IT Certification Roadmap

Optional — skip if you already work in IT

Best first cert if completely new to IT

Vendor-neutral networking fundamentals

Enterprise networks, SD-WAN, advanced routing

Firepower, ISE, secure access

The gold standard — lab exam required

Recommended alongside Security+ — network knowledge is essential for security

Offensive security, penetration testing methodology

Blue team, threat detection, SOC operations

Penetration testing and vulnerability assessment

Hands-on practical pen testing — highly respected

Management-level security — requires 5 years experience

Firewall, VPN, ISE — enterprise security focus

Ethical hacking, penetration testing, red team

Security management — requires 5 years experience