07 Aug Cybersecurity Certifications: What Employers and Tech Pros Are Looking For
This week in cybersecurity from the editors at Cybercrime Magazine
Sausalito, Calif. – Aug. 7, 2024
Dice reports that earning a cybersecurity certification is one way tech professionals can signal commitment and technical knowledge to potential employers. But given the thousands of cybersecurity positions that remain open, do you actually need to go through the effort and expense of earning one or more certifications in order to land a cybersecurity role, or can you depend solely on your skills?
For many of those organizations looking to hire more cybersecurity talent, certifications are currently viewed as a must-have. A recent survey released by security firm Fortinet finds that 91 percent of respondents prefer to hire candidates with certifications. In addition, 67 percent of organizations prefer team members or direct reports to have certifications, since they believe these credentials validate cyber awareness and tech knowledge.
Digging further into the numbers, the survey (based on responses from 1,850 IT and cybersecurity decision-makers in 29 countries) finds that 60 percent of respondents report that certifications show an increase in cybersecurity skills and knowledge, while 55 percent report that those with certs perform their job tasks better.
There is, however, a downside when organizations focus too heavily on hiring tech professionals with specific certifications. According to the Fortinet study, 72 percent of respondents report it’s challenging to find individuals with technology-focused certifications.
This reflects findings from other studies. The 2023 Official Cybersecurity Jobs Report published by Cybersecurity Ventures noted that, while there are about 94,000 tech professionals with the Certified Information Systems Security Professionals (CISSP) certification in the U.S., more than 134,000 job openings require the CISSP certification as part of the hiring process.
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