Rakesh Singh, Head of Marketing at Aditi Staffing

Information technology is growing at breakneck speed, and so are the number of threats aimed at disabling the progress of technology. Surveys show that the number of cyber attacks have only increased in the last few years, and show no signs of abating in the near future.

According to Symantec, a leading company in the field of cybersecurity, web based attacks against governments, businesses and individuals have increased by 23%. Cyber attacks are so powerful that with the click of a button, governments can be brought down and political structures destroyed. This was the case when Stuxnet was used to cripple the Iranian nuclear mechanism. Though no one knows who was responsible to date, there is no doubt that cyber attacks are the future of warfare.

With the knowledge that the effects of such attacks can be devastating, companies, governments, and individuals are arming themselves with basic cybersecurity knowledge. As a direct consequence, the number of cyber security classes, courses, and certifications available is on the rise. These courses, found online or in universities around the globe, are industry-enabled certifications. So, if you are interested in becoming a cyber security professional, here are some of the most prominent cyber security certification programs you can check out.

Certified Authorization Professional

CAP certification is based on a holistic approach to cyber security that focuses on knowledge, skill, and abilities required to authorize and maintain information systems. The certification program is one of the best out there, which is why it is recognised by companies and the US government alike. The CAP certificate is applicable to all areas of business and is also used by some of the highest security agencies in the American government. CAP personnel are equipped to know the exposure of risk as well as the level of damage to assets, companies, and individuals.

Digital Forensics And Cyber Investigation

A relatively new term in the field of forensics is digital forensics, which has become a necessity given the increasing scale of cyber crime. This particular certificate deals with the broad analytical skills needed to study security threats and investigate cyber attacks effectively. Exclusively offered by the University of Maryland, the job and career scope after earning this certification is enormous.

Homeland Security Management

Another cyber security course offered by the University of Maryland is Homeland Security Management. One of the highest levels of security certification, it is designed to train personnel to respond to all kinds of cyber threats at the state, federal, and local level.

CompTIA Security+:

This certificate program is a vendor-neutral security credential, which means that this course is applicable to all sectors. This program allows security personnel to acquire advanced knowledge, technical skills, and expertise in virtually every cyber security-related domain.

Certified Ethical Hacker

The whole concept of an ethical hacker is still under debate, but nonetheless, ethical hackers are the need of the hour for most companies. They are trained to hack security firewalls, to find loopholes so that companies can fix them before they are exposed to black hat hackers. The margin between ethical hackers and black hat hackers is pretty thin but ethical hackers work under largely controlled environments so that there are no hiccups in the process. They are also bound to work within the law.

Acquiring all these certifications requires a certain amount of cyber security knowledge, work experience, and in some cases, government approval. And with the rapidly burgeoning reliance on IT in nearly every aspect of business operations, cyber security experts are being wooed by lucrative offers from companies and governments the world over.

Author – Rakesh Singh

As Head of Marketing at Aditi Staffing, Rakesh is responsible for organizational brand outlook. Rakesh, very strongly believes in the golden circle of why, how and what and supports Aditi Staffing’s success by connecting the brand with candidates, clients and the recruitment engineers in the same manner. With over 10 years of experience in various sales and marketing roles including an entrepreneurship attempt in the Digital Display Advertising world, he brings a comprehensive approach to Aditi Staffing’s brand management in the global recruitment market.

References:

http://www.businessinsider.in/Heres-How-Cyber-Warfare-Started-And-Where-Its-Going/articleshow/45501283.cms

https://www.isc2.org/cap/default.aspx

http://www.umuc.edu/cybersecurity/academics/certificates.cfm

http://www.umuc.edu/academic-programs/certificates/homeland-security-management-graduate-certificate.cfm

http://www.tomsitpro.com/articles/information-security-certifications,2-205-2.html

http://www.symantec.com/security_response/publications/threatreport.jsp

http://www.globalknowledge.com/training/category.asp?pageid=9&catid=191&country=United+States

http://www.villanovau.com/resources/iss/information-technology-it-security-certifications/#.VQpZ0Y6UdZ8