Explore the Best Cybersecurity Certification Programs to do in 2024

Every smart device we use is vulnerable and can put us at serious risk. Every spam email we open, or unknown call we answer can also lead us to a huge financial loss. Similarly, every business is also prone to cyber-attacks. They spend a lot of money to protect their systems and make the company’s security system strong. And they are always in need of skilled cybersecurity professionals who can demonstrate their skills and knowledge in this domain via top cybersecurity certifications.
For instance, cybersecurity ventures estimate cybercrimes incur a global loss of around $6 trillion per year. As per proof point, 92% of organizations fell victim to phishing attacks which is still the most common form of cyber-attack. In the coming years, there are going to be millions of cybersecurity jobs vacant. So it is the right time to enroll in cybersecurity certificate programs and step into the ever-growing cybersecurity career.
Best cybersecurity certifications to do in 2024
Here let us have a look at some of the most popular certification programs in the cybersecurity domain that will help you gain the relevant and latest skills and knowledge to start and advance in your cybersecurity career.
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP): ISC2
This is an intermediate-level certificate program that is highly popular among cybersecurity professionals. Since earning this certificate requires passing through a tough certification exam, and at least 6 years of work experience in two or more of the 8 domains of the CISSP CBK, hiring managers use it as a benchmark for their advanced skill and expertise.
This certificate exam costs $749 and is administered by ISC2. The exam consists of 125-175 multiple-choice questions and requires a minimum of 700 points out of 1000 to pass the exam
2. Certified Cybersecurity General Practitioner (CCGP™): USCSI®
This is one of the best cybersecurity certification courses designed for beginners who are looking to step foot into a cybersecurity career. This course helps to create the foundation of students and young professionals strong in this domain by covering the fundamental concepts of cybersecurity.

Any graduate or professional with 0-2 years of work experience aspiring to get into this field can enroll for this certification program by paying the course fee of $389. After the payment, they will get access to their student dashboard and schedule their certification exam from there. They must schedule their exam between 4 to 20 weeks of the payment. For an extension of the date, they might need to write to their support team.
The CCGP™ certificate exam consists of 50 questions that have to be completed within 100 minutes. Students must score at least 70% marks to earn this prestigious certification. Since students get access to a high-quality resource center along with the certification course consisting of personalized eBooks, HQ videos, and real-world practice codes, preparation for the exam becomes easier.
3. GIAC Security Essentials Certification (GSEC)
It is again an entry-level certification program for students and professionals who have little to no knowledge about cybersecurity. This program equips students with the basic concepts of this domain where they will learn about access control, cyber defense, disaster recovery, DNS, Incident response, information security, network security, etc.
It costs $949 for the GSEC certification and consists of an open-book exam. The exam has 106-180 questions which students must complete within 4-5 hours of time. Also, they must score a minimum of 73% to earn this certification. This is an online exam and requires proctoring through ProctorU.
4.Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
This top cybersecurity certification program has a major focus on empowering students with ethical hacking techniques or penetration testing. The program is designed in such a way that it tests candidate’s abilities in real-world scenarios and after earning the certificate, they will be able to test the security of the networks in any organization. They can simulate an intruder from the outside of the company to help them identify loopholes in their security systems.
The students must attend their official training to learn the skills of ethical hackers, and then pass the exam that consists of around 125 questions with at least 60% marks. The cost of the CEH certificate exam is $950
Conclusion
Cybersecurity is a rapidly growing field. Now with the advent of artificial intelligence and advancements in technology, cybercriminals have become smarter. They have found new and innovative ways to breach the security of any organization or even intrude personal space of normal consumers. Therefore, skilled cybersecurity professionals are the need of the hour. Companies are willing to pay thousands of dollars for skilled professionals. So, if you want to get into this lucrative career, you must be well prepared and demonstrate your knowledge to the employers. To begin, select any of the above-mentioned certification programs and start your cybersecurity journey.
