WHY is my CISSP important to me?
Why did I do it? Why did I torture myself to obtain a certification that has me even more scrutinized by interviewers than if I didn't hold this coveted certification?
As I read the blog that so many of us visited recently about a CISSP being useless (dramatic effect with the image of said bloggers burning said cert), I wondered if what he said made any sense? My answer: Of course some of the things he said makes sense...to him and to others anyway. And if I am to remain objective, I have to say that he even struck a chord with me. However, that article reads more like Political Rhetorical commentary from a 'Joe the Plumber" type of talking head on FauxNews, or AL SHarpton type on MSLSD.
I didn't take this test and pass it so I could move up in the DoD world, as having a CISSP only gets me up the ladder maybe another two steps or so. Pay increases are considerable, mind you, but I am the type who likes money insofar as it pays the bills and lets me travel and stay healthy; so money ain't the reason.
Expectation from myself and my peers: I like to talk. I talk a LOT. I also write a lot. And I want to expand my vision and my passion for sharing the necessity of enhancing Information Security throughout the commercial world. I can write and talk all day about many InfoSec subjects: from Wikileaks and whether Assange is the epitome of d-baggery, to the Freedom Of Information Act, and the necessity to keep secrets secret to save the lives of men and women in uniform, not to mention Intel agents who keep us safe from harm who need their identities and those of their informants to remain alive and covert. But at the end of the day, I am passionate about the fact that we in the Information Security community MUST focus on establishing policies, procedures and practices that people MUST perform, along with proper hardware and software as part of the overall effort to effectively inhibit the successes of Advanced Persistent Threats. I talk about that, I write about that, and getting my CISSP helped me to have the confidence to share my passion with others.
I now know more than ever that mine is a voice that would NOT be heard without my certification in place, and not just because it personally boosted my self-confidence to get it. I know PhD's who are out of work because they forgot why they went for their education; they lost their passion for why they obtained it in the first place. To me, my CISSP is a symbol that is truly reflective of my passion for the service I wish to provide as an InfoSec warrior and a symbol of a truly EPIC journey.
It is important that I use my passion and my skills to the fullest to keep our profession valid and ethical. Selling myself, my ideas, and my ideals is what I must do and will do to sustain value for other CISSP holders. Burning it in a cynical act is not really a pro-active approach, in my humble opinion. That gentleman in question obtained his cert for reasons of his own that probably never measured up to my own goals and ideals for obtaining the same.
Much Aloha
As I read the blog that so many of us visited recently about a CISSP being useless (dramatic effect with the image of said bloggers burning said cert), I wondered if what he said made any sense? My answer: Of course some of the things he said makes sense...to him and to others anyway. And if I am to remain objective, I have to say that he even struck a chord with me. However, that article reads more like Political Rhetorical commentary from a 'Joe the Plumber" type of talking head on FauxNews, or AL SHarpton type on MSLSD.
I didn't take this test and pass it so I could move up in the DoD world, as having a CISSP only gets me up the ladder maybe another two steps or so. Pay increases are considerable, mind you, but I am the type who likes money insofar as it pays the bills and lets me travel and stay healthy; so money ain't the reason.
Expectation from myself and my peers: I like to talk. I talk a LOT. I also write a lot. And I want to expand my vision and my passion for sharing the necessity of enhancing Information Security throughout the commercial world. I can write and talk all day about many InfoSec subjects: from Wikileaks and whether Assange is the epitome of d-baggery, to the Freedom Of Information Act, and the necessity to keep secrets secret to save the lives of men and women in uniform, not to mention Intel agents who keep us safe from harm who need their identities and those of their informants to remain alive and covert. But at the end of the day, I am passionate about the fact that we in the Information Security community MUST focus on establishing policies, procedures and practices that people MUST perform, along with proper hardware and software as part of the overall effort to effectively inhibit the successes of Advanced Persistent Threats. I talk about that, I write about that, and getting my CISSP helped me to have the confidence to share my passion with others.
I now know more than ever that mine is a voice that would NOT be heard without my certification in place, and not just because it personally boosted my self-confidence to get it. I know PhD's who are out of work because they forgot why they went for their education; they lost their passion for why they obtained it in the first place. To me, my CISSP is a symbol that is truly reflective of my passion for the service I wish to provide as an InfoSec warrior and a symbol of a truly EPIC journey.
It is important that I use my passion and my skills to the fullest to keep our profession valid and ethical. Selling myself, my ideas, and my ideals is what I must do and will do to sustain value for other CISSP holders. Burning it in a cynical act is not really a pro-active approach, in my humble opinion. That gentleman in question obtained his cert for reasons of his own that probably never measured up to my own goals and ideals for obtaining the same.
Much Aloha
Comments
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H-bomb
Member Posts: 129 ■■■□□□□□□□
Good read. Keep in mind, most people that say this cert is "useless/worthless" don't have any certs.
