The cases of cyber thefts and data breaches are increasing day by day that leads to organization’s business loss and reputation damage. Because of this, the demand for risk management experts has increased manifolds.
Every company wants to employ professionals who possess the knowledge to assess and control risks. ISACA is a globally recognized association that provides several IT risk management certifications to cater to this demand.
This article will briefly cover different ISACA certificates, their benefits, and ISACA certification costs.
Types of ISACA Certifications
CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor
This certificate authenticates your expertise to audit, control, supervise, and analyze your organizations IT and business systems.
Domains Covered:
- Information Systems Auditing Process
- Governance And Management of IT
- Information Systems Acquisition, Development and Implementation
- Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience
- Protection of Information Assets
Steps to Become CISA Certified:
- A minimum of five years of work experience in any of the prescribed CISA job practice areas.
- Passed CISA exam within the last five years.
- Submit certification application along with processing fees.
Exam Fees:
ISACA member: USD 465 Non-ISACA member: USD 595
The exam fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.
CRISC – Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control
This certificate is a validation badge for your risk management skills. You can identify, handle, and create a strategy to minimize cyber threats that can hinder the company’s business operations.
Domains Covered:
- Governance
- IT Risk Assessment
- Risk Response and Reporting
- Information Technology and Security
Steps to Become CRISC Certified:
- Full-time minimum three years of work experience in any of the prescribed CRISC job practice areas
- Passed the CRISC exam within the last five years.
- Submit certification application along with processing fees.
Exam Fees:
ISACA member: USD 575 Non-ISACA member: USD 760
The exam fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.
CISM – Certified Information Security Manager
This certificate is best to showcase your expertise as an information security manager. You are responsible for managing the company’s information, developing strategies, and having precise know-how of the relationship between the company’s business goals and information security.
Domains Covered:
- Information Security Governance
- Information Risk Management
- Information Security Program Development and Management
- Information Security Incident Management
Steps to Become CISM Certified:
- Full-time minimum five years of work experience in the information security field.
- Passed CISM exam within the last five years.
- Submit certification application along with processing fees.
Exam Fees:
ISACA member: USD 575 Non-ISACA member: USD 760
The exam fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.
CGEIT – Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT
This certificate is specifically designed for IT professionals working in big organizations and is responsible for supporting and managing your enterprise’s IT governance.
Domains Covered:
- Governance of Enterprise IT
- IT Resources
- Benefits Realization
- Risk Optimization
Steps to Become CGEIT Certified:
- Full-time minimum five years of work experience as an advisor or manager, specifically in the IT domain.
- Passed CGEIT exam within the last five years.
- Submit certification application along with processing fees.
Exam Fees:
ISACA member: USD 575 Non-ISACA member: USD 760
The exam fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.
CSX-P – Cybersecurity Practitioner Certification
This certificate validates the cybersecurity skills of a candidate. You must possess the analytical ability to analyze a company’s assets and identify, respond to, and resolve cybersecurity issues.
Domains Covered:
- Business and Security Environment
- Operational Security Readiness
- Threat Detection and Evaluation
- Incident Response and Recovery
Steps to Become CSX-P Certified:
- Any individual with or without experience in the cybersecurity field can take the exam and apply for the certification.
- Submit certification application along with processing fees.
Exam Fees:
ISACA member: USD 549 Non-ISACA member: USD 599
The exam fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.
CDPSE – Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer
This certificate validates your technical skills and knowledge to evaluate, make, and apply comprehensive privacy solutions for your organization to increase efficiency by lessening the occurrence of risks.
Domains Covered:
- Privacy Governance
- Privacy Architecture
- Data Lifecycle
Steps to Become CDPSE Certified:
- Full-time minimum five years of work experience in any of the prescribed CDPSE job practice areas. It is reduced to 3 years if you have any of the other ISACA certificates.
- Passed CDPSE exam within the last five years.
- Submit certification application along with processing fees.
Exam Fees:
ISACA member: USD 695 Non-ISACA member: USD 880
The exam fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.
ITCA – Information Technology Certified Associate
This certificate gives a solid IT foundation to students, graduates, non-IT professionals, and candidates looking for skill enhancement or who want to boost their IT careers.
Domains Covered:
- Computing Fundamentals
- Networks and Infrastructure Fundamentals
- Cybersecurity Fundamentals
- Software Development Fundamentals
- Data Science Fundamentals
Steps to Become ITCA Certified:
- Pass all the exams in the five domains.
- Pay the application fee and apply for approval. Once the application is approved, your certificate will be available in MyISACA.
Exam Fees:
ISACA member: USD 120 Non-ISACA member: USD 150
The exam fee is non-refundable and non-transferable.
CET – Certified in Emerging Technology Certification
This certificate authenticates your expertise to independently analyze and handle technical assignments and solve complex technical problems using leading-edge emerging technologies within an organization.
Domains Covered:
- Cloud Fundamentals
- Blockchain Fundamentals
- IoT Fundamentals
- Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals
Steps to Become CET Certified:
- Pass all the exams in the four disciplines.
- Pay the application fee and apply for approval.
ISACA Certification Cost & Maintenance
Once you get your certificate, you must follow specific rules to ISACA’s Code of Professional Ethics and Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Policy.
Certification Maintenance Cost:
For members: USD 45 For non-members: USD 85
However, if you hold more than two ISACA certifications, the renewal cost for the 3rd certificate onwards is reduced to USD 25 for members and USD 50 for non-members.
All the certification costs covered in this post are true to our knowledge but are subject to change from time to time. Though we continuously update our site with the latest information, it is advised to check all the information on the ISACA’s official website.
ISACA Certification Benefits
Modern age enterprises know how important it is to employ security and risk management experts for smooth business operations. Getting an ISACA certificate is an excellent way to prove your expertise to manage threats. Today, some companies are even ready to bear ISACA certification costs to train their employees in combating the risks involved.
Here are a few benefits of getting ISACA certified:
The certificates are globally recognized and open doors to both onshore and offshore job opportunities.
You gain up-to-date knowledge. Your ability to analyze risks, create a plan to lower the chances of their occurrence, and implement, evaluate, and manage the program successfully, increases manifolds.
It allows you to outshine your peers with similar educational backgrounds and experiences.
As a certified ISACA expert, you can draw a much higher salary package than non-certified risk management professional.
You get access to the ISACA community and continuing education forum that enables you to stay updated about the latest techniques to fight threats. You are an asset to your company, and the company will hardly ever fire such employees.
As a risk management employee, you create effective threat handling strategies and guide employees from other departments to successfully execute a project. You help maintain your organization’s market reputation and reduce financial losses by identifying and implementing information systems controls to combat risks.
To Sum It Up
Here we have discussed various certificates offered by ISACA, the domains they cover, their benefits, and ISACA certification cost. The sole purpose of all the certificates is to create an army of risk management professionals worldwide to chalk out practical solutions to handle cyber threats and enable smooth business transactions that ultimately lead to economic growth.
ISACA certified professionals are so desirable that private firms and organizations hire them, but government agencies also look for such candidates while hiring personnel with access to sensitive data.
If you are still confused about whether to take the exam, let us tell you that the value you receive after getting certified is much higher than its cost. As you are backed with expertise to handle real-world threats, your demand increases as you can play a crucial role to take the company to new heights by implementing risk management techniques.
If you want more information on any of the certificates mentioned above, you can ask for the same in the comments below. We would be happy to guide you.
