The (ISC)² Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP ) certification has earned a place in a list of 10 IT certifications with the most increased value over the past year. Researcher Foote Partners collected compensation data from more than 3,300 employers in the U.S. and Canada to compile the list as part of its 2020 IT Skills and Certifications Pay Index report.

The index calculates certification value based on the percentage of salary that accounts for a certification. CSSLP holders earn 13% on top of their base salary, according to the research.

The index gives holders – or those planning to earn the certification – information based on actual market value about how much a certification is truly worth. Its place in the top 10 list is proof that the skills it represents are in high demand and employers are willing to pay a premium for professionals who have earned it.

Inclusion in the list is also evidence that secure software development and DevSecOps are growing in importance as organizations increasingly rely on cloud infrastructures for critical applications. Currently, the trend is to standardize on hybrid environments that mix on-premises workloads with multiple clouds. On average, organizations are using about five clouds, according to RightScale .

The CSSLP validates the skills and knowledge necessary for authentication, authorization and auditing through the software development lifecycle using best practices and policies established by cybersecurity experts. CSSLP was developed for software architects, developers and engineers, project managers, security managers, penetration testers, software procurement analysts, application security specialists, software program managers, quality assurance testers and IT directors and managers.

Learn more about the CSSLP here .