How does GISF compare to Security+

Dunkers404

So my curiosity has lead to me look at entry level security certifications and I was just wondering how does the Security+ compare to the GISF?

cyberguypr

I don't know, but not many out there know what GISF is. On top of that it was removed from DoD 8570. As much as I like SANS, from a merely ROI perspective, I would do Security+.

JDMurray

Search the major job boards (Monster, Dice, LinkedIn, etc.) for "GISF" and "Security+" and report back here how many hits you get for each.

Doyen

With just indeed.com: GISF only 1 received one hit. Security+ is over 2,000 hits. This is surprising since I thought GIAC certifications would be highly sought after. Then again, my bubble was popped when I typed SSCP a long while ago. From exam blueprints, both GISF and SSCP seem to be more advanced than the Security+. However, Security+ is overwhelmingly popular. Why is there such renown recognition with Security+? Is it because CompTia has been around for over 30 years while GIAC is still a little over 10? Maybe it is the reverse: more people have Security+, so it would be wise to open positions that have certifications tailor to a majority of people?

EDIT:

Security+ has been around since 2002. I could not find out how long GISF has been around for. I would assume not for too long since GIAC was established around 1999.

docrice

When people think of GIAC certifications, they're thinking more along the lines of the GSEC, GCIA, and GCIH (as well as a few others). The GISF seems really introductory since it ties with the SEC301 course and as someone who holds a bunch of GIAC certs, based on the description I wouldn't recommend the GISF due to lack of name recognition and the associated cost. I'd hazard a guess that Security+ would provide way better return on investment, even though it's very first-grade level.

NovaHax

Plus...who the hell pays that kind of money for an entry level certification? Stick with Sec+ for entry level, and move to GIAC once you've established yourself enough in the industry that your employer pays for all your certs

JDMurray

Doyen wrote: »

Security+ has been around since 2002. I could not find out how long GISF has been around for. I would assume not for too long since GIAC was established around 1999.

Why are there over 250K certificants for Security+ but only a little over 1K certificants for SSCP when the SSCP cert is older than the Security+ cert? One answer: Marketing. The (ISC)2 hasn't put nearly as much S&M (sales & marketing, pun intended) into the SSCP as CompTIA has put into the Security+.