Quick question about (ISC)2.

MSP-IT

Is the Associate of (ISC)2 considered a certification? Seeing as I do not have any of the required 5 years of security experience required for the CISSP, I want a certification I can tack on to my resume in order to be recognized, along with Security+ and CCNA Security.

Thanks.

JayTheCracker

following this one, i also wanna know....
i also don't have 5 years job exp... but, wanna work onto this one...

emerald_octane

It absolutely is not considered a certification, but rather a designation that is awarded to you while you peruse the required experience. The official title is "Associate of ISC2 Toward CISSP".

As usually mentioned in these types of threads, the pros and cons are below:

Cons:

• It is not considered a certification.
• You will not receive any type of certificate or card indicating that you are an associate of ISC2 (but the members area of ISC2 will reflect this)
• Your information will not come up on the ISC2 Credential verification page which may confuse potential employers.
• Still required to keep up with AMFs & CPEs (at a lesser amount than full blown CISSP).

Pros:

• You may use the title "Associate of ISC2 Toward CISSP" on your resume (so you get to still use CISSP somewhere and let prospective employers decide for themselves).
• Full access to ISC2 portal including the mailing lists and mailings for events, discounts and such.
• Much longer deadline to apply for fully credentialed status (obviously).
• Able to get the test out of the way and work on other certifications in the meantime which also count towards your CPEs if you do it correctly (credited for time spent).
• Prestige (ok, this is debatable, but I definitely saw a salary/responsibility increase for becoming an Associate.)

MSP-IT

emerald_octane wrote: »

It absolutely is not considered a certification, but rather a designation that is awarded to you while you peruse the required experience. The official title is "Associate of ISC2 Toward CISSP".

As usually mentioned in these types of threads, the pros and cons are below:

Cons:

• It is not considered a certification.
• You will not receive any type of certificate or card indicating that you are an associate of ISC2 (but the members area of ISC2 will reflect this)
• Your information will not come up on the ISC2 Credential verification page which may confuse potential employers.
• Still required to keep up with AMFs & CPEs (at a lesser amount than full blown CISSP).

Pros:

• You may use the title "Associate of ISC2 Toward CISSP" on your resume (so you get to still use CISSP somewhere and let prospective employers decide for themselves).
• Full access to ISC2 portal including the mailing lists and mailings for events, discounts and such.
• Much longer deadline to apply for fully credentialed status (obviously).
• Able to get the test out of the way and work on other certifications in the meantime which also count towards your CPEs if you do it correctly (credited for time spent).
• Prestige (ok, this is debatable, but I definitely saw a salary/responsibility increase for becoming an Associate.)

Exactly what I wanted. Though it's unfortunate that you don't receive a certification. As an Associate yourself, how do you use the title on your resume?

emerald_octane

I personally merged my education and certification sections to simply "Education, Certifications and Designations", and include all the relevant info (including "Associate of ISC2 Toward CISSP") under this heading. IMO it is extremely sloppy and when I am awarded the full CISSP certification, I will split the sections back to Education and Certifications.

JayTheCracker

emerald_octane wrote: »

Cons:

• You will not receive any type of certificate or card indicating that you are an associate of ISC2 (but the members area of ISC2 will reflect this)

ekkkk....... seriously ??? won't get even a pdf stating that "associate of ISC2" ? ><

emerald_octane

yup. nothing. You get the email that says you passed and are associate of isc2, and you can look at your member profile on the website which will also reflect this status. Otherwise none of the good stuff.

JDMurray

Also, Associates of the (ISC)2 are required to collect CPEs and pay $35US/yr in AMF.

badrottie

A designation usually has a code of ethics and continuing education requirements. A certification just tests a body of knowledge in a specific area.

A better way of thinking is: a designation can last an entire professional career (due to ongoing education), but certifications will invariably change, expire or become obsolete.