Authored by Derrick Jackson & Co-Author Lisa Yu Most people think cloud certifications are just technical checkboxes. They’re wrong. The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate certification stands out as the most widely held credential, with 54% of AWS professionals holding this specific certification, placing it far ahead of others like the Cloud Practitioner (37%) and Developer – […]
Authored by Derrick Jackson & Co-Author Lisa Yu CC – Certified in Cybersecurity Overview: August 31, 2022. That’s when (ISC)² launched something different in cybersecurity education. Not another expensive barrier to entry, but a genuinely accessible pathway into the field. The CC certification breaks the traditional mold. While most cybersecurity credentials demand years of experience or thousands in […]
Authored by Derrick Jackson & Co-Author Lisa Yu SSCP Certification Overview: PayScale surveyed 553 SSCP certification holders in 2025. Average base salary: $84,000 (PayScale SSCP Salary Data). Not bad for a credential most people haven’t heard of. The Systems Security Certified Practitioner targets a specific niche. You’re not the CISO making boardroom presentations. You’re configuring firewalls. Managing user […]
Authored by Derrick Jackson & Co-Author Lisa Yu CCSP Certification Overview for 2025: Why This Certification Commands $171,524 Average Salary Cloud breaches cost companies an average of $5.17 million per incident, according to IBM’s 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report¹. Most organizations rushing to the cloud don’t realize they’re fundamentally changing their security responsibilities. The old perimeter-based […]
Authored by Derrick Jackson & Co-Author Lisa Yu Why Network+ Still Matters When Everything’s Going Cloud-Native Cloud computing didn’t eliminate networking. It made it exponentially more complex. Organizations thought they’d move everything to the cloud and networking would become someone else’s problem. Instead, they discovered hybrid environments require deeper networking knowledge than ever before. You’re not just managing […]
Authored by Derrick Jackson & Co-Author Lisa Yu CompTIA A+ Certification: Your IT Career Starts Here March 19, 1993. Remember that date. I am sure half of the people reading this might not have even been born yet! That’s when the first person earned a CompTIA A+ certification. Back then, computer repair was the Wild […]
Authored by Derrick Jackson & Co-Author Lisa Yu CISSP Certification Overview Most cybersecurity leadership roles don’t require you to be a coding wizard. Surprising, right? The reality is that cybersecurity management is fundamentally different from hands-on technical work. It’s not about configuring individual security tools or conducting forensic analysis. It’s about designing, implementing, and managing the overall security […]
Authored by Derrick Jackson & Co-Author Lisa Yu AIGP Certification Overview Most AI compliance jobs don’t require coding. Surprising, right? The AIGP (Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional) certification has become a gateway into $80,000-$120,000 roles for people without technical backgrounds. Former HR managers, project coordinators, and business analysts are landing these positions based on one skill: understanding how to […]
Take Your Entry-Level Security Role Hunt to The Next Level Are you curious about how to break into information security? Maybe you love solving puzzles, enjoy learning how things work, or want a career that puts you at the forefront of defending organizations? Maybe you just want to maintain and increase your pay in a […]