Security professionals and aspiring security engineers around the world are generally familiar with the field’s two top security certifications: the entry-level Security+ credential and the premier Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) program. Many of today’s security experts cut their teeth on one or both of these certifications and went on to build successful careers with those pieces of paper hanging on their wall, lending legitimacy to their mastery of the domains of security. While these credentials get large amounts of attention, the Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) credential fills a niche that often goes unnoticed: security engineers with a bit of experience under their belts.

The SSCP credential comes from the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)² and serves as their entry-level certification, targeted at security practitioners with about a year of experience. It’s positioned as the hands-on counterpart to the more theoretical CISSP certification. In this space, it directly competes with the more popular Security+ credential but differs significantly in that SSCP holders must have at least one year of verified information security experience.

Read more: SSCP: Stepping Stone to an Information Security Career

Published April 23, 2015 in Certification Magazine