Whether you’re just getting started in the IT field or an established pro, certifications are probably part of your career.
But unlike a particular fruit-based movie review website, not everyone is so bullish on getting freshly certified. Andrea Simmons, a data consultant with her own practice in England, told IT Brew that certification glut is “a huge cost to an individual and/or a company if they’re actually kind enough to pay for your certifications.” Specialization in security is important, she said, but it’s not the only thing that matters, especially in a changing cybersecurity landscape.
To Simmons, a fixation on IT certifications can lead to dilution of focus. She pointed to the evolving nature of AI, and threat actors deploying the technology in hacks. IT teams need to be quick on their feet when responding to adversaries—not overly focused on extraneous certifications.
“We are rarely one step ahead of the criminal because they’re better funded and better resourced,” Simmons said. “It would be interesting to do a mapping of how well certified are the criminals as opposed to those of us who are not.”
Defenders, assemble. James Stanger, chief technology evangelist at CompTIA, told IT Brew that certifications in the IT space are numerous for a reason—there are a lot of moving parts in the industry, and specialized certifications are necessary for employers and employees alike to remain up on trends (CompTIA offers a number of IT certifications and courses).
“The real purpose of certification or any sort of education program is to reflect what’s going on in the industry in a practical way,” Stanger said. “In other words, it has to be based on specific job roles.”
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C.R.E.A.M. When it comes to personal cost—some certifications can be upwards of $1,000—Stanger sees the investment in certifications as a relatively good deal, especially compared to a college degree. More certifications are good for the market, he told IT Brew. If there’s only one organization with the information, they can use that monopoly of information to upcharge.
“Remember, they sell not just to individuals looking to get jobs, but they sell to industry, people in manufacturing…government…public sector, private sector, and they have to be very competitive with their costs,” Stanger said. “I would argue that a good certification actually does a good job in keeping costs down.”
Sub focus. Over and over, Simmons said, teams are told they need to focus on integrating systems and ensuring there’s good security hygiene. But with an overemphasis on training, that focus can be lost, leading to team mismanagement.
“All we keep doing is making more and more specialists, and more and more people you need to engage with,” Simmons said. “It can bloat your project teams. So, I’m not sure that’s a plus either.”
And things change with time. Seasoned pros will have a different relationship to certifications and less of a need to keep current, Simmons said. The truth is that over time, seniority fills in the gaps.
“You don’t have to maintain these forever, because invariably, if you’re doing them early in your career, then it’s to give you that leg-up or open that door,” Simmons said. “Whereas when you’re late in your career, your experience is what should be speaking for you, and therefore the certifications become less relevant over time.”—EH