Academy of Computer Education ®
7833 Walker Drive, Suite 520C
Greenbelt, Maryland 20770
45195 Research Pl
Ashburn, VA 20147
Phone: (301) 220-2802
Toll-Free: (877) 564-TRAIN
Fax: (301) 220-3814
Email: click here
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Information security is an integral part of every organization’s infrastructure. Businesses, organizations and agencies everywhere are wanting to keep their records, data and infrastructure safe—and, with more and more people becoming skilled at “hacking” into supposedly secure computer systems, most businesses are looking towards hiring information security specialists or even requiring their IT support staff to be very well versed in IT security.
Many laypeople know basic techniques for information security. Anti-virus programs, spyware blockers, and firewalls are common methods used for home computers and small home businesses. But these systems are not as secure as they seem. They are routinely “hacked” and only offer the very basic and most simple levels of protection. Almost anyone who wants to put the time in, can easily get by an at-home security program.
Since hackers are one of the biggest threats to information security, one of the best certifications a person can earn in order to learn the most about this field is the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification. Just as the name suggests, the program through which this certification is earned teaches a person how to hack into a computer system in order to run a penetration testing analysis and create an intrusion prevention plan.
The benefit of these skills is clear—information security specialists can try to hack into their own company’s computers and find any potential problems…before a real hacker does. Then they can fix those problems, eliminating the possibility of the real hacker getting into the company system and doing any damage.
There are other certifications that people interested in information security careers can earn as well. Security+ is one in which students learn about industry wide IT security topics, including those for Windows, Linux, and Unix. There is also the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification. This is an ongoing certification that must be renewed every three years, and it covers a wide variety of information security topics and in general is non-technical in practice.
Two sophisticated certifications for Information Security are the ECSA (EC-Council Certified Security Analyst) and LPT (Licensed Penetration Tester). ECSA Certification takes CEH certification to more involved levels, looking at more advanced hacking techniques and procedures to improve security. LPT Certification is awarded to highly skilled penetrators who are able to actively attack a network, diagnose security flaws and recommend ways to improve overall security gaps.
CISM Certification is another Information Security course. It allows for individuals to accurately assess security vulnerabilities in a network. EnCase is a class that looks at computer forensics techniques needed for examining computers.