The importance of cybersecurity today is more than ever. With a projected growth rate of 31% in the cybersecurity job market, cybersecurity career has become a lucrative career option attracting a huge number of graduate students and work professionals in this domain.
This means in the coming years; the competition will be fierce to grab your favorite cybersecurity job. The things that will set you apart are experience, expertise, and a cybersecurity certification.
Cybersecurity certifications are highly recognized and widely accepted credentials that validate a student or professional’s cybersecurity skills, knowledge, as well as experience in a particular domain (as many of the certifications require a minimum work experience as a prerequisite).
So, here we bring some of the most popular and credible certification programs that will help you land a lucrative cybersecurity job in 2025. Check out the list for full details now.
CompTIA Security+
It is one of the most renowned beginner-level cybersecurity certifications. It is aimed at providing students and professionals with the foundational knowledge in cybersecurity upon which they can build more advanced cybersecurity skills and a lucrative career.
Through this certification, you can validate your skills in network security, risk management, threat intelligence, data security, identity and access management, cryptography, and more.
This is a very suitable program if you want to start or advance in your cybersecurity career in the following job roles:
- Cybersecurity systems administrator
- Security engineer
- Cloud engineer
- IT Auditor, etc.
CompTIA is a reputed cybersecurity certification provider offering various types of certifications for specific skills and roles. So, check them out too.
Certified Cybersecurity General Practitioner (CCGP™)
The United States Cybersecurity Institute (USCSI®), a proud member of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence, is a global leader in the field of cybersecurity certification and training. They offer a wide range of certification programs for beginners as well as advanced-level cybersecurity professionals.
This particular Certified Cybersecurity General Practitioner (CCGP™) certification program is designed for students and professionals interested in starting their career in cybersecurity. By covering the fundamental concepts of cybersecurity such as security terms, basics of cryptography, protecting networks and devices, basics of ethical hacking, etc., it empowers the registrants with the confidence to kick start their career in this field.
You need to clear the CCGP™ exam of 100-minute duration and around 50 questions to successfully earn this certification. Upon registration, you will get a personalized dashboard consisting of resources like eBooks, lecture videos, and practice codes to prepare for the exam. However, in case you fail to clear the exam on the first attempt, you can reappear for the same by paying a nominal re-examination fee of $149 for each attempt.
USCSI® offers other cybersecurity certifications for intermediate and senior-level cybersecurity professionals namely – Certified Cybersecurity Consultant (CCC™) and Certified Senior Cybersecurity Specialist (CSCS™) respectively. So, don’t forget to check these self-paced learning programs as well.
Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate
Microsoft offers this specialized cybersecurity certification program for students and professionals looking to advance in their cybersecurity careers as a cybersecurity engineer. This program will help you master essential cybersecurity skills needed to perform your duty as an efficient security engineer such as implementing security controls, managing security posture, and protecting the data, networks, and software of your organizations.
After completing this certification, you will be able to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise for cybersecurity job roles like Azure Security Engineer and Cloud Security Administrator.
(ISC)² Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)
This is another entry-level cybersecurity certification program offered by the most credible certification provider ISC2. Earning this certificate will help you validate the skills required to implement and monitor effective security solutions across your organization’s IT infrastructure using information security policies and procedures.
You will learn essential skills including access controls, security operations and administration, as well as risk identification, monitoring, and analysis to advance in career paths including Systems Security Analyst, Security Administrator, or Network Security Engineer.
Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)
This is an intermediate-level certification program for cybersecurity professionals looking to learn and validate their expertise in offensive security or penetration testing. This is a great way to learn and demonstrate your knowledge about various penetration testing processes and how to identify and eliminate vulnerabilities within an organization’s security systems.
Choose this certification program to advance in roles like a Lead Penetration Tester, Security Consultant, Vulnerability Assessment Manager, etc.
Conclusion
These are some of the most widely recognized and credible cybersecurity certification programs. These will not only help you learn and validate your skills but also enhance your credibility and boost your confidence to take up any kind of cybersecurity job role. Whether you want to learn new skills, gain competitive advantage, start your career in cybersecurity, or want to advance in your existing cybersecurity job role, these certifications are highly beneficial for your career. So, find the best certification that matches your career aspirations and enroll now.