In today’s digital world, cybersecurity has become one of the most popular fields in technology. Let’s explore two of the most popular certifications in the field of cybersecurity. Before we look at the details, we will review why certifications are so important to professionals in the technology field, today. The certifications you possess can set you apart from others when pursuing a cybersecurity profession.
Gaining certifications is a fantastic way to gain credibility and increase your marketability. These exams are standardized and up to date with the skills you need to be successful as a professional in the field of cybersecurity. Certifications not only give you a sense of accomplishment knowing you possess cybersecurity skillsets, but they can also increase the potentials of earning more money and moving to a more prestigious role in the field.
Comparing CASP vs. CISSP: What you should know?
What is the CISSP Certification? (Cybersecurity Management Skills)
The Certified Information Systems Security Professional is a vendor-neutral certification and is ideal for information security professionals to be able to prove both technical and managerial competence, skills, experience, and credibility to design, engineer, implement, and manage information security programs. It was introduced in 1994 as the first information security credential to meet the conditions of ISO/IEC Standard 17024 and has been adopted as a baseline for the U.S. NSA ISSEP Program. The certification is DoDD 8570 Approved and has been obtained by over 140,000 professionals.
The CISSP CBK establishes a common framework of information security terms and principles that allow information security professionals worldwide to discuss, debate and resolve matters pertaining to the profession with a collective understanding.
What Does it Cover?
The CISSP certification covers a wide range of topics relevant to cybersecurity, today. Here is a list of the exam content covered for the current CISSP exam:
- Security and Risk Management
- Asset Security
- Security Architecture and Engineering
- Communication and Network Security
- Identity and Access Management (IAM)
- Security Assessment and Testing
- Security Operations
- Software Development Security
Click here to view the CISSP Exam Outline
What is the CASP+ Certification? (Cybersecurity Practitioner Skills)
The CompTIA CASP+ certification was introduced at a request by the U.S Navy to become an alternative to the CISSP certification. It was used to certify cybersecurity professional by testing that the exam candidate has the technical knowledge and skills required to conceptualize, engineer, integrate and implement secure solutions across complex environments to support a resilient enterprise. Candidates are required to apply critical thinking and judgment across a broad spectrum of security disciplines to propose, implement and advocate sustainable security solutions that map to organizational strategies, balance security requirements with business/regulatory requirements, analyze risk impact and respond to security incidents.
What Does it Cover?
- Risk Management
- Enterprise Security Architecture
- Enterprise Security Operations
- Technical Integration of Enterprise Security
- Research, Development and Collaboration
Click here to view the CASP+ Exam Outline
CASP vs. CISSP
High-Level Summary
Both certifications:
- Are vendor-neutral and do not favor any specific technology or business
- Must be renewed after three years to require candidates to continue education in their field of expertise
- Are on the US Department of Defense 8570 for IAT Level 3, IAM Level 2, and IASAE 1 and 2
- Cover comparable topics in information security such as security architecture and design, risk management, and asset security
Key Difference: The CASP+ certification applies more for the technical CISO/CSO/CTO and is more focused on implementing security measures in enterprise while the CISSP certification involves a high-level understanding of what is required for security today.
Summary
Both certifications have many similarities between their objectives/domains, but there are key differences. For example, the experience requirement for the CISSP certification is much stricter than that of the CASP+ certification. The CISSP certification covers more topics in the field such as database security, business risk management and governance while CASP+ focuses more on the technical skills required to design, implement and lead technical solutions like firewall management and secure coding practices. Both certifications offer huge benefits to professionals in the field of cybersecurity because they demonstrate what it takes to manage and improve cybersecurity within organizations today.