IT Certifications Archives

How to Become a Cybersecurity Specialist

We outline the steps you need to take to become a cybersecurity specialist and enter a rewarding and exciting career path. Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing fields today. As a result, there is a huge skill gap in the cybersecurity industry. This gap has been widening. Organizations report that the shortage of cybersecurity skills has increased in every year since 2016.[1] Similarly, the World Economic Forum indicated in a 2019 report that the U.S. has more than 200,000 cybersecurity specialist positions that are hard to fill.[2] However, organizations are prioritizing cybersecurity due to an increase in cyber-crime. This leads … Read more

What is the best IT certification to have?

by Frank Jones, CISSP

A picture is worth a thousand words. There are a ton of IT certifications but the monster of all certifications is the Certified Information Security Professional (CISSP) Certification by ISC2. There are a number of reasons that the CISSP is one of the most sought after and highly acclaimed certifications in the IT industry. First, the CISSP exam is very difficult to pass. The pass rate usually hovers right around 50%. The difficulty of the test means that the folks who are able to pass really know their stuff. The test is mind bending and even people who are highly … Read more

CASP vs. CISSP – My Experience

by Donald Korinchak, MBA, PMP, CISSP, CASP, ITILv3

I decided to take the CASP exam for only one reason… There is only one reason that I initially took the CASP exam instead of the CISSP. I did not make the decision logically. I did not know the real differences between the tests. I took the CASP test first because I thought it would be easier to pass. Plain and Simple – I thought that I would have a better chance to pass the CASP than the CISSP. I heard that the CISSP was one of the most challenging and dreaded tests. I heard story after story about people … Read more

Cybersecurity Certifications You Need to Do

by Oliviah Nelson

In the current world, technology has taken over; companies in the world have embraced the use of technology to save resources. Many companies are looking for the right people to employ who have competitive skills to help the organization become better. To become relevant in the job market today, you must have some certification in cybersecurity to gain skills that you need to not only stay competitive but to help you be able to counter-attack any cyber threat that comes your way. In this article, I am going to walk you through some of the cybersecurity certifications that you need … Read more

The Top 20 Cities for CISSPs

by Donald Korinchak, MBA, PMP, CISSP, CASP, ITILv3

We analyzed the job postings, crunched the data, and determined the actual value of the CISSP certification to list the top 20 US cities for CISSP certification holders. The monetary value of having the CISSP certification is dependent on your job market. If you obtain the CISSP certification and live in a city that has limited CISSP jobs available, then you need to make a choice – move to an area that has more opportunity or accept a salary that is not commensurate with your skills and abilities. Remote work is sometimes a possibility, but many cybersecurity positions require that … Read more

There are 2.9 Million Open Cyber Security Jobs in the US

by Donald Korinchak, MBA, PMP, CISSP, CASP, ITILv3

Companies are finding it very difficult to hire qualified Cyber Security professionals. Cyber Seek has completed a study that shows that there is a gap of at least 2.9 million cybersecurity jobs. The most job openings are in Northern Virginia. Northern Virginia is a hotbed for cyber jobs because of growing areas like Ashburn, VA. Ashburn is a technology hub that has more fiber optic cable than most places in the world. Ashburn is filled with technology companies’ non-descript data centers. California is the 2nd state when it comes to the cyber jobs gap. Silicone Valley, Microsoft, and hundreds of … Read more

Get AWS Certified on the Cheap!

by Donald Korinchak, MBA, PMP, CISSP, CASP, ITILv3

The AWS Cloud Architect certification has recently topped the list of the most valuable IT certifications to hold. Given this, there is a flood of IT professionals who are working on getting this certification under their belt so that they can add it to their resume in the hopes of a nice pay increase! https://cyberexperts.com/aws_cloud_architect_tops_the_latest_salary_survey/ I am working toward earning this prestigious certification. I wanted to find a study program that would prepare me well. Since I work with dozens of folks who already have this and other AWS certifications, I figured that I should ask the experts! Getting AWS … Read more

Why you failed the CISSP exam and how to make sure you pass on the next try!

by Donald Korinchak, MBA, PMP, CISSP, CASP, ITILv3

If you work in the cybersecurity field, then you know that there are only four types of people: People who passed the CISSP exam People who are studying for the CISSP exam People who failed the CISSP exam People who are too fearful of taking the exam Having the CISSP certification is a must if you want to work in particular high-paying and highly rewarding environments. The CISSP exam is a gate. Those that have made it through that gate are often considered the elite in the cybersecurity field. Even if you passed the CISSP exam, likely, you did not … Read more

CISSP Adapative Exam – What to expect.

by Donald Korinchak, MBA, PMP, CISSP, CASP, ITILv3

The vast majority of current CISSPs took their test in the old format. The test was a grueling 250 question test in which nearly 85% of the testers would take the entire allotted 6 hour exam time. But the exam was modernized at the end of 2017 The CISSP exam is now a “Smart Exam.” Beginning in December of 2017, the CISSP exam was changed to an adaptive format. The official name for this is Computerized Adaptive Exam (CAT). The CISSP is one of the first certification exams to move to this new platform. But the rest will soon follow. … Read more

How to pass the CCNA Exam

by Donald Korinchak, MBA, PMP, CISSP, CASP, ITILv3

If you stumbled upon this article, then you are most likely familiar with what the CCNA exam is. It is a vendor-specific exam that covers the basics of networking. CCNA stands for Cisco Certified Network Associate. There are now multiple flavors of CCNA exams, including CCNA Security, CCNA Cloud, CCNA Data Center, and many others. Before all of the new flavors of CCNA were introduced, there was the original: CCNA Routing and Switching. This test was an extremely comprehensive test that covered both basic and advanced topics. At some point the folks at Cisco decided to give the option of … Read more

AWS Cloud Architect Tops the Latest Salary Survey

by Donald Korinchak, MBA, PMP, CISSP, CASP, ITILv3

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the most significant player in the cloud, holding an astonishing 45% of the industry market share. Given this, there is a huge demand for experts in AWS cloud experts. The latest Salary Survey from CertMag.com proves that AWS professionals can make substantial salaries. The AWS Certified Solutions Architect certification is the most lucrative certification today. The average salary for holders of this certification is $146,960. People in the IT industry are rushing to prepare for the AWS Solutions Architect test. I know a few people in my circle that are studying for this test right … Read more

IAM vs IAT Certifications

by Donald Korinchak, MBA, PMP, CISSP, CASP, ITILv3

There is often some confusion about the difference between IAM and IAT certifications. Many times these terms are confused and interchanged. Both IAM and IAT were established by the Dept. of Defense in 2004. These are qualification standards meant to ensure that the Dept. of Defense IT systems are staffed with technical and management personnel who meet a certain standard of technical expertise. IAT stands for Information Assurance Technical. The IAT certification levels are achieved by passing specific exams and having certain work experiences that meet particular requirements. These requirements are focused on technical knowledge and are geared toward technical … Read more

How to Transition to a Cyber Security Career at Any Age

by Donald Korinchak, MBA, PMP, CISSP, CASP, ITILv3

Are you thinking about doing a mid-career transition to a cybersecurity position? It is a great field to join. There are currently millions of unfilled cybersecurity jobs in the US and countless more around the world. There are not enough qualified applicants to fill these jobs. Because qualified applicants are limited, the salaries for cybersecurity jobs are on the rise. It is common for cybersecurity positions to pay more than six figures to folks who have some strategic IT certifications and just a few years of experience. In your 30s, 40s, or 50s? It is never too late to get … Read more

PMP vs CISSP

by Donald Korinchak, MBA, PMP, CISSP, CASP, ITILv3

How does the PMP exam compare to the CISSP exam? When someone asked me that question, I thought it was rather odd. How can you compare the PMP to the CISSP? These are two completely different tests on two completely different subjects. The PMP exam covers project management while the CISSP exam covers cybersecurity. But then I thought about it. The question is valid. I expect that many people may be considering both the PMP and the CISSP. Both of these certifications are considered the top certification in their respective fields. So, this question deserves some thought. The value of … Read more

Don’t Underestimate the CompTia Security+ Exam

by Donald Korinchak, MBA, PMP, CISSP, CASP, ITILv3

The Comptia Security+ exam isn’t that easy! I was recently at a family reunion, and I was talking to my cousin, who does IT work for the military. He was getting prepared to leave the military within a few years to transition into civilian work. I asked him if he had any IT certifications. “No, but I am thinking about trying to get some of the really easy ones like Security+”. I had taken and passed the CompTIA Security+ exam just a couple of years before this conversation. I thought to myself, “Really easy? I think not!!!”. But I did … Read more

How I passed the CISSP exam without reading any books

by Donald Korinchak, MBA, PMP, CISSP, CASP, ITILv3

Reading is not my best learning style. In today’s world of podcasts and audiobooks, I believe that fewer and fewer people are accustomed to learning by reading and writing. For me, this is undoubtedly the case. I love learning through audiobooks and video training. I used these learning methods exclusively to pass some challenging IT Certification tests, including passing the CISSP test earlier this year. No expensive boot camp needed I am not a fan of CISSP boot camps. I believe that many of the companies that run these week-long training classes are doing a disservice to the folks taking … Read more