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 staff.
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IAM stands for Information Assurance Management. The IAM certification levels are achieved by passing specific exams and having certain work experiences that meet particular requirements. These requirements are focused on management and are geared toward leadership staff.
Both IAT and IAM standards have three levels: 1, 2, and 3. Level 1 is considered entry-level certifications, level 2 are intermediate, and level 3 is expert level.
Government jobs and many commercial industry jobs require applicants to meet one of the certification levels as a minimum requirement for being considered for the position.
Below is the government-published chart that shows the IT certifications that fall into each of the IAT and IAM levels.
DoD 8570.01-M. DoD Approved Baseline Certifications
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| IAT Level I | IAT Level II | IAT Level III |
| CompTIA A+ CompTIA Network+ SSCP |
GSEC CompTIA Security+ SCNP SSCP |
CISA GSE SCNA CISSP (or Associate) GCIH |
| IAM Level I | IAM Level II | IAM Level III |
| CAP GISF GSLC CompTIA Security+ |
CAP GSLC CISM CISSP (or Associate) |
GLSC CISM CISSP (or Associate) |
If you are working in or planning to work in the IT or cybersecurity field, then obtaining the appropriate certification levels is critical and can be quite lucrative.
Obtaining IAM1 or IAT1 level certifications is often the first step to gain an entry-level position in the IT field.
Obtaining IAM3 or IAT3 level certifications demonstrates expert-level knowledge and experience and is the objective of many experienced technical and management IT professionals.
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