CySA+: Benefits for Employers [updated 2021]

Introduction

The Ancient Romans had a saying of “Cui bono?” or “who benefits?” In English, this phrase is applied to who gains benefits from an action being carried out. Applied to the world of today’s Information Security workforce, employers that hire Information Security professionals with CompTIA’s Cyber Security Analyst certification, or CySA+, are the ones who truly benefit. This article will detail the ways in which employers that hire or employ Information Security professionals can benefit from this certification, from the fact that they are employing professionals that can certify a very usable skillset to other ways to use the skillset certified by CySA+.

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What is CySA+?

Hosted by CompTIA, CySA+ is an intermediate level, professional IT workforce certification. Since its inception in 2017, CySA+ has certified proficiency in the application of behavioral analytics to detect, prevent, and combat cyberattacks against organization networks and devices.

Who Wants to Earn CySA+?

CySA+ was intended for more than just the name implies – that being for cyber security analysts. Any Information Security professional that uses a cyber security skillset and wants to prove their worth to employers will want to earn this certification. Employers with a security team will want at least one team member to have this certification, especially those team members tasked with more cyber security-centered responsibilities. 

Benefits for Employers

Without further delving into CySA+ background details, let’s jump right in and explore how exactly employing organizations can benefit from having Information Security professionals with CySA+ certifications on their rosters.

Certified Expertise and Proficiency

More than any other benefit, and as blindingly obvious as this may sound, employers benefit the most internally when they hire CySA+ certification holders. Remember, this certification has a straightforward purpose which is to certify that the holder can speak to the skills and knowledge contained in the certification exam. This translates into higher-level personnel that can, without a doubt, exercise high-level cyber security skills in the organizational environment. Simply put, it is proof that the employer has hired professionals that prove and attest to their high skill level with the expectation that this will translate into more effective employees. 

Raising the Employer’s Standards

Having a CySA+ certification holder employed by an organization will make the employer look better in their respective industry. CySA+ will help to establish the use of global security standards within the employer organization which will elevate the employer’s skillset standards when hiring subsequent Information Security professionals. The in-depth skills and knowledge verified by CySA+ can be used as a measuring stick that can help ensure that progressively better skilled employees will join the employer’s ranks. Other organizations in the employer’s industry will arguably take note of this and may even follow suit themselves. 

Helping to Further Employee Career Paths

While this benefit is mirrored on the employee’s end of things, employers will benefit by having a CySA+ holder on staff due to the career enhancing effect that this certification bestows upon its holder. CySA+ holders will be more motivated and more likely to continue earning further Information Security certifications that will further broaden employee skillsets. These employees can then be promoted from within to fill higher level positions, thereby reducing resources required to source these advanced professionals.

Big Returns for Such a Small Investment

One of the most powerful benefits to employers, specifically for those that have sponsored their employees in earning this certification, is the relatively small cost. As of the time of writing this article, CompTIA is charging under $400 for the certification exam fee. If employee certification candidates will not be taking any training courses or bootcamps this is essentially the only cost for the certification aside from preparation materials. This is a miniscule price for an employer to pay for the boost in skills and knowledge that the CySA+ gives employers.

Other Ways Employers Can Use CySA+

Having a CySA+ holder around means that the overall cyber security condition of the employer will necessarily improve (if the employer wants to, that is). With the ever-present intertwining of the business and cyber worlds, employers are more and more faced with the cyber security issues facing the business world. From malware to phishing campaigns, these issues can take away from production time and cost employers serious money. Employers that have a CySA+ holder on board can have the holder help tighten the employer’s cyber security policies and procedures, and more important than anything, offer high-quality cyber security training to the organization’s employees. This will strengthen the cyber security resolve of the employer’s operation as a whole because end user employees are the targets of most cyberattacks. The good thing is this is all easily within the knowledge-base of CySA+ certification holders and they will generally be happy to offer this benefit to the employer. 

Conclusion

When most think of certifications such as CySA+, they stop at the benefits that the certifications holders gain. However, the organization that employs the CySA+ certification holder benefits significantly as well. Employers that hire CySA+ holders (or sponsor the earning of this certification) will have higher skilled employees, more skillset clout in the industry, employees who are more motivated to grow their own skill-sets, and a stronger cybersecurity environment within their organization. 

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References

1. https://certification.comptia.org/certifications/cybersecurity-analyst#overview
2. https://www.infotectraining.com/blog/comptia-cysa%2B-certification-for-your-employees
3. https://www.edusum.com/blog/comptia-cybersecurity-analyst-certification-worth-it-2019
4. /average-comptia-cybersecurity-analyst-salary/