The world is desperate for more smart people to enter the cybersecurity workforce.
And organizations are turning over all kinds of rocks to find them.
This has led to a growing question within InfoSec: since there is such a shortage of talent, do cybersecurity certifications matter?
New survey: cybersecurity certifications do matter
The latest piece of evidence that certifications matter comes from a new survey of CTOs, CIOs, and CISOs or equivalent at companies with 100 or more employees.
HR Dive reports:
"Many IT executives (67%) in a recent poll said their companies require industry certifications for jobs in cybersecurity."
The research was conducted by EC-Council and the University of Phoenix.
"Cyber threats are growing exponentially, and IT employers must ensure that the candidates they are hiring possess the proper education and skills to take on these threats," said Stephanie Benoit-Kurtz, lead cybersecurity faculty at the school's Las Vegas campus.
"Organizations often don't have the time or funding to invest in developing employees, and these industry certifications often provide the minimum standards to prepare professionals to combat today's cyber threats."
During the survey, IT employers were asked which industry certifications they believe employees should possess. The top three results were:
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification: 44%
- Certified Network Defender (CND) certification: 38%
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) credential: 23%
Security headhunter: cybersecurity certifications matter
We recently interviewed Mark Aiello, president of talent placement firm CyberSN at a SecureWorld conference.
We asked him if certifications matter in cybersecurity, and he is adamant that they do.
"I think they matter and I get a lot of heat on this. I'm not saying that if you don't have one you're a dummy and you can never find a job. I'm saying that they matter in the workplace. And if you're looking for another opportunity, the people that have certification along with their experience are going to be viewed as a better candidate than the ones who do not. So I'm a big proponent of certifications."
Related podcast: certifications, networking, and cybersecurity careers
Listen to our complete interview with Aiello on The SecureWorld Sessions podcast below.
