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

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Comments

chrisone

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.

@Metaldave, the idea is to help write out your goals and to keep each other accountable/inspired. It is purely a motivational experience in having a group of like minded people to be excited in writing out goals. Of course it is a lot harder to complete said goals than to write them out. But it is always fun to see people complete goals/certs during the year and see them write about their experience in obtaining said goal. Those written experiences also help others obtain similar goals or within their own personal goals.

Life is fun when we are congratulating each other for accomplished goals, no matter the size of that goal.

JD20

CCNP Enterprise

SteveLavoie

A lot of motivation to study come from participating here.

DFTK13

It really makes a significant difference when others like you are going through the same struggles and challenges and this forum allows for encouragement and insights to help us stay motivated.

thomas_

My goal is to get CCNP collaboration before the new program starts.

Metaldave

Guys apologies if my post came off negative, it was actually the opposite in my mind as I posted. I find people’s aspirations and goals inspiring! It’s a reflection on myself! My heart has to be completely committed so I usually keep my hopes for achievement low, that way I’ll make sure I at least do that much, for instance I just took the CISSP 2 weeks ago after I don’t know how many years of telling myself to do it!

LonerVamp

Love these threads, and hope to post my own goals soon. It's just too early yet...not only is my budget at work awaiting approval yet, but there may be changes, and I'm not actually done with 2019 yet, either!

scasc

Reached that point where I want to retire from certs

. I will do AWS Security speciality Q1 next year, maybe Azure security engineer later on also. If SANS 545 brings the cert out that would be good. Nothing left to do but fine tune hands on skills in the cloud for me.

Dogstail

scasc said:

Reached that point where I want to retire from certs . I will do AWS Security speciality Q1 next year, maybe Azure security engineer later on also. If SANS 545 brings the cert out that would be good.

That sounds great,maybe it is time to make plans for future.

mic_check08

For 2020, I am finally get serious about being certified. I will be taking CompTIA core: IT Fundamentals+, A+, Network+, Security+

scasc

Dogstail said:

scasc said:

Reached that point where I want to retire from certs . I will do AWS Security speciality Q1 next year, maybe Azure security engineer later on also. If SANS 545 brings the cert out that would be good.

That sounds great,maybe it is time to make plans for future.

Absolutely, about moving forward now with life. Maybe try getting a role in a different country, experience something different - higher on priority list. If not, then move house for a growing family and continue developing my consultancy business.

DZA_

Realistically, I'll try to aim for CCSP one more time, anything else is cheddar.

AE_00R

Network Pentester (PTS , PTP ..) and ARES... , python + assembly

eitan

CEH, CEPT, CISSP, finish all of freecodecamp.com's content, and make a few cool projects in python...then I want to settle in to linux kernel development, but I doubt that this will happen in 2020....

PC509

State of Oregon Divorce+, Linux+ (taking the exam to prove I know the material, learning it as a personal goal), Microsoft 365 Enterprise Administrator.

Anything else that comes along (beta tests, work required tests, etc.) are just extra.

eitan

ROFL! Not too sure about that first one...I hear salaries aren't too hot....

MitM

I have no cloud certs currently, but the only cert I'd really like to complete in 2020 right now is AWS Security Specialty and maybe Azure Security

All other studying will be CCIE Security related and other various security topics

dspohnholtz

I'm looking at knocking out my CASP and PMP since I can get my company to pay for it. Outside of that I am wrapping up my Computer Science degree, so I should stay pretty busy!

wd40

OSCP for Next year, I purchased eWPT in 2015 and eCPPT in 2016 and completed none of them, because they had an open lab and exam date that does not expire, I don't need them for my Job and I was Lazy.

2 weeks ago I purchased PWK which has a 90 day limit for the Lab so I will really have to study for it in that time frame...

I finished 20 Hours of study so far which is more than what I did since January.

g33k247

Working on MCSA: Server 2016 (70-743), AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals, OSCP, and KLCP for 2020!

roninkai

I really need to wrap up ISSAP. I got bored of certs and studying, but this needs to get in the rear view before I start on something else. After that, it's probably a PMP specialization.

Chitownjedi

Here we go:

AWS: SA
OSCP
SABSA (If I can get organization to pay for the required training course.)
AWS: Security Specialty if SABSA funding falls through

chrisone

wd40 said:

OSCP for Next year, I purchased eWPT in 2015 and eCPPT in 2016 and completed none of them, because they had an open lab and exam date that does not expire, I don't need them for my Job and I was Lazy.

2 weeks ago I purchased PWK which has a 90 day limit for the Lab so I will really have to study for it in that time frame...

I finished 20 Hours of study so far which is more than what I did since January.

You are causing me to reevaluate my position

I too have several purchases from eLearnSecurity (WAPTv3, ARES, IHRP) that I have not cracked open. Money is going to be tight next year and I may have to finish these in the mean time. I have to finish OSCP as well, been doing it on and off for a year now, failing multiple times. My fault since I got into red teaming and cloud studies and didn't properly put in the time for PWK/OSCP.

LonerVamp

I've been pretty heavy into learning and earning with certifications over the past 3 years. This year, I made a list and it was insane, so I had to do some re-evaluating about my approach for the future. I'm running low on certs immediately useful on my resume, and options I want to learn tend to be the more expensive ones anymore. And my backlog of projects, one-off free courses, tutorials, tools, and online labs is way out of hand. So, with all of that in mind, I decided to give myself some cert options to be flexible, and build in more "free play" time to do all the fun things sitting in my backlog. (More detail on this is here: https://www.terminal23.net/2020/01/02/learning-and-training-goals-for-2020/)

AWS Security Specialty - This has been the goal for my Q3/4 2019 push through cloud certs (AWS CCP, CCSK, AWS SAA). This is my priority and the only thing I'm really set on getting right now. Has work, job, and playtime benefits. Part hands-on-keyboard, part book/course study.

One of these: CISSP-ISSAP, CCSP, CSSLP - I've long had my CISSP, and with the new annual fees structure, it sort of makes sense to look at adding another one. My main problem here is that I'm skeptical I'll learn a ton from these and they only really help for specific job roles. Chances are I will do the ISSAP unless something (job opportunities!) changes my mind. Entirely book study for me.

One of these: AWAE (OSWE) or SLAE - I've long had the OSCE on my wish list, and the SLAE is on my preparation path for it. The AWAE is new and also on the wish list now. I probably cannot do both in one year (and do other things!), but I really should at least start one this year. Entirely hands-on-keyboard time.

SANS course (as yet unapproved) - My preference is SEC 599, but this is contingent on work budget approval.

From there, I have a huge backlog of things to do that are not worth sharing here, from online labs, courses, HTB, podcasts, youtube watch list, pocket backlog, and my own personal to-do list, I have plenty to pick and learn from.

dirtscout

chrisone said:

You are causing me to reevaluate my position I too have several purchases from eLearnSecurity (WAPTv3, ARES, IHRP) that I have not cracked open. Money is going to be tight next year and I may have to finish these in the mean time. I have to finish OSCP as well, been doing it on and off for a year now, failing multiple times. My fault since I got into red teaming and cloud studies and didn't properly put in the time for PWK/OSCP.

I recently purchased IHRP and DFIR and I feel you. From what i've read briefly... the opinons on IHRP are more negative than I would have imagined. Really troubling me.

LonerVamp

COVID-19 really put a damper on my goals for 2020, in more than one way!

chrisone

Its actually given me more time to work on certs. Working remotely and on certs\course I already had paid for in the past.

nevermore

Targeting ISSAP and CRISC this year. Will see how it goes...

yoba222

yoba222 said:

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.

My company ended up choosing OSCP for me, so 3 months into that. Averaging about 12 hours per week and I'm halfway through the new material. If I squeeze CISSP in at the end of the year I'll be on target. OSCP has been a lesson in endurance for me and I don't think I've sunk as many hours into any other cert to date.

E Double U

How have you guys been doing with your goals? I knocked out both AZ-900 and GDSA in Q1. I wanted to do AZ-500, but have not been able to concentrate during corona and the unrest back home in the States. Started focusing more on meditation and leisure reading as of late which has been helpful. Maybe I'll jump back on certs later this year, but the motivation isn't there at the moment.