The SANS Institute is a private U.S. for-profit company founded in 1989 that specializes in information security, cybersecurity training, and selling certificates. Topics available for training include cyber and network defenses, penetration testing, incident response, digital forensics, and auditing. The information security courses are developed through a consensus process involving administrators, security managers, and information security professionals. The courses cover security fundamentals and technical aspects of information security. The institute has been recognized for its training programs and certification programs. Per 2021, SANS is the world’s largest cybersecurity research and training organization. SANS is an acronym for SysAdmin, Audit, Network, and Security.
An IT administrator, system administrator, sysadmin, or admin is a person who is responsible for the upkeep, configuration, and reliable operation of computer systems, especially multi-user computers, such as servers. The system administrator seeks to ensure that the uptime, performance, resources, and security of the computers they manage meet the needs of the users, without exceeding a set budget when doing so.
CISSP is an independent information security certification granted by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, also known as ISC2.
CCNA is an entry-level information technology (IT) certification offered by Cisco Systems. CCNA certification is widely recognized in the IT industry as the foundational step for careers in IT positions and networking roles.
ISACA is an international professional association focused on IT governance. On its IRS filings, it is known as the Information Systems Audit and Control Association, although ISACA now goes by its acronym only. ISACA currently offers 8 certification programs, as well as other micro-certificates.
The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) is a nonprofit, non-advocacy membership association founded in 2000. It provides a forum for privacy professionals to share best practices, track trends, advance privacy management issues, standardize the designations for privacy professionals, and to provide education and guidance on career opportunities in the field of information privacy. The IAPP offers a full suite of educational and professional development services, including privacy training, certification programs, publications and annual conferences. It is headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
The Linux Professional Institute Certification (LPIC) Program is the core certification program offered by the Linux Professional Institute (LPI). LPI offers three different certification tracks: an introductory Essentials Track, the Linux Professional Track, and an Open Technology Track for professionals working with additional technologies such as DevOps and BSD.
Certification is part of testing, inspection and certification and the provision by an independent body of written assurance that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of an object, person, or organization. This confirmation is often, but not always, provided by some form of external review, education, assessment, or audit. Accreditation is a specific organization's process of certification. According to the U.S. National Council on Measurement in Education, a certification test is a credentialing test used to determine whether individuals are knowledgeable enough in a given occupational area to be labeled "competent to practice" in that area.
Red Hat, an IBM subsidiary specializing in computer software, offers different level of certification programs, most of which specialize in system administration. Certifications can be validated through Red Hat webpage, and expire after 3 years.
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) is a qualification given by EC-Council and obtained by demonstrating knowledge of assessing the security of computer systems by looking for vulnerabilities in target systems, using the same knowledge and tools as a malicious hacker, but in a lawful and legitimate manner to assess the security posture of a target system. This knowledge is assessed by answering multiple choice questions regarding various ethical hacking techniques and tools. The code for the CEH exam is 312–50. This certification has now been made a baseline with a progression to the CEH (Practical), launched in March 2018, a test of penetration testing skills in a lab environment where the candidate must demonstrate the ability to apply techniques and use penetration testing tools to compromise various simulated systems within a virtual environment.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to information technology:
Convergence Technologies Professional was a certification program designed to ensure that all convergence workers have a proper foundation for using the technologies associated with Voice over IP. Individuals can take the CTP+ exam to demonstrate their knowledge of technologies and best practices including codecs, network planning, troubleshooting, providing quality video, and voice over data networks. The certification was retired in 2011.
The Institute for the Certification of Computing Professionals (ICCP) is a non-profit institution for professional certification in the Computer engineering and Information technology industry. It was founded in 1973 by 8 professional computer societies to promote certification and professionalism in the industry, lower the cost of development and administration of certification for all of the societies and act as the central resource for job standards and performance criteria.
Offensive Security Certified Professional is an ethical hacking certification offered by Offensive Security that teaches penetration testing methodologies and the use of the tools included with the Kali Linux distribution. The OSCP is a hands-on penetration testing certification, requiring holders to successfully attack and penetrate various live machines in a safe lab environment. It is considered more technical than other ethical hacking certifications, and is one of the few certifications that requires evidence of practical penetration testing skills.
The International Electrical Testing Association (NETA), formerly the National Electrical Testing Association, is a trade association dedicated to improving electrical testing standards in the United States and sharing those standards internationally. NETA is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as a standards developing entity. It is guided by an active Board of Directors consisting of professionals within the electrical testing industry. The Board meets quarterly for official meetings. Board members also participate on various NETA committees, such as the Standards Review Council, Certification Exam, Membership, Finance, Association Development and Strategy, Promotions and Marketing, Nominations and Mission Based Programs.
The International Information System Security Certification Consortium, or ISC2, is a non-profit organization which specializes in training and certifications for cybersecurity professionals. It has been described as the "world's largest IT security organization". The most widely known certification offered by ISC2 is the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification.
Offensive Security is an American international company working in information security, penetration testing and digital forensics. Operating from around 2007, the company created open source projects, advanced security courses, the ExploitDB vulnerability database, and the Kali Linux distribution. The company was started by Mati Aharoni, and employs security professionals with experience in security penetration testing and system security evaluation. The company has provided security counseling and training to many technology companies.
William "Chuck" Easttom II is an American computer scientist specializing in cyber security, cryptography, quantum computing, and systems engineering.
ExploitDB, sometimes stylized as Exploit Database or Exploit-Database, is a public and open source vulnerability database maintained by Offensive Security. It is one of the largest and most popular exploit databases in existence. While the database is publicly available via their website, the database can also be used by utilizing the searchsploit command-line tool which is native to Kali Linux.
