To renew, or not to renew? That is the question some cybersecurity professionals ponder once they reach a certain point of their career.
In the cybersecurity industry, certifications are like Pokémon: some try to catch ’em all, while others take a more strategic approach. Tiyiselani Ntimbane, a senior information security officer at coal production company Exxaro Resources, estimates there to be “hundreds, if not thousands” of industry certifications that a professional can obtain in their career.
“Technology is quite fast. It’s quite a vast field, and with that comes different knowledge areas that people might be interested in,” Ntimbane said. “And with that, comes a selection of…certifications.”
Baggage. However, for some cybersecurity pros, there comes a time when collecting certifications begins to lose its luster. Joe Head, founder of Molto, a cybersecurity-focused personal branding agency, told IT Brew that there is a growing trend of professionals who are losing interest in maintaining their certification credentials.
“What I’m seeing is that a lot of people are saying, ‘I’m not going to renew this anymore,’” he said.
According to Head, some of this hesitancy comes as professionals begin to question whether certifications will ultimately become “redundant” in the future or even add value to their careers.
Rob Black, founder and CEO of Fractional CISO, added that some loss of interest comes from the upkeep and costs associated with having up-to-date certifications. Renewal fees for industry certifications can range anywhere from $25 to upward of $450.
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“Let’s just imagine I get one from ISC2 and one from ISACA. Now I’m paying two different sets of membership fees,” Black said. “I’m submitting CPEs…to two different systems. Submitting takes actually a fairly long time.”
Bottom line. When IT Brew asked cybersecurity professionals if they thought certificate renewals are still worth it, the answer was not clear-cut. Black told IT Brew that he personally sees the value in renewing certain certifications for his career. However, he said this may not be the case for everyone.
“Let’s just imagine I was working at a big company and I’ve been a security professional for a long time, and I already have the job…Do I need to maintain it?” Black said. “I don’t know the answer.”
Black suggests that professionals consider the value certs would bring them in cases of uncertainty in order to determine if a renewal is worthwhile.
“The question is when the market changes [and] when your situation changes, are you going to need that cert?” Black said. “It’s a very individual decision, but you don’t want to trade that temporary, administrative, and slight cost for putting your career in a bad spot in the future.”