Already have a background in IT? Here are three tips for moving toward a more security-focused role. Take a cue from Goldilocks: Go after the industry certification that’s “just right.” This entails pursuing a credential that helps augment technical skills with security practices. Many choose the SSCP for its balance between the foundational and technical. SSCP allows you to prove a technical understanding without having to seek a more entry-level certification. Change your perspective to layer security into the work you’re already doing. Moving from IT to security is a natural evolution. Once you’ve gained the requisite knowledge and put it into practice, it’s just a matter of changing perspective. Whether you work on the networking team or the help

You’re considering a cybersecurity certification and the SSCP and CISSP are both on your list. After comparing the material, you’re thinking there’s a good bit of overlap between the two. But is there, really? And if you sit for one exam would you be able to sit for the other without additional study or preparation? These are excellent questions. In fact, we hear them a lot. And the reality is, there ARE commonalities, which is true for most things in the field. However, these two certifications are wholly different and were developed from two distinct perspectives. In many ways, the CISSP certification holder would find the SSCP exam more difficult, as it’s focused on technical application. Although considered “entry level,”

By Mike Wills, CISSP, SSCP Let’s face it: Opportunity goes to the well-prepared. And living in dangerous and dynamic times, each of us needs to be so much better prepared to face tomorrow than we were today. We’re all at risk. Everything we value, everyone we hold dear are held hostage to the badly misinformed decisions of the well-intended; are targets of opportunities to those with malice at heart. Those people, the “bad guys,” the black hats, are already outspending most legitimate businesses and organizations when it comes to investing in their knowledge, skills and abilities to attack. The right certification, earned at the right time in your journey, is part of being prepared. Ninety-nine percent of the headline-grabbing data

With half the year already in the rearview, it’s a great time to reflect on your goals. Is achieving the CISSP, CCSP, SSCP or another elite (ISC)² certification part of your plans? If so, do you have a winning strategy in place? Here are three tips to help you get – and stay – on track as you pursue next steps. Set an exam date. Registering now can keep you motivated and focused on your certification goals. And the sooner you pass the exam, the sooner you’ll prove your cybersecurity expertise to employers and peers! Develop a study plan. Work backward from your exam date to create a study plan, setting a routine with time dedicated to studying each day.

Following the signing of a Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) signed last year that confirms the American National Standards Institute’s (ANSI) standing as an internationally respected accrediting body with rigorous standards, all nine (ISC)² cybersecurity certifications are now recognized by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). The MLA applies to IAF accrediting bodies, including ANSI, and shows that the organizations they accredit all meet the same rigorous standards. According to a press release issued by ANSI, “Regional Accreditation Group members of IAF are admitted to the IAF MLA only after a most stringent evaluation of their operations by a peer evaluation team which is charged to ensure that the applicant member complies fully with both the international standards and IAF requirements.” (ISC)² was