Wednesday, May 5, 2010

IT CERTIFICATIONS

IT certifications have always been popular among IT pros to bag the right job or

seek the right jump. Management and IT make a great combination. With the

economy back in green, IT jobs too are back. And with them the demand for IT

certifications, which in recent times have become more vendor- and technologyspecific.

So, what are the IT certifications that will keep IT pros in demand or are useful

for job/career opportunities going forward.

Technology research firm Foote Partners recently shared IT certifications that

could be considered "hot" in the coming months (these unranked certifications

are a part of the company's upcoming quarterly index on hot skills and

certifications).

Here's over to the top 10 hottest IT certifications from the list.

VMware Certified Professional (VCP)

With virtualization technology becoming hot, it is little surprising that VMware

Certified Professional (VCP) programme is in demand. Research shows that

enterprises often face lack of required expertise specific to virtualization.

According to Forrester Consulting, proper skills for virtualisation-specific projects

are difficult to attain and retain.

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) is a professional certification for

Information technology audit professionals sponsored by the Information Systems

Audit and Control Association (ISACA). Candidates for the certification must meet

requirements set by ISACA.

The CISA certification is for pros seeking jobs in areas of IT auditing, security,

and control. CISA tests are conducted once a year, in locations spread worldwide.


 

Five years of verifiable experience in IS auditing, control or security is required to

take the exam.

GIAC Security Audit Essentials (GSAE)

GIAC Security Audit Essentials or GSAE is for pros planning to enter the

information security industry who are tasked with auditing organization policy,

procedure, risk, or policy conformance.

Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)

Certified Information Security Manager or CISM is a certification for information

security managers awarded by the Information Systems Audit and Control

Association (ISACA).

To apply for the certification, an individual must have at least five years of

information security experience with a minimum three years of information

security management work experience in particular fields.

The certification aims to provide a common body of knowledge for information

security management and includes material on broader issues such as how to

govern information security as well as on practical issues such as developing and

managing an information security programme as well as incidents.

Check Point Certified Security Expert (CCSE)

Designed for experienced security professionals, Check Point Certified Security

Expert or CCSE certification is claimed to be one of the most respected vendorspecific

security certification.

CCSE is an advanced Core security certification built on CCSA NGX, confirming indepth

skills and expertise in managing and supporting Check Point products.

Proficiencies include configuring and managing VPN/FireWall as an Internet

security solution and virtual private network (VPN), using encryption technologies

to implement site-to-site and remote access VPNs, and configuring content

security by enabling Java blocking and anti-virus checking.


 

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Check Point Certified Security Administrator (CCSA)

Another Check Point-specific certification, Check Point Certified Security

Administrator or CCSA aims to validate a security administrator's ability to

maintain day-to-day operation of vendor's security solutions and ensure secure

access to information across the network.

Proficiencies include creating and installing security policies, using logging and

reporting features, and managing anti-spoofing, Network Address Translation

(NAT), and OPSEC applications.

Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (Security )

Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) certification provides an individual

skills in designing, implementing, and administering infrastructure for business

solutions based on Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows 2000 Server.

Implementation responsibilities include installing, configuring and troubleshooting

network systems.

To be certified on newer Microsoft technologies, such as Exchange Server 2010,

Windows Server 2008, or SQL Server 2008, a prospective candidate should

pursue the Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) certification. In case a

person has done the MCSE on Windows Server 2003 certification, he can upgrade

to the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) and Microsoft Certified IT

Professional (MCITP) on Windows Server 2008 certifications.

Certified Wireless Security Professional (CWSP)

Certified Wireless Security Professional (CWSP) is claimed to be an advanced

level certification that measures the ability to secure any wireless network.

A wide range of security topics focusing on the 802.11 wireless LAN technology

are covered in the coursework and exam, which is vendor neutral.

The CWSP certification is awarded to candidates who pass the CWSP exam and

who also hold the CWNA certification. The CWNA certification is a prerequisite to

taking the CWSP exam. The certification covers a range of security areas

including detecting attacks, wireless analysis, policy, monitoring and solutions.


 

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GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst (GCIA)

GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst (GCIA) is an information security certification

entity that specialises in technical and practical certification as well as new

research in the form of its GIAC Gold program. SANS Institute founded the

certification in 1999.

GIAC provides vendor-neutral computer security certifications linked to the

training courses provided by the SANS.

Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)

Another vendor specific certification, Cisco Certified Network Professional or CCNP

aims to validate the ability to plan, implement, verify and troubleshoot local and

wide-area enterprise networks and work collaboratively with specialists on

advanced security, voice, wireless and video solutions.

To apply for CCNP certification a candidate must have at least one year of

networking experience. The CCPN tests are conducted by Pearson VUE.

There are five levels of certification: Entry, Associate, Professional, Expert, and

Architect, as well as seven different paths, Routing & Switching, Design, Network

Security, Service Provider, Storage Networking, Voice, and Wireless.

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