12 hottest IT security certs for higher pay today

ISC2 also administers certification for InfoSys Security Management Professional. Designed for leaders like CIOs, CISOs, and CTOs, ISSMP focuses on governance, management, and leadership of information security programs. Leaders will master six domains, including soft skills such as leadership and business management, along with hard skills such as systems lifecycle management. The multiple-choice exam consists of 125 questions and a three-hour time limit. Professionals must recertify for the ISSMP by taking 60 continuing professional education credits specific to security management every 3-year term.

To qualify for the exam, you must possess a CISSP and two years of relevant experience, or seven years of experience in total.

Training fees: Professionals can buy self-paced online training for the ISSMP for US$733.75, bundle it with an exam for US$1,332.75, or avail of third-party training. 

Exam fees: Pricing for the ISSMP varies by region. In the United States, the ISSMP exam is US$599.

Cisco also offers a CyberOps Professional certification for professionals that want to demonstrate mastery in security fundamentals, techniques, processes, and automation to prevent cyberattacks, lead incident response, and handle cloud security. Although the CyberOps Professional certification has no formal prerequisites, Cisco notes that most candidates have three to five years of experience in enterprise networking. Professionals who obtain this certification can become a network security engineer, cybersecurity investigator, and incident manager. Like the CCNP, the CyberOps Professional certification is valid for three years and can be renewed through continuing education or retaking the exam.

Training fees: Professionals can avail of instructor-led training from Cisco and accredited partners (prices vary), or a US$6,000 annual subscription to Cisco U All Access, which provides learning pathways for professional-level certifications.

Exam fees: Professionals must take a core exam for US$400, plus one of two exams for a concentration area for US$300.

Average pay premium: 11%

Market value increase: 25%

ISC2’s InfoSys Security Architecture Professional is ideal for professionals in roles like system architect, business analyst, and system and network designer. The certification focuses on security architecture and spans six domains, including everything from security operations architecture and infrastructure security to identity and access management architecture. The exam for the ISSAP is the same format as others from ISC2, as is the renewal process for professionals who have already earned the certification.

To qualify for the exam, you must have seven years of relevant experience, or have a CISSP and two years of experience.

Training fees: Professionals can buy self-paced online training for the ISSAP for US$733.75, bundle it with an exam for US$1,332.75, or avail of third-party training. 

Exam fees: Pricing for the ISSEP varies by region. In the United States, the ISSAP exam is US$599.

Average pay premium: 11%

Market value increase: 25%

Developed by ISACA, the Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer program teaches privacy governance, privacy architecture, and data life cycle work to professionals interested in implementing comprehensive privacy solutions. The exam consists of 120 multiple-choice questions that professionals have up to 3.5 hours to complete. Upon earning their CDPSE, professionals must maintain the certification through 20 continuing professional education credits annually and at least 120 over a three-year period.

To qualify for the exam, you must have at least three years of experience in the field, and the ISACA does not accept experience waivers.

Training fees: ISACA offers multiple training modalities for the CDPSE, including an online review course (US$795 for ISACA members, US$895 for non-members), a database of questions (US$299 for members, US$399 for non-members), and a review manual (US$109 for members, US$139 for non-members).

Exam fees: The CDPSE exam costs US$575 for members and US$760 for non-members.

Average pay premium: 10%

Market value increase: 11%

In Certified Ethical Hacker, stylized by administrator EC-Council as C|EH, professionals learn the foundations of ethical hacking across 20 modules, beginning with footprinting all the way up to cloud computing and cryptography. The EC-Council recommends that professionals have at least two years of experience in IT security; those without it can prepare with its free Cyber Security Essentials series. In C|EH, professionals will learn how to conduct the stages of ethical hacking: reconnaissance, scanning, gaining and maintaining access, and covering tracks. The certification is ideal for cyber professionals that can benefit from ethical hacking, including cybersecurity auditor, warning analyst, solution architect, and more. The C|EH exam consists of 125 multiple-choice questions, along with a practical exam based on different scenarios.

Training and exam fees: CEH bundles their on-demand video course with a certification exam for US$799, and there are also live and hybrid options that also come with exam vouchers.

Average pay premium: 10%

Market value increase: 11%