Certification Goals 2020

In TechExams December tradition, what are your certification goals/plans for 2020? Also if not certifications, what courses or self taught goals are you planning?

Here is my list.

Certifications: Pentester Academy - PACES, Pentester Academy - Red Team Expert, Azure Security Engineer AZ-500, Office 365 Security Engineer MS-500, Finish OSCP lol
Training/Courses: TBD based on Blackhat Training schedule
Self Taught/Improvement: Python, Go, C#

As always subject to change

Find more posts tagged with

Free for TechExams community: Cybersecurity salary guide

Compare cert salaries and plan your next career move

Button

Comments

MHamim

AWS SA, RHCSA. Trying to move from Desktop/IT support role to AWS/Devops type role.

Dakinggamer87

AWS SA

yoba222

OSCP or eCPPT . . . I think the eCPPT will be more useful day-to-day for me right now but both are on my list. So for 2020:
1) eCPPT, mainly for learning value
2) CISSP, just in case my job situation becomes unstable and I need to move on.

Will save OSCP for either early 2021 or late 2020. As far as training/courses, maybe some AWS and I haven't been coding lately so some of that.

srothman

I'm enrolled in my MSc - CS from January, so lots of focus on that.

Certification wise, CCSP before end of January, and also renew Azure Architect somewhere along the line, along with MS500. I've done AZ-500 when it was still in Beta, so good on that front for now.

Really looking to get to know Python better too, on the side.

PCTechLinc

MCSA: Server 2016 (70-743) then MCSE with 70-744

CISSP-ISSEP

That will likely take all year.

nathandrake

The two main certs on my radar in 2020 are Pentest+ and eMAPT (eLearnSecurity Mobile Application Penetration Tester). If I can get my work to pay for more than one cert (MAPT), then maybe eJPT.

SteveLavoie

First draft for my certification goal for 2020...

Complete my EJPT by February
GIAC GPEN for the summer. (SEC560 in February).
AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals.. (a quick one.. one week-end prep only)
Some VMware and Sonicwall vendor CPE requiremenent for Partner program

Then I will see..

UnixGuy

I'm hesitant whether to post on this thread as I'm close to doing something that may change my 'career' forever (will share in the right time).

However, I'm booked for ISO 27001 ISM training that may have a certification at the end, so there's that.

My other goal is to continue with the MBA, I'm enrolled in 6 subjects for 2020 (1 x per term + 2 x light weight subjects). This can change and will change next year.

Good luck everyone with your certs goals!

jmarkg7

I should be starting at WGU in the Masters in Cybersecurity program, therefore, CEH and CHFI should be my next certifications.

Before I start the Master's program, my goal will be AZ-900 then AZ-500.

Aharrell

Always a great thread...

For 2020: CISSP-ISSMP, CHC, CHPC, CIPM, CIPT, and starting WGU in the Masters of Cybersecurity Program (so CEH and CHFI through that).

heatmizer7

For 2020: CAP,CISSP-ISSMP, CISM and start to study for CCIE Enterprise beginning 1 MAY 2020. The CCIE has been my Eleanor since 2013!!!!

DFTK13

At the very least: CCNA.

Ideally: CCNA and RHCSA and ITIL Foundation

I have my A.S. in network administration and I’m currently trying to get my B.S. in IT, so I’m not able to study as much cert content as I want.

beads

None. After a number of years of certification you come to a point in your career that you are no longer judged by the acronyms after your name and title.

Last week I was asked how long would it take for me to obtain the OCSP. Replied about 2 weeks and a day's worth of testing over the weekend. Pretty much already know the material as I have done enough pentesting and have experience and/or personally own some very expensive toolsets already. So it's just a matter of sitting through Offensive Security's training. Running a couple more labs then hitting the test over a good night's sleep. The interviewer was aghast with my flip response. Explained that I have done so many tests now that I practically judge myself first by passing the exam then by the time it took me to pass and be done with it. Seriously, I think 30 minutes is getting to be too long for many exams.

I still finish some certifications in cloud (CCSP, three AWS and soon Azure) but they aren't or won't be on my resume as no one will care about my personal certs. You give me the the book on Friday and I will go pass your certification Monday following. Been doing this since college back in the 80s and only gets easier over time.

No one asks me about my education, let alone certifications any more than just a hand wave. Reputation alone is golden.

Good luck with your goals.

DFTK13

That’s the ideal goal of every one here on techexams, reach that level where the cert game is irrelevant. Until then...education and certs are pretty much a given on the resume for the majority of us. But it’s interesting to hear your insight especially since you’ve been doing this since the 80s.

chrisone

@beads I understand where you are coming from. I feel like I am two years away from putting a halt on certifications. I want to get into business related projects as running a business is the my personal end goal. Being an employee for someone else will always have its limits. As it is, this is a tech exams forum and this topic will always be at its core.

itdept

For me it will be getting my CCNA in Jan and gaining at least two Associate level AWS certs. I might put in a bit of Cisco study to prep me for CCNP in 2021 along with some Azure study.
The goal for 2020 is to get off support; so whatever else I need, I'll do!

Neil86

I'd like to get something in security, maybe Sec+, become proficient with PowerShell, and start working towards Microsoft certs. I have experience with O365 and would like to really to fine-tune it. I need to do what @inception did and make an actual list and stick to it.

Infosec_Sam

As soon as I finish up this semester of college, I'm planning to power through ICND2 review so I can sit that before the deadline. After that, I'm thinking about the Cloud+ or the CySA+. I think AWS would be fun to learn as well, but I'll wait until I'm a little more adjacent to an AWS role.

As for other educational goals, I'll be finishing up my BS degree in Information Science & Technology next December, which I'm super excited about! That means more time for more cert study!

Neil86

@Skyliinez92 sorry about that! Didn't know I accidentally clicked that.

tedjames

I'm planning to earn the eLearnSecurity WAPT certification and take several courses on web app security and development. I don't care too much about letters after my name. I just want the knowledge.

cyberguypr

AWS SA scheduled for end of December but may push to 2020. After that, AWS Security and potentially more SANS/GIAC stuff that remains TBD.

bigdogz

Finish of 2019: C|CISO, CEHv10
2020: CISM AWS SA, SANS... whatever I can get trained on.

JoJoCal19

LOVE these yearly threads. I'm a few weeks into PWK/OSCP so my following looks like this:

2020 Certs:
OSCP (active now)
eCPPT (maybe)
eXDS
AWS Certified Developer Associate
AWS Certified SysOps Associate
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
TOGAF

2020 Skills:
Python (seems to make the list every year
DevSecOps
Containers (Docker, GCR, ECR, ACR, Kubernetes)

UnixGuy

JoJoCal19 said:

....
Containers (Docker, GCR, ECR, ACR, Kubernetes)

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030959/uploads/editor/uv/q7ms0iw77sr7.jpg

Couldn't resist

Info_Sec_Wannabe

I'll probably skip doing certs this year as I'm moving to a new job and welcoming another baby. I will, however, continue preparing for OSCP in my own little ways and hopefully be able to jump at it in 2021.

Good luck on your certification targets folks!

Pmorgan2

Looks like I'll have to push my WGU BSCSIA into early next year. For certifications I'm finding my goals change based on spontaneous opportunities lately but I'm looking at:

GICSP
VCP7-DTM
MCSA Server 2016

If my ploy to get my employer to pay for SANS training works out, I'll switch to GSEC & GCIA as my route to a future GSE.

lucky0977

I try to do one cert a year to help in not forgetting things I've studied before. On that note

2020 goals:
CAP
CISSP-ISSMP

Metaldave

These threads always make me feel lazy! I dunno how some of you guys are able to knock out so many exams! I tip my hat to you all! I'll be happy if I get CEH and the practical exam done in 2020.

Pmorgan2

Metaldave said:

These threads always make me feel lazy! I dunno how some of you guys are able to knock out so many exams! I tip my hat to you all! I'll be happy if I get CEH and the practical exam done in 2020.

Haha don't worry. Most of us are shooting for the moon. I usually put like 5 certs as my goal and get 1 or 2. Last year I went a little above and beyond. As long as you're continuously learning, then you're succeeding. I believe that getting credentials to back that learning is helpful for both the individual and the industry.

SteveLavoie

Metaldave said:

These threads always make me feel lazy! I dunno how some of you guys are able to knock out so many exams! I tip my hat to you all! I'll be happy if I get CEH and the practical exam done in 2020.

I didnt achieve all of my 2019 objectives... Usually, I am having a good year (many certs), followed by a bad year (no certs or 1). 2020 should be a good year.