Organizations are connected through a lot of devices. Thus, professionals who can configure and connect devices in networks are needed to link devices within enterprises. Various professionals are needed to configure, debug, and secure these networking devices.
As a result of the widespread use of remote access to networks in today’s society, many jobs may now be completed without physically being there. This change poses a new hazard, making it necessary to build secure remote connections. This is made possible by developing a secure network between the various devices and the policies that govern interactions between them.
Organizations require highly trained personnel to maintain all of their devices. Therefore, certification is the starting point for ensuring a candidate’s qualification and attracting the attention of recruiters to the candidate’s resume. It also establishes that the candidate possesses a certain talent that is required by the company.
There are a variety of networking certifications available for both new and experienced network security professionals. They may choose the certificates they want to pursue based on the expertise they want to get and the abilities they need to acquire.
Certifications for Network Security
Since most people nowadays work remotely, safeguarding the connection and the other devices is a time-consuming task best left to the experts. The use of certificates can help distinguish a candidate from the competition because passing the certification exam needs competence in a wide range of abilities and talents. Thus, recruiters now prefer including certifications instead of posting job descriptions that contain a variety of capabilities. They look for certificates that cover all of the skills necessary by the business in one package.
Let’s have a look at certain certifications that will be useful to network security professionals.
Cato SASE Expert Level 1
Gartner has created a new enterprise networking technology category called Secure Access Service Edge (SASE). It combines the network and security features of existing solutions and delivers a single, worldwide, native cloud service rather than providing deliverability through the old solutions.
Many companies are shifting focus to SASE and looking for individuals knowledgeable about the subject. As Cato Cloud was the first SASE platform, Cato Networks’ SASE Expert Level 1 certification course gives you a thorough understanding of SASE and its architecture. To be considered for this position, you only need to have rudimentary networking skills. This CATO SASE Expert Level 1 certification is a one-stop shop for all your SASE study requirements.
It covers a wide range of topics, including how networks progressed from SD-WAN to SASE, their fundamental differences and advantages, and a slew of other topics. Since VPNs are becoming increasingly popular, VPNs and the merits and downsides of utilizing them are also discussed in-depth in this course. Most significantly, it is a fantastic guide that walks you through migration and other areas of SASE.
CompTIA Network+
This certification is awarded by CompTIA and is known as CompTIA Network+. This certification is beneficial for applicants with technical abilities in network maintenance and configuration and the ability to execute troubleshooting between network devices as necessary. It also teaches students about the security of the equipment.
Its curriculum covers fundamental networking concepts such as network topology, network services, physical connections between devices, network design and routing among networking devices, and the security of network devices. It also explains how to protect the network configuration against external and internal threats.
Continuous monitoring and the definition of different rules or policies to make monitoring more effective are suggested to make them more secure, as this is extremely important for business continuity. This certification also includes troubleshooting, a fundamental and required aspect of any network’s operations.
To obtain this certification, candidates must pass an online examination consisting of 70-80 multiple choice questions.
Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Security
The CCNP Security certification is under the Cisco umbrella and consists of a series of certificates. Some of these are CCNP Enterprise, CCNP Data Center, CCNP Security, CCNP Service Provider, CCNP Collaboration. Each certification candidate must pass two exams to be certified: one is the core examination, which comprises the fundamental principles, and the other is the expertise examination, which tests the candidate’s knowledge of the field in which he possesses expertise.
The candidate must pass a practical examination conducted in a laboratory setting. As part of the preparation process for this certification, CISCO provides some online tools via which candidates can gain expertise and learn about the examination pattern.
Those who wish to obtain the professional level certification must first pass the entry-level certification. However, candidates who wish to obtain the entry-level certification do not need anything else. The validity of this certification is three years, after which time candidates must retake the exam.
VMware Certified Technical Associate – Network Virtualization
For those who want to pursue a career in virtual machines, this certification is a good starting point. Many organizations are now utilizing virtualization to host their environments and machines and moving towards microservice architectures. It is necessary to connect these services through a network.
With the VMware Certified Technical Associate – Network Virtualization certification, you’ll have high-quality knowledge of networking concepts and their security and troubleshooting procedures. It necessitates a fundamental understanding of the VMware NSX platform and NSX terminology and navigation. It is a difficult certification to pass without prior practical experience. Candidates must have a working knowledge of data center virtualization, with specific knowledge of vSphere setups and features required.
To obtain this certification, VMware provides online material that includes 28 modules and certain online labs that provide practical knowledge. Individuals who have earned this certification have sufficient expertise to identify use cases and business requirements for the VMware NSX platform and explain the VMWare Virtual Cloud Network vision, Network Virtualization ideas, and the VMware NSX platform.
OSCP PEN-200
It is possible to ethically hack the host/web computer using the offensive security approach. To obtain the OSCP certification, candidates must demonstrate their knowledge in pen testing and hacking.
Essentially, this certification consists of two parts. To begin, candidates must accomplish four of the five challenges within 24 hours of being assigned the task. There are five machines in this challenge that are a mix of Windows and Linux machines. Hacking and privilege escalation must be done through the active directory to get access to the machine and elevate your privileges to that of the root user.
Second, candidates must produce an in-depth report on how they came up with the solution to the problem. Candidates can use Kali Linux tools as well as pen testing methodologies to complete the assignment successfully. They must include screenshots of the tools they used, as well as other supporting documentation in the report such that it appears to be a report from a professional pentester.
Following your qualification, you will be eligible for competitive compensation packages. The certificate from Offensive Security is valid for the rest of one’s life.
Conclusion
We now know about many Network Security certifications, but the choice depends on one’s experience, personal interest, and skills. So candidates must choose one of these based on their career goals and talents. Certification helps you stand out from the crowd, and skilled security professionals are constantly in demand.
