Cybersecurity certifications help you get past screening and show you've covered a defined body of knowledge. The hard part is choosing. There are dozens, and the right one depends on where you are now and the job you want next. This guide sorts the best-known cybersecurity certifications by career stage, using only what each issuer publishes, and suggests an order to take them.
Prices change and vary by country, so we leave them out. Check the issuer's site.
Which cybersecurity certifications are best for beginners?
If you have no security experience, start with ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC), which needs no work experience. If you already work in IT, CompTIA Security+ is a common first security certification.
Cybersecurity certifications at a glance
| Certification | Issuer | Best for | Experience the issuer asks for | Exam format (issuer's description) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) | ISC2 | Career changers, students, IT staff moving into security | None | Covers five domains; see ISC2's outline |
| Security+ (SY0-701) | CompTIA | Early-career analysts, sysadmins | Recommends Network+ and about two years in a security or sysadmin role | Up to 90 questions, 90 minutes, multiple choice and performance-based |
| Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) | EC-Council | People heading into offensive security | Recommends at least two years of IT security experience | 125 multiple-choice questions, 4 hours; optional 6-hour practical |
| OSCP / OSCP+ | OffSec | Aspiring penetration testers | No formal prerequisites; recommends networking, Windows and Linux admin and scripting | 24-hour proctored hands-on exam |
| CISSP | ISC2 | Experienced practitioners, architects, leaders | Five years in two or more of eight domains | 3 hours, 100 to 150 items, adaptive |
| CISM | ISACA | Security managers | Documented experience (see ISACA) | Computer-based, at a test centre or remote |
Certified, or getting there? Show the hands-on skills too
Practise a simulation of real cybersecurity analyst work, see where you lost marks, and give employers proof alongside your certificate. Free to start, no card.
ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC)
CC is ISC2's entry-level certification. It requires no work experience and covers five domains: security principles, security governance, identity and access management concepts, networking and cloud security concepts, and security operations and incident response. ISC2 aims it at IT professionals, career changers, and students or recent graduates.
Choose it if: you're switching careers or just starting and want a recognised first step.
CompTIA Security+
Security+ is a broad, practical certification for core security functions. The current version, V7 (exam SY0-701), has up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, mixing multiple choice and performance-based questions. CompTIA recommends Network+ and about two years in a security or systems administrator role.
Timing matters: CompTIA says V8 is expected on or around 17 November 2026, and the English V7 exam retires on 11 June 2027. If you're starting from scratch, check which version your study materials cover.
Choose it if: you're in IT support, networking or sysadmin work and want to move into a security analyst role.
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
CEH from EC-Council focuses on attacker techniques. The knowledge exam has 125 multiple-choice questions over 4 hours. There's also an optional practical exam with 20 real-world challenges over 6 hours, and passing both earns CEH Master. EC-Council recommends at least two years of IT security experience.
Choose it if: you want an introduction to offensive security with a structured syllabus.
OffSec Certified Professional (OSCP)
OSCP is a hands-on penetration testing certification. The exam runs for 24 hours under proctoring: you find, exploit and report vulnerabilities on live lab machines. Passing earns both OSCP and OSCP+; OffSec says OSCP+ expires after three years while the base OSCP does not. There are no formal prerequisites, but OffSec strongly recommends a solid grasp of TCP/IP networking, Windows and Linux administration, and basic Bash or Python.
Choose it if: you want to be a penetration tester and are ready for a demanding practical exam.
CISSP
CISSP from ISC2 is for experienced practitioners. You need five years of cumulative, full-time experience in at least two of eight domains, though a relevant degree or approved credential can count for up to one year. The exam lasts 3 hours with 100 to 150 adaptive items. If you pass without the experience, you become an Associate of ISC2. Our CISSP certification guide covers it in detail.
Choose it if: you have several years across security areas and want senior, architecture or leadership roles.
CISM
ISACA's CISM targets information security management. It covers four domains: governance, risk management, the security programme and incident management. You take a computer-based exam at a PSI test centre or remotely, then have five years from passing to apply, showing your experience. ISACA updated the exam outline from 3 November 2026.
Choose it if: you manage, or want to manage, a security programme.
Which cybersecurity certification should you get first?
Follow your experience and target role.
| Your situation | Start with | Then consider |
|---|---|---|
| No IT or security experience | ISC2 CC | Security+ once you have some IT experience |
| IT support or sysadmin | Security+ | A specialism: CEH or OSCP (offence), CISSP later |
| Want to be a penetration tester | Security+ or CEH for foundations | OSCP |
| Five or more years in security | CISSP | CISM if you move into management |
| Cloud-focused | A cloud provider's security track | Check the provider's current list (Microsoft retired its Azure Security Engineer Associate on 31 August 2026) |
Example path (illustrative): Dana was laid off from an IT help desk job. She earns ISC2 CC in her first month, builds a home lab, studies for Security+ while applying for junior SOC roles, and plans CISSP once she has the experience.
Do cybersecurity certifications get you a job?
They help you pass screening, but employers also want to see that you can do the work: read logs, triage an alert, explain a risk to a non-technical manager. Combine a certification with evidence:
- A home lab write-up or a public project
- Answers to common cybersecurity analyst interview questions
- A scored practice simulation of analyst work
- A clear cybersecurity analyst career plan
If you're coming from another field, our guide on how to change careers and the list of skills to learn help you plan. If you've just been laid off, start with what to do when you get laid off.
How do you choose between a cybersecurity certificate and a certification?
A certificate usually means you completed a course. A certification usually means you passed an exam set by an issuing body, often with experience rules and renewal. Both can help. If job adverts you're targeting name a specific certification, aim for that one, and use courses to learn before you sit the exam. Our guide to free certifications lists free learning options.
FAQs
What is the easiest cybersecurity certification to get?
ISC2 CC is designed as entry level and needs no work experience, so it's the usual starting point.
Is Security+ or CISSP better?
They target different stages. Security+ suits early-career roles. CISSP needs five years of experience and suits senior roles.
Which cybersecurity certification is best for penetration testing?
OSCP is a hands-on, 24-hour practical exam aimed at penetration testers. CEH is another option with a knowledge exam and an optional practical.
Do cybersecurity certifications expire?
Many do or require maintenance. For example, OffSec says OSCP+ expires after three years. Check each issuer's renewal rules.
Can I get a cybersecurity job with just a certification?
Some people do, but pairing it with hands-on proof, such as lab work or a scored simulation, makes you much easier to hire.
What next
Pick the certification that fits your stage, set an exam date, and build proof alongside it. Cohesyve lets you practise simulations of real security analyst work, see where you lost marks in a scored report and show employers a skills profile. Free to start, no card.
Sources
Issuer pages, checked 3 November 2026:
- ISC2: Certified in Cybersecurity, CISSP and CISSP experience requirements
- CompTIA: Security+ and Security+ V7
- EC-Council: Certified Ethical Hacker
- OffSec: PEN-200 and OSCP
- ISACA: CISM
- Microsoft Learn: Azure Security Engineer Associate