InformationWeek
Defining The Business Value Of Technology
May 1, 2000
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Make Security A High Priority For Your Company
By Ann Freestone
| TechEncyclopedia |
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SA and Global Integrity Corp. (not affiliated with Global Knowledge Network), last year conducted a comprehensive security survey of 745 administrators, managers, and executives in IT, security, and network and data management positions. According to the results, workers with an information security-related degree or certification earn an average of $7,000, or 10.6%, more than their uncertified counterparts. The average salary for a certified security professional was $73,000.How can companies attract higher-qualified security specialists? One answer, says Jason Wright, research analyst at Frost & Sullivan, is to make security a noticeably high priority within the company. "Qualified security specialists are more likely to apply with companies that have dedicated resources to IT and information security, and who take the issue very seriously," he says.
So, which certifications will catch on? "Check Point and the CISSP certifications are the emerging benchmarking standards," Wright says. "Those are going to be the Novells and MCSEs [Microsoft Certified Systems Engineers] of security certification."
But certifications won't become de rigueur overnight. Right now, there are more job openings than qualified candidates, says Lee Kushner, CEO and managing member of Lee Kushner & Associates,
an executive recruiting firm for security professionals in Freehold, N.J. "When it comes down to it, people are assessing an employee's skills, not the initials after their name," Kushner says. "Life experience still outweighs certifications."
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