or presentation.
• Preparing for a presentation or teaching information related to information security.
• Performing a unique work-related project that is not a part of your normal work duties.
• Self-study related to research for a project or preparing for a certification examination.
• Volunteering for the government, public sector, and other charitable organizations.
• Taking a higher academic course.

Basically, if you’re learning about a topic covered in any of the eight security domains — as long as it’s not a normal on-the-job activity — you can claim it as CPE credit hours. Just remember to document your CPE hours for activities not offered by (ISC)2.

Earning validated minutes with CBT Nuggets also count toward recertification — and they’re easy to track and log with Certificates of Completion.

Group B credits are reserved for general professional development activities. They include anything outside the scope of the eight security domains. The same activities that qualified for Group A credits can be used for Group B activities.

Maintaining an average of 40 credit hours a year by performing any of the above activities is manageable. Again, you should be building on your security knowledge, anyway.

Final thoughts on the CISSP

Whether or not you should earn the CISSP mostly depends on your professional goals, work experience, and industry. Here’s what to consider:

Are you trying to break into management? Or are you trying to specialize? If you’re looking for a fast-track into management, CISSP is the way. Otherwise, you might want to consider these other security exams.

Are you brand new to IT? If so, then you should start with the fundamentals and work your way up to the CISSP. CompTIA Sec+ and CySA+ are only two certifications that will launch your security career. There are many others.

Do you work at a company that values the CISSP? If you’re in government, then it’s a no-brainer. Otherwise, you should seriously consider whether the CISSP will help you reach your career goals. There are other expert-level certifications that may serve you better, like Cisco CCIE Security or GIAC GSEC.

A final, final consideration. (ISC)² has one of the fastest-growing security communities in the world. With over 20,000 community members and more than 150 (ISC)² chapters worldwide, you’ll have plenty of online and in-person opportunities to connect with peers, network, and learn.

Though these benefits come with every (ISC)² certification, if you’re already considering the CISSP, and being part of a cybersecurity community interests you, this is one more reason to get certified.

Being an Information Security professional, it is essential for me to keep on learning new concepts, technologies, techniques so that I can improve my skill set. Recently, I have got the opportunity to access and review the contents of the ISC2 CISSP Course. Let me give you a brief idea about the CISSP certification.

• 

This certification validates the working knowledge of information technology security of an IT professional. The exam covers the ten domains of knowledge, including access control, business continuity, and security architecture.

The course is designed in a very simple way that beginners can learn easily and pass the certification exam in their first attempt. The quizzes provide detailed answers and I am extremely impressed by their Labs.

The various interactive components like flashcards, pre and post assessments are added in the course that is strictly based on the ISC2 CISSP certification exam. The study resources in the course will help you have a great learning experience. I liked flashcards very much. I recommend this course to all the professionals seeking a career in this field.

Cisco Certified Network Associate (Cisco CCNA) Security 210-260 certification is an associate-level credential that validates knowledge and abilities required to safeguard networks. A network proficient, after achieving CCNA certification exhibits the abilities required to build up a security infrastructure and identify & alleviate vulnerabilities to networks & systems. The CCNA Security curriculum emphasizes core security innovations, the installation, troubleshooting, and monitoring of network devices to manage integrity, privacy, and accessibility of information, data, and devices that Cisco utilizes in its security structure. 

The four things that you should know about the Cisco CCNA Security 210-260 certification are mentioned below:

1. Highly demanded IT security skills: With regards to the job postings for network administrators, security is the main ability a business searches for. This implies organizations are looking for network experts who have skills in network security.
2. Provides opportunities for career growth: A Cisco CCNA Security credential will provide new opportunities for network practitioners and support engineers, and help them gain a dependable balance in this exceedingly competitive industry.
   
3. Provides great remuneration: Being a standout among other non-certified experts implies to a better remuneration and improved marketability of skills. Cisco CCNA Security 210-260 certification validates that you possess a certain level of expertise in securing enterprise networks, and hence employers offer high paychecks to the skilled professionals. 
   
4. Expands your insight & abilities: Good comprehension of a subject ingrains certainty and lifts the spirit. The abilities offered by the Cisco CCNA Security credential expands your present learning & knowledge and help you remain updated and grow further in this profession.
   

uCertify offers the CCNA Security 210-260 cert guide for the preparation of the Cisco CCNA Security 210-260 certificationexam. All these benefits of CCNA Security certification training from uCertify will open up a plethora of options for learning and development. Enroll now in uCertify CCNA Security 210-260 certification exam training and gain the knowledge required to secure Cisco networks; develop a security infrastructure; recognize threats and vulnerabilities to networks, and mitigate security threats.

About a month ago, I started considering taking a course on the fundamentals of database design and development.

I happened to come across uCertify on LinkedIn and I decided to try out this course Fundamentals of Database Systems V7.

The uCertify learning experience was absolutely amazing. It started with a basic pre assessment test to determine my level and tailor the course experience to me.

The study guide for the course was very detailed and comprehensive, offering the following resources for training:

34+ Lessons 1+ Exercises 106+ Quizzes 170+ Flashcards 170+ Glossary Of Terms 64+ Performance-Based Labs 50+ Post-Assessment Question

The course also covered a wide range of topics and concepts like:

• Database Security
• Query Optimization
• Data Mining Concepts
• Databases and Database Users
• Distributed Database Concepts
• Database Recovery Techniques
• XML: Extensible Markup Language
• Object and Object-Relational Databases
• Web Database Programming Using PHP
• Introduction to SQL Programming Techniques
• The Relational Algebra and Relational Calculus
• The Relational Data Model and Relational Database Constraints

One of the features I really liked was the study planner which used my pace to analyse my readiness level and estimate a completion date.

Another amazing feature was the flashcards which provided a quick summary of each chapter and helped to rate how well I understood the chapter.

Overall, I highly recommend uCertify for anyone looking for an excellent, self-paced learning experience.

Before going for CISSP certification, let’s explore the reasons you should go for this certification and the impact this certification would have on your career.

First Things First: What Is CISSP?

CISSP stands for Certified Information Systems Security Professional. The credential is administered by ISC2. This certification is an advanced-level credential ideal for the IT security professionals with a minimum of four years of professional experience in the field of information security. The certification focuses on Access Control, Telecommunications and Network Security, Information Security Governance and Risk Management, Software Development Security, Cryptography, and many more.

The Reasons For The CISSP Certification

1.   Immense Popularity

The CISSP credential is an admired certification for most professionals and is highly respected by a majority of large, global companies like Google, P&G, IBM, and many more. The CISSP certification demonstrates an individual’s working knowledge of information security and commitment to their profession. In 2017, there are 111,000 certified professionals worldwide, and two-thirds of them are from the USA.

1. Career Prospects And Salaries

CISSP certification offers many career prospects and a high salary for the certified professionals. The average salary for the CISSP certified professionals is USD 121,729. The average salary for the CISSP certified professionals is as follows:

• Security Engineer: USD 131,020
• Security Architect, IT: USD 153,811
• Information Security Officer: USD 140,874
• Information Security Analyst: USD 116,694
• Information Security Manager: USD 139,677

1. Catapult your career

Information security is a critical aspect of any organization and with a CISSP credential, you may find their job evolving into something even bigger. Here are some threats that a CISSP certified professional combats:

• Phishing Attacks: A fake web page is created mimicking real page to gather sensitive user information.
• Close-in Attacks: Stealing data in close physical adjacency.
• Exploit Attacks: Zero-day attack existing vulnerability in code exploited.

Check out the CISSP certification courses offered by uCertify. The courses fulfill all the three reasons and provide the complete coverage of exam objectives. So, get yourself enrolled in the courses for passing the certification exam in your attempt.

Pass ISC2 CISSP certification exam with interactive CISSP course and performance-based labs offered by uCertify. Performance-based labs can be mapped to any course, textbook, or training, therefore, adding value and hands-on components to virtually any training. The course and labs provide complete coverage of ISC2 CISSP exam objectives and skills on topics such as security governance through principles and policies, personnel security and risk management concepts, business continuity planning, laws, regulations, and compliance, protecting security of assets, cryptography and symmetric key algorithms, PKI and cryptographic applications, principles of security models, design, and capabilities, and more.

As per CISSP, the pre-requisites for this certification are:

• Candidates must have a minimum of five years cumulative paid work experience in two or more of the eight domains of the CISSP CBK.
• Earning a four-year college degree or regional equivalent or an additional credential from the (ISC)² approved list will satisfy one year of the required experience. Education credit will only satisfy one year of experience.

Candidates who do not have the required experience to become a CISSP may become an Associate of ISC2 by successfully passing the CISSP examination. The Associate of ISC2 will then have six years to earn the five years of required experience.

Being a CISSP certified validates your ability to effectively design, implement, and manage a best-in-class cybersecurity program. Once you pass CISSP certification, you

become an ISC2 member, unlocking a broad array of exclusive resources, educational tools, and peer-to-peer networking opportunities. The CISSP has mainly been designed for experienced security practitioners, managers, and executives interested in gaining skills in a wide array of security practices and principles, that include:

• Security Auditor
• Security Analyst
• Security Manager
• Network Architect
• Security Architect
• Director of Security
• Security Consultant
• IT Director/Manager
• Chief Information Officer
• Security Systems Engineer
• Chief Information Security Officer

So, do you have what it takes to be a CISSP? Then what are you waiting for? Start your prep today with uCertify!