IT Security certificates

[dan_garlick]

Hey Guys I know alot of people working in IT/IS jobs.Currently, I am a captain in the US Air Force stationed in South Korea and am finishing up my masters degree in Management Information Systems with a concentration in Information Sstems Security.My question(s) were in relation to certificates in information security especially CCSA/CCSE.Does anyone know if these are the most useful to break into the IT security field say as a IT security analysis/developer/specialist etc.- type job?Any other certificates worthwhile that are related to IT security?Also, being that I will be overseas here in Korea for another year (already been here 2 as well as 3 in Japan ), I am looking for some kind of It institute/university that offers a certification online such as distance education.Anyone with any insight into this particular IT field your advice would be greatly appreciated.Thanks !

[primelord]

What certificate would be beneficial to you really depends on what type of IT security you are looking at going into. The CISSP is very well regarded throughout the industry and will give you a very solid foundation for general security practices across all platforms.

If you are looking for things you can take online you might want to look into The Sans Institute and their selection of certifications. The entry level certification (GSEC) is somewhat similar to the CISSP in that it aims to give you a good understanding of security practices as a whole across all platforms and devices. It's a solid certification and would be a good place to start. From there they have additional certifications in specific areas of security. Intrusion detection, forensics, windows, unix, security auditing, etc. These certifications obviously go into much greater detail for their specific topic.

I don't have any experience with the CCSA or CCSE.

Edit: Added links.

[dan_garlick]

[dan_garlick]

Thanks Primelord the info was much appreciated and useful.

[Tekneek]

Originally Posted by primelord

What certificate would be beneficial to you really depends on what type of IT security you are looking at going into. The CISSP is very well regarded throughout the industry and will give you a very solid foundation for general security practices across all platforms.

From what I've been told, this is the real standard. This is what you need to get. There is a push at work for all of my team to get this, and I was handed a nice big book to prep for the exam yesterday.

[primelord]

Originally Posted by Tekneek

From what I've been told, this is the real standard. This is what you need to get. There is a push at work for all of my team to get this, and I was handed a nice big book to prep for the exam yesterday.

I'd say that is true, but again I think it depends on exactly what you are looking to do. It is certainly the most well known. However I have been working in IT security for 8 years now and I don't have it and I have had no problem moving up the ranks or finding work within other companies without it. I do however hold other certifications and obviously you hit a point where you have enough experience to vouch for your abilities whether you have any certifications or not.

[dan_garlick]

Originally Posted by primelord

I'd say that is true, but again I think it depends on exactly what you are looking to do. It is certainly the most well known. However I have been working in IT security for 8 years now and I don't have it and I have had no problem moving up the ranks or finding work within other companies without it. I do however hold other certifications and obviously you hit a point where you have enough experience to vouch for your abilities whether you have any certifications or not.

However, I noticed in order to get the CISSP you have to have 4 years of relevant job experience. So, this would not be any good for people breaking into the info security industry for the first time.I am leaning towards the SANS GSEC and one or two others for starters.

[dan_garlick]

Anyone know about security + I heard this was the best "first" security certificate without being so "watered down" to be useful ,in other words not too generalized.Anyone know about this cert?

[MacroGuru]

it's pretty simple.

The company I used to work for, sold some training for it, it was one of our better sellers.

http://www.makaucorp.com

[primelord]

Originally Posted by dan_garlick

Anyone know about security + I heard this was the best "first" security certificate without being so "watered down" to be useful ,in other words not too generalized.Anyone know about this cert?

I have a couple of friends who have passed the Security+ and they thought it was rather difficult. I haven't reviewed any of the material myself so it is difficult to say for sure.

[dan_garlick]

I am curious if your friends think the Security + cert is more useful in the current job market as opposed to say the GSEC?Any idea?Thanks Primelord for the help BTW !!

Originally Posted by primelord

I have a couple of friends who have passed the Security+ and they thought it was rather difficult. I haven't reviewed any of the material myself so it is difficult to say for sure.