"Despite an especially volatile market for IT skills and certification pay in Q3 2009, salaries for IT security certifications continued their steady climb."
Pinnacle provides CompTIA Certification in Security+ ™ , EC-Council, and CISSP Security Classes
Today, most IT professionals recognize that security is one of their top job responsibilities; threats and attacks have become commonplace. According to the 2005 FBI Computer Crime Survey, 87 percent of U.S. organizations experienced some type of security incident in 2005. Nearly 20 percent of organizations surveyed encountered 20 or more incidents. Meanwhile, a PricewaterhouseCoopers, CIO, and CSO study of senior executives in 50 countries found that only 37 percent have an overall security strategy in place.
With the rise in publicity of data breaches, companies are looking at security more seriously than ever, which means they're looking to hire qualified and, often, certified IT security pros. A recent report from Gartner Research Inc. entitled, "How to Choose the Right professional Information Security Certification," examines which IT security certifications are most common and valuable in today's job market, as well as how much attention should be paid to security certifications by prospective employers.
In today's fast-changing and often risky business environment, it is critical for IT to effectively secure systems - a process that's both costly and time consuming.Yet, at the same time, IT managers are expected to enhance worker productivity and implement new technologies that drive competitive advantage for the business.
"security certifications are the only ones that gained ground over the last 12 months -- up 1.7%."
IT security certification pay rose 0.4% in the third quarter, according to the new IT Skills and Certifications Pay Index (.pdf) released by Vero Beach, Fla.-based Foote Partners LLC. While the increase may seem negligible, especially when compared to the downward trend of most IT certifications -- pay for which declined between 0.2 % and 13% in the most recent quarter -- it's not hard to see that it's good to have a security certification. Even more astounding is the fact that, of all IT certifications measured by the Foote index, security certifications are the only ones that gained ground over the last 12 months -- up 1.7%.
By adopting an organized approach to security, you will spend less time cleaning up messes, and more time helping your organization meet business goals. Your organization is looking to you to implement a security strategy that will protect the business and its customers from attack. How effectively and proactively you respond can have an impact on your career. Success hinges on establishing policies, procedures, and good communication with business managers.
A Winning Plan:
Everyone within an organization must understand how they impact security; education should include targeted training on threats, policies, rules, and procedures.
At Pinnacle we feel if you emphasize training and communication. Develop a clearly-defined strategy that incorporates business stakeholder participation. Develop a framework for managing security, through policies, procedures, schedules, and checklists. You will have a winning, positive security plan. Certification is a great way to standardize your efforts.