Listen to the latest The Security Podcasts: Women in Security edition as we sit down with security veteran Pamela Perini to discuss risk assessments and the importance of certifications.

Historically there has been a shortage of college and university-level education programs focused on the knowledge, skills and competencies required for effective management of corporate security risk-related activities.

According to a Security magazine poll, the Certified Protection Professional (CPP) certification from ASIS International is at the top of 30% of security leaders’ lists of what certifications they plan to obtain this year. The CPP was closely followed by the CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional, from (ISC)²).

The answer to this question is most often “a lot.” When you limit the question to the security industry alone though, the answer can sometimes be “not much,” which is a reflection of the path a candidate takes to enter the profession.

 Afew years ago we published an article on security related certifications that were being marketed as a means to advance your career. At that time there were a relatively small number of certifications that we were seeing listed on resumes. Today, we are still routinely asked which certifications are needed for career advancement or which ones are being requested by hiring managers. Frankly, unless the role has a specific requirement that connects to one of the more technical certifications, for the most part, the hiring authorities are not demanding them.  

ASIS International has announced the 35^th Anniversary of its Security Certifications, now recognized worldwide.