The Best Cybersecurity Certifications to Earn in 2025
2024 was a huge year in cybersecurity. Did you know that the Russian FSB (sort of like their CIA) accused Apple of providing the NSA with a backdoor that was exploited by criminals to maliciously install triangulation and tracking software called TriangleDB on iPhones?
Or that VMware servers were the victims of a massive, worldwide ransomware attack that held users' data ransom for bitcoins? How about the zero-day vulnerability in the MOVEit Transfer platform that gave the personal information of 93 million people to a cybercrime gang?
Attacks and vulnerabilities like these send shivers down the collective spine of companies big and small – because more and more data is sitting on more and more networks. If 2024 is any indication, 2025 will be the biggest year so far for people trained and certified in cybersecurity.
There's never been a better time to be a cybersecurity professional – not only are more companies building bigger networks, but criminals are getting smarter, and threats are becoming larger. So whether you're just getting started in the cybersecurity career field or you're looking to deepen and expand your skills, read on to learn the best cybersecurity certifications for 2025.
Are Cybersecurity Certifications Worth It in 2025?
Yes, cybersecurity certifications are definitely still worth earning in 2025. Obviously, every company hiring IT professionals wants people whose skills are up to date. But in cybersecurity, companies and networks can't afford to rely on cybersecurity professionals whose strategies might be out of date.
Threat landscapes are always evolving, and new defense strategies are racing to keep up. Cybersecurity certifications are valuable because they prove your skills are contemporary and you know how to use the most up-to-date tools.
Nothing standardizes and validates the constantly evolving knowledge and skills a cybersecurity professional needs like industry certifications. Preparing for and earning a cybersecurity certification demonstrates you're committed to regulatory compliance, professional excellence, and risk mitigation.
If you're brand new to IT, there are certifications that can prove your readiness to start a career in cybersecurity. If you're highly experienced and want to cross from one IT discipline to cybersecurity, the right certification can convert your IT skills and knowledge into cybersecurity expertise. And if you're already working in cybersecurity, choosing the right cert can advance your career in smart and profitable ways.
Best Cybersecurity Certifications for Beginners in 2025
For newcomers to IT and cybersecurity, we think these are the best cybersecurity certifications to pursue in 2025:
Certified in Cybersecurity from ISC2
Fortinet Certified Fundamentals Cybersecurity (FCF)
Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET)
CyberOps Associate from Cisco
The strength of these cybersecurity certifications lies in the boost to credibility they provide to a new cybersecurity hire. Each of these certifications is designed to be the first step in a cybersecurity professional's career.
They all depend on a basic level of IT familiarity, but if you have one of these on your resume when applying for an entry-level cybersecurity position, you'll be in a much more competitive position.
Certified in Cybersecurity from ISC2
The Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) is a new offering from the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2). Specially designed for new professionals, students, and people who want to change their careers to IT or cybersecurity, the CC covers entry-level, vendor-agnostic cybersecurity knowledge and skills.
Coming from the same (very well-respected) organization responsible for the CISSP, the CC covers basic knowledge related to computer networking, business concepts, network security, security operations, and security principles.
As of October 2024, it's completely free to take the CC test and earn the cert – so there's really no reason not to get started learning the fundamentals of cybersecurity and earn your first cert.
Fortinet Certified Fundamentals Cybersecurity
Released in October 2023, the Fortinet Certified Fundamentals (FCF) in Cybersecurity is a new vendor-agnostic certification from a company whose certifications are usually tied to Fortinet security appliances and software.
The FCF is proof of your general cybersecurity skills and knowledge that could apply to any entry-level cybersecurity position. The FCF is excellent for brand-new IT professionals but is also good for non-technical professionals who need a strong understanding of the most common cybersecurity concepts.
Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET)
If you're new to cybersecurity, you may not immediately recognize the name Palo Alto – but rest assured, it's the Pepsi of cybersecurity. Palo Alto is one of the most prominent cybersecurity firms in the world; their hardware and software keep some of the world's largest and most important networks safe and secure.
The Palo Alto Networks Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET) is a relatively new cybersecurity certification that covers broad, general knowledge related to fundamental cybersecurity, network security, cloud security, and Security Operations Center (SOC) operations.
Unlike most of Palo Alto's other certifications, the PCCET focuses on broad and generic knowledge, not expertise with Palo Alto technology. Earning it costs $110 and proves your flexibility and familiarity with the basics of cybersecurity.
CyberOps Associate from Cisco
Cisco's CyberOps Associate isn't vendor-agnostic, but since Cisco is one of the world's largest manufacturers of networking hardware, there's a very good chance you'll work on Cisco equipment during your career.
What makes the CyberOps Associate a particularly good certification for brand-new IT professionals is that it focuses on the skills and knowledge you'll need to work in a Cisco Security Operations Center (SOC).
Now, not every company has a SOC, but if you want to get started in cybersecurity as fast as possible, getting an entry-level job in an ops center is one of the fastest ways in the door. Preparing for the CyberOps Associate doesn't take long, but its exam (200-201 CBROPS) does cost $300, so make sure you're prepared.
Best Cybersecurity Certs for Experienced Professionals in 2025
For cybersecurity professionals who already have a few years of experience, we recommend these certifications for specializing and focusing your experience:
Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Administrator (PCNSA)
AWS Certified Security - Specialty
These certifications are particularly good for cybersecurity professionals who want to take the broad, general skills that started their cybersecurity career and specialize in them. These certifications blend technical and specialized knowledge with the level of skill expected from a few years of professional experience.
Once you've made it out of your first entry-level position and need to prove that you've got the chops for more advanced work, certifications like these prove your foundation in contemporary skills as well as your familiarity with specific vendors' technology.
Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Administrator (PCNSA)
The Palo Alto Certified Network Security Administrator (PCNSA) is an intermediate certification from Palo Alto that represents about one to three years of direct experience using the Palo Alto product portfolio.
Palo Alto manufactures some of the world's best security equipment, and earning the PCNSA tells employers you can manage Palo Alto firewalls while incorporating their different technologies together to prevent cyberattacks.
The PCNSA is a thorough and challenging certification that costs $155 to attempt, so make sure you're prepared. Since the exam is partly performance-based, the best way to prepare for the PCNSA is with realistic practice using the Palo Alto Security Operating Platform and first-hand experience configuring firewalls.
AWS Certified Security - Specialty
The AWS Certified Security - Specialty certification comes highly recommended because of how dependent so many companies and networks are on the Amazon cloud platform. There aren't many networks that operate entirely without AWS, so knowing how to manage security settings and configurations in the Amazon cloud is a helpful way to make yourself more useful to employers.
The test costs $300, and it's a collection of multiple-choice and multiple-response questions that test your practical familiarity with implementing security solutions in the AWS Cloud, so make sure you really understand AWS before you attempt it.
Best Overall Cybersecurity Certs in 2025
If we had to recommend two cybersecurity certs without knowing anything about the person, the network, or the job, these are the ones we'd recommend:
CompTIA Security+
CCNP Security
These two certifications are the most reliable in the cybersecurity career field right now. Other certs are more specific for particular jobs or technology suites, some are more approachable for newcomers, and others are more advanced or prestigious.
But these two certifications are well-known, well-respected, and have a track record of making big changes in the careers of cybersecurity professionals at all phases.
CompTIA Security+
Security+ is probably the most recognized vendor-agnostic cybersecurity certification in the world. Designed as a baseline examination of the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in nearly any cybersecurity position, it tests your knowledge of basic security concepts as well as your ability to respond to security incidents, monitor hybrid environments, and make recommendations for device configurations.
Having the Security+ clearly communicates to employers that you're trained, prepared, and vetted to begin work the very next day, on any combination of hardware and software. The Security+ exam (SY0-701) is a challenging test of your IT, networking, and cybersecurity knowledge and costs $392 to attempt.
CCNP Security
The CCNP Security is a mid-career, professional-level certification from Cisco. This is not a vendor-agnostic certification, rather the CCNP Security verifies you're familiar with Cisco hardware and are sufficiently prepared to configure security settings with the Cisco OS and keep large networks safe and secure.
You'll need to pass at least two exams, the core exam (350-701 SCOR) is about enterprise infrastructure, virtualization, assurance, security, and automation.
After that, you'll need to pass a concentration exam that proves your specialization in a certain area of Cisco security configuration like managing Cisco firewalls, implementing identity services, or automating security solutions. The six available concentration exam options for CCNP Security are:
The core exam costs $400, and each concentration exam costs $300, so go into the CCNP Security prepared and treat it like an investment in your future.
Best Cybersecurity Analyst Cert in 2025
If you're sure you want to be a cybersecurity analyst, or you're looking to advance your career as one already, we recommend these two certifications:
CompTIA CySA+
Fortinet Certified Professional: Security Operations
Cybersecurity analysts stand out in cybersecurity as frontline defenders. A cybersecurity analyst monitors for, analyzes, and responds to security incidents. Unlike some other positions that focus on specific aspects like network security, penetration testing, or governance, a cybersecurity analyst emphasizes detection, incident response, and vulnerability management.
Since the role calls for a dynamic combination of technical expertise and a proactive mindset, companies like seeing certain cybersecurity certifications as a way of knowing they can trust newly hired cybersecurity analysts to maintain the overall security posture of their organization.
CompTIA CySA+
The CySA+ is CompTIA's vendor-agnostic cybersecurity analyst certification, and it's great for both new and experienced cybersecurity analysts. Newcomers can prove their readiness to work in any technology ecosystem – experienced analysts can round out their experience and knowledge while proving their readiness for a promotion.
Preparing for the CySA+ exam (CS0-003) has to include hands-on practice with detecting and analyzing indicators of malicious activity using up-to-date tools.
The test costs $392, so make sure you're also comfortable with threat intelligence, security information and event management, endpoint detection and response, and extended detection and response before testing.
Fortinet Certified Professional: Security Operations
The Fortinet Certified Professional: Security Operations is a mid-career security operations certification related specifically to Fortinet products. Earning it is a good idea for cybersecurity analysts who have any reason to use Fortinet products.
Not every company uses Fortinet, so it might not be a good fit for you, but if you want to be competitive for promotions or jobs at companies that do rely on Fortinet, it's an essential certification.
It costs $400 to attempt the Fortinet Security Operations exam, so make sure you have plenty of practice deploying, managing, and monitoring Fortinet security operations products before you attempt it.
Best Certs for Cybersecurity Engineers in 2025
These two certifications are among the best for cybersecurity engineers in 2025:
Fortinet Certified Professional Network Security
Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE)
Because cybersecurity engineers are responsible for designing and implementing entire security infrastructures, companies want strong evidence of advanced skills and experience before hiring.
Cybersecurity certifications put those fears and concerns to rest: after all, threat modeling, risk assessment, and creating comprehensive security solutions are tricky work, but a performance-based test can check how well a candidate would respond. At this level, certifications are almost always tied to a particular vendor – and often tied to a particular product or piece of hardware from that vendor.
Fortinet Certified Professional Network Security
Earning the Fortinet Certified Professional: Network Security proves a deep familiarity with the Fortinet family of security products. The core exam focuses most heavily on navigating and configuring the Fortinet operating system (FortiOS), but the concentration exams require proof of familiarity with Fortinet's powerful, specialized hardware and software for detecting, mitigating, and responding to cybersecurity threats.
If you want to build and secure networks built on Fortinet technology, having the Fortinet Certified Professional: Network Security will prove your readiness to take on the challenge.
Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE)
The Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE) is one of the most advanced and specialized cybersecurity certifications available. Palo Alto's big claim to fame is its Next-Generation firewalls that can provide advanced threat protection with innovative features like application-level visibility and control, intrusion prevention, and the ability to identify and block sophisticated cyber threats.
Earning the PCNSE proves you know how to configure firewalls to go beyond traditional packet filtering to understand and classify applications and counter the evasive tactics most used by modern cyber adversaries. It's a very challenging exam and only costs $160.
Best Compliance and Identity Cybersecurity Certs in 2025
These are the two cybersecurity certifications we recommend for compliance or identity specialists in 2025:
Microsoft Certified: Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals
Certified Information Systems Auditor® (CISA®)
Identity and compliance are sometimes seen as the least exciting specialties in cybersecurity, but they form the bedrock of a robust security posture, and the career itself can be rewarding and stable, or an excellent starting point for a more advanced, specialized position.
Certifications in compliance and identity help guarantee an organization's digital assets are secure and networks are meeting regulatory requirements. Compliance and identity professionals help protect sensitive data, build trust in an organization and with customers, and avoid costly legal consequences.
Microsoft Certified: Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals
The Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals cert from Microsoft is an excellent career choice for people in many different circumstances. If you're new to IT and want to expand your usefulness to your employer for a promotion, it's a good choice.
For brand-new professionals who have a basic understanding of IT principles, it's a solid foundation for a valuable job. And non-technical professionals can use it to better understand how their network secures vital data.
Despite being meant for early-career professionals, the Security, Compliance and Identity Fundamentals exam (SC-900) can be challenging because of how much Microsoft-specific content it contains and how precise the answers can be for someone who's unprepared.
Certified Information Systems Auditor® (CISA®)
ISACA offers the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) for professionals who audit, assess, and manage information systems. Many companies and organizations have strict requirements for how their data must be protected – systems auditors are the people who know how to verify those requirements are being met.
For security or data managers, the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) is a similar, more advanced option to consider. ISACA is the world's largest professional organization of information security assessment auditors and managers, earning one of their certifications sets you up for long-term success in your career.
2025 News in Cybersecurity Certifications
Every year or two, most cybersecurity certification exams receive updates – it's why so many certifications are only good for two or three years, encouraging people who earn them to keep their skills up-to-date and relevant. But in addition to those routine updates to certifying exams, some vendors release new certifications altogether or radically change their portfolio.
In 2025, the biggest news in cybersecurity certifications is Fortinet and CompTIA. Late in 2023, Fortinet announced a big change to its cybersecurity certification program.
Previously, Fortinet's certification program was organized numerically. That program is being replaced with a series of certifications that are better suited for professionals with diverse experience and responsibilities.
CompTIA unveiled its new, expert-level line of certifications in 2024. For cybersecurity professionals, the SecurityX is an exciting new release – an expert version of Security+.
When it's available, the SecurityX will replace the current CASP+ and validate job tasks that require 10 years of IT experience and 5 years of security experience and will be designed around the tasks performed by senior security engineers and security architect roles.
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