Top Cybersecurity Certifications that Will Rule the IT World in 2018
A list of cybersecurity credentials published in 2018 reflects a different exam landscape from the one candidates encounter today. CompTIA Security+, CISSP, GIAC qualifications, EC-Council’s ethical-hacking program and ISACA credentials were already recognizable names, but some exam versions, specializations and preparation paths have since changed. The list is useful as a historical record of the roles employers wanted to validate; it is not a current salary ranking or evidence that passing any one examination guarantees a security job.
The most important distinction is between types of responsibility. Entry-level operational security, penetration testing, audit, risk management and leadership require overlapping fundamentals but different practical skills. A person planning a credential should therefore ask what work the badge claims to assess, which eligibility conditions apply, and whether a supervised project or lab demonstrates the same skills.
CompTIA Security+: foundational security practice
CompTIA Security+ was often the first broadly recognized vendor-neutral security option on 2018 lists. It spans threat concepts, identity controls, network protection, operational security and incident-response fundamentals. The CompTIA Security+ certification remains an accessible way to organize fundamental study, though the 2018 SY0-501 version is historical. The active exam code and objectives must be checked against CompTIA’s current catalog when scheduling.
It is best supported by practical exercises. Configure multifactor authentication and least-privilege accounts, explain why a public storage bucket is inappropriate, and trace a suspicious login from log evidence. A certification reinforces competence when a candidate can show how a control works and how to verify it.
ISC2 CISSP: managing and designing security programs
The ISC2 CISSP exam assesses knowledge across eight domains, including risk, asset protection, security architecture, networks, identity, testing, operations and software-development security. It is not an ethical-hacking credential. Its emphasis is broad security judgment: recognizing trade-offs, aligning controls to risk, and overseeing a coherent program rather than conducting a penetration test as the primary task.
Passing the exam is not the same as immediately receiving full certification. ISC2 requires qualifying professional experience, endorsement and ongoing obligations. Candidates without enough experience may use the Associate of ISC2 route after passing. This distinction is particularly important for newcomers who see CISSP on a list of desirable credentials and mistake desirability for beginner eligibility.
GIAC Security Essentials and hands-on foundations
GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) is a practitioner-oriented certification associated with defensive operations, network security, access controls, cryptography and incident handling. GIAC’s exam specifications have changed over time; the current issuer page should determine permitted testing resources and format. The broad GIAC certification program contains many focused credentials, so its brand name should not be confused with a single GSEC exam.
A useful candidate project would document hardening a test system, evaluating service exposure, detecting an unauthorized change and responding to the evidence. Such work reveals gaps that can be concealed by memorized definitions.
Ethical hacking and penetration testing are different jobs from governance
EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) appeared prominently in 2018 discussions because organizations wanted people who understood attacker techniques. Authorized penetration testing requires scoped permission, target definitions, evidence handling and safe reporting. A professional must distinguish a confirmed exploitable weakness from a scanner finding and communicate remediation without exaggeration.
GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN) focuses more specifically on penetration-testing methods and reporting. These are not substitutes for broad security management certifications, just as an architect credential is not a substitute for practical investigative ability. The historical EC-Council Certified Security Analyst (ECSA) also appeared in older lists; candidates should verify its present status rather than assuming all legacy EC-Council exams remain bookable.
ISC2 SSCP: security administration and operations
The ISC2 Systems Security Certified Practitioner SSCP exam is closer to the work of implementing and operating safeguards than to enterprise-wide strategic security management. Its scope can be relevant to administrators and analysts building experience with access management, network controls, monitoring and incident response. As with CISSP, the experience requirement and membership pathway must be distinguished from the exam alone.
Operational skill means knowing when a security setting fails in practice. A rule may appear to block traffic yet be bypassed through an alternative route; a backup may exist but be unusable; a logging policy may omit the privileged action investigators need. Learning to test those assumptions is the practical value behind the syllabus.
ISACA CRISC, CISA and CISM: three distinct disciplines
The ISACA CRISC exam addresses governance, risk assessment, response and reporting, and technology/security. It suits professionals who connect business risk decisions to information systems. A sound risk assessment identifies the affected process, probability and consequences, owners, response choices and evidence that the selected treatment works.
The ISACA CISA exam centers on audit and assurance. Auditors need independence, adequate evidence, defensible testing and a clear distinction between a control’s documented existence and its actual operation. The ISACA CISM exam focuses on management responsibilities: governance, risk, program design and incident-management leadership. Both have additional certification requirements beyond passing the exam.
These credentials should not be ranked as though they validate the same work. A controls auditor, a security program manager and a risk practitioner may collaborate on the same project while carrying different responsibilities.
Reading the 2018 list in a modern context
The old list included several statements that no longer serve readers: claims of zero security unemployment, fixed certification-holder salaries, old test windows, and the suggestion that CISSP is an ethical-hacking credential. Those are not reliable career promises. Role-specific hiring needs, the issuer’s current exam version, the candidate’s hands-on competence and professional experience are more meaningful.
For someone beginning in security, focus on systems, networks and a foundational operations discipline. For an experienced practitioner, choose between testing, audit, governance or advanced architecture based on current responsibilities. The 2018 credentials helped define the professional landscape, but a useful modern study plan respects how their requirements and the field itself have evolved.