IT security certifications are critical for a career in the world of cyber security. But in order to get into the world, you have to clear certification exams that meet the industry parameters and standards. There are two points to a business’ security - the first is testing vulnerabilities of a testing system and the second is the management of security controls.
There are two popular options you can look at, CEH for the former and CISSP for the latter. CEH is Certified Ethical Hacker while CISSP is Certified Information Systems Security Professional. Both certifications impart training on all aspects necessary to secure a business’ systems. But it is essential for you to first understand the difference between the two.
Understanding the Two
CEH certification
A CEH certification allows you to become a hacker for your organization. Check all the entry points that a malicious hacker can use to enter the system to spread a virus or steal data. Hence, the term ethical hacker.
CISSP Certification
A CISSP certification allows you to establish a proper setup for security controls in a workplace. You will be responsible for testing that the system is strong and secure.
Getting the Certification
If you want to be a CEH professional, you require an experience of 2 years (minimum). Once you get accepted into the course, get ready to encounter real life hacking scenarios. You will be taught how to undertake these attacks and the solutions that you can provide for better security. An interactive environment and the CEH training provides an intensive environment to help students understand the steps that are necessary for a system’s security. Security officers and professionals responsible for network integrity will greatly benefit from this course.
To become a CISSP Professional, the training institute will give you the knowledge on key security issues. Cyber security knowledge has to be backed by standards of ethics as laid down by the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)2. The course is best suited for security consultants, engineers, architects, and auditors. There is a high demand for professionals with this credential. One caveat about becoming CISSP certified is that you must have 5 years of on the job experience before you can even take the exam. There are some other stipulations that you look up on the ISC2 website.
But Which Is Easier?
There is no easy way to answer this question. It all depends on your interest and capabilities. CEH and CISSP both address the same key issue of cyber security. While one looks at the loopholes and ways to hack the system, the other works to manage the security system’s functionality. In general terms, CEH is considered easier when compared to CISSP. The exam for a CEH course does not entail as many questions in the final exam as does a CISSP program.
A Quick Note:
It should be noted that you will be eligible for a larger salary if you complete a CISSP certification. A CEH certification will provide you with a salary of about $70,000 on average unless you take on multiple contract jobs. A CISSP certification goes for about $90,000 in a number of cases. Although both the salaries depend on who employs you and where are you employed.
Whatever it is you are interested in doing, you must thoroughly understand how the CEH and CISSP training programs work. It is clear that a CEH training program will be easier to complete but at the same time, it won’t pay as much as a CISSP program. Both of these options do provide you with the ability to complete a variety of tasks that are especially important in today’s online world.
