CompTIA Newsroom

Certification validates core cybersecurity skills

Downers Grove, Ill. – CompTIA, the leading provider of vendor-neutral skills certification for the global technology workforce, said today more than 500,000 individuals have earned its CompTIA Security+ credential.

CompTIA Security+ is recognized by employers and trusted by technology professionals as a certification that validates the hands-on skills needed to perform core cybersecurity functions and problem solve on a wide variety of issues. It also serves as a springboard to a career dedicated to cybersecurity for many tech pros.

“You need look no further than the daily headlines about cyber-attacks and data breaches to understand the criticality for organizations to have robust cyber defenses in place,” said John McGlinchey, executive vice president for global certification at CompTIA.

“These defenses begin with having a team of technology professionals trained and certified in the latest cybersecurity countermeasures; and that training and certification starts with CompTIA Security+,” McGlinchey continued.

Organizations across a spectrum of industries – professional services, finance, health care, information technology, telecommunications, government, and the United States military – rely on CompTIA Security+ as a skills benchmark for their cybersecurity staffs.

CompTIA Security+ emphasizes hands-on practical skills in areas such as risk management, risk mitigation, threat management, intrusion detection, and other critical knowledge domains.

The certification is unique in its reliance on performance-based exam questions. Test-takers are challenged to demonstrate in real time that they can identify and mitigate the same types of security threats, attacks and vulnerabilities they’ll face on the job.

CompTIA Security+ is compliant with ISO 17024 standards and approved by the U.S. Department of Defense to meet its directive 8140/8570.01-M requirements. No other cybersecurity certification is selected as frequently as CompTIA Security+ to satisfy the requirement, with as many as 80 percent of individuals choosing the CompTIA credential.

Demand for Cybersecurity Professionals

More than 715,000 workers were employed in cybersecurity-related jobs in the United States in 2017, according to CyberSeek™, a resource that provides detailed, actionable data about supply and demand in the nation’s cybersecurity job market.

Yet U.S. employers posted online job listings for more than 310,000 cybersecurity-related positions between September 2017 and August 2018. Many of these job openings included requirements or strong recommendations that candidates be certified, including in CompTIA Security+.

Also, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the number of information security jobs will increase 28 percent from 2016 to 2026, making it one of the fastest-growing fields.

For more information on CompTIA Security+ and the entire family of CompTIA certifications visit https://certification.comptia.org/home

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About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the more than 50 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world’s economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce.

CompTIA is the global leader in vendor-neutral technical certifications in skills ranging from IT support and networking, to cybersecurity and cloud computing. More than 2.5 million CompTIA certifications have been awarded to technology professionals around the world. Operating in more than 100 countries, CompTIA works closely with thousands of academic, training and content partners to ensure students and professionals have the tools they need to enter and excel in the tech workforce. Visit www.comptia.org to learn more.

Contact:
Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
+1 (630) 678-8468
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