RE: Network Security Certification

["Feeney, Tim" <Tim.Feeney () fmr com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bennett Todd [SMTP:bet () rahul net]
> Sent: Thursday, April 30, 1998 6:45 AM
> To:   Shane Mason
> Cc:   firewall-wizards () nfr net
> Subject:      Re: Network Security Certification
>
> 1998-04-29-16:34:52 Shane Mason:
> > If you are a "security professional", or want to be, I would
> recommend
> > taking a certification course [...]
>
> Good point! And if you're trying to hire a "security professional"
> then
> looking for such certifications will probably expedite your process.
>
> If however you're an actual security professional and no quotes, you
> may
> want to avoid a certification; you don't want to look like an
> incompetant who has gone out and spent time and money to try and pad
> your resume. And you probably don't want to consider working in places
> so badly-managed that they regard such certification as a plus.
>
> -Bennett
        [>]  I am compelled to disagree with this point.  Given that
there are no school degrees available for information security
professionals, a certificate would allow a company to better evaluate an
individual. As a poor example would you rather take your Rolls Royce
(since we all make well into six figure incomes :^) to a certified
mechanic or Joe's garage?  I would rather take it to the certified
mechanic, and then ask questions and probably ask for references.  The
certificate only tells me that this person passed a test that shows that
they can probably fix most of the typical problems with my car.  It does
not say whether or not they can tell me that my 1996 Rolls is prone to
this type of problem, as apposed to my 1997 Rolls.  On the other hand if
my friend who has a Rolls has been using a mechanic, with no
certificate, for years and is very happy with him/her then I would
probably go to that mechanic.

        It again comes down to a balancing act.  The certificate carries
some weight, but should not off-set experience.  It has always been a
given that a computer science degree does not mean that you can program
only that you have some basic knowledge and an ability to learn.

        Tim


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