Cybersecurity Certification Roadmap

Struggling to decide on your next certification? Use the dynamic chart below to understand how the cybersecurity community values different certifications.

Cybersecurity Certifications

Total 41 Certifications

OffSec Certified Professional

OSCP

Red Team

intermediate

HTB Certified Penetration Testing Specialist

CPTS

Red Team

intermediate

GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst

GCFA

Blue Team

advanced

OffSec Wireless Professional

OSWP

Red Team

intermediate

OffSec Exploit Developer

OSED

Red Team

advanced

OffSec macOS Researcher

OSMR

Red Team

advanced

Certified Information Systems Security Professional

CISSP

InfoSec

advanced

CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner

CASP+

Blue Team

advanced

OffSec Web Assessor

OSWA

Red Team

intermediate

Certified Digital Forensics Professional

eCDFP

Blue Team

beginner

OffSec Web Expert

OSWE

Red Team

expert

Blue Team Level 1

BTL1

Blue Team

beginner

Certifications Ranking

Your input directly shapes the graph, reflecting both the popularity and satisfaction with the certifications.

When you rate a certification, you evaluate three factors: Overall Quality, Cost Effectiveness, and Required Skill Level. Your ratings impact positions on the graph as follows:

Satisfaction (Vertical Axis)

The average score across all votes for each certification determines its position on the vertical axis.

Market Presence (Horizontal Axis)

The total number of ratings a certification receives indicates its popularity and determines its position on the horizontal axis.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cybersecurity certification roadmap?

Cybersecurity Certification Roadmap is a community-driven initiative that ranks certifications based on community input. Users can select certifications to pursue based on their personal experience level, and the type of content that it covers. The goal is to help you make informed decisions that align with your career objectives.

This community initiative is our shot at trying to make the cybersecurity certification landscape more accessible and easier to navigate. Our goal is to present the collective consensus of the community on the different certifications in a straightforward way.

The certification rankings are not predetermined; instead, they're dynamically calculated based on your input. You can rate a certification based on its training quality, cost effectiveness, and its required skill level.

Choosing your first cybersecurity certification depends on several factors, including your current skill level, goals, and budget. Use the roadmap to get insights into which certifications are considered most valuable by the community. Start with the certification offers you the best return on your investment and positions you strongly for career opportunities.

Start by building hands-on practical experience in cybersecurity skills. This can be achieved through creating and maintaining a personal home lab, solving Capture The Flag (CTF) challenges , and obtaining recognized cybersecurity certifications.

In today’s increasingly competitive job market, certifications play a crucial role in helping you stand out among candidates. They not only demonstrate your commitment and expertise but are also a key differentiator in the hiring process.

Identifying the best cybersecurity certifications depends on individual career goals, experience level, and specific job requirements. We developed this roadmap to help you navigate the available certifications based on widespread community input.

Yes, there are free cybersecurity certifications available. These introductory courses, like Cisco's "Introduction to Cybersecurity," allow you to explore the field and determine your interest before pursuing more advanced certifications.

Evaluating whether a certification is worth it depends on your career objectives. Utilize the certification roadmap to understand how the cybersecurity community rates certifications like CISSP. This tool helps you see how professionals perceive the value and quality of different certifications, guiding you to make informed decisions that align with your goals.

Cybersecurity certifications can be costly, but understanding their value helps you paint a more complete picture. The certification roadmap provides community insights into cost effectiveness, allowing you to compare CISSP with other certifications. This feedback helps you assess if the investment aligns with the certification's perceived value.

The certification roadmap aggregates community ratings on the market value of various certifications, helping you see which ones are considered most lucrative. This collective perspective guides you towards certifications that provide the best financial and career benefits.
Disclaimer

CyberDefenders offers its own blue team certification, the Certified CyberDefender (CCD). However, no certification, including ours, receives any preferential treatment in rankings. All votes are crowdsourced and unbiased. We review new certification submissions to ensure they are legitimate and maintain the quality you deserve.