
Proving Your Worth
AWS security certifications have burst onto the scene in recent years, with more than 13 percent of professionals looking to get certified in cybersecurity specifically pursuing a certification around Amazon Web Services, according to IT training company Global Knowledge.
The AWS Certified Security – Specialty certification can serve as a stepping stone to higher pay, with roughly one-quarter of respondents indicating to Global Knowledge they got a post-certification pay bump due to either their performance in their current job, a promotion within their company or a lateral move to another company.
AWS security certificate-holders most commonly work in cybersecurity, cloud or IT architecture or design, and more than two-thirds have gotten a new certification within the past six months, according to Global Knowledge. The other certifications they hold are either from other vendors like Microsoft or Cisco or vendor-neutral certificates from (ISC)2, CompTIA or ISACA, Global Knowledge found.
This slide show feature recommendations from security experts at eight firms as to how practitioners can maximize the value of their AWS security certifications, examining everything from the proper amount of industry experience and hands-on practice to the recommended certification path to what type of salary bump certificate-holders can expect. AWS did not respond to repeated requests for comment.