Defense Department Accepts Tough CompTIA Cert in Networking Security

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The Department of Defense now accepts a new CompTIA networking security certification that it helped create, according to Network World.

DoD accepts the CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP) cert under its Information Assurance Workforce Improvement Program as a baseline certification for Information Assurance Technical Level III, IS Manager Level II, and IA Systems Architect and Engineer Levels I and II. It’s now among the exams that apply to employees and contractors.

Terry Erdle, CompTIA executive vice president for skills certification, calls it the trade organization’s toughest exam for networking security.

CompTIA suggests those taking the exam have at least 10 years of experience in IT administration and at least five years of hands-on technical experience.

The exam covers topics including cryptography and certificate management, virtualization security, knowledge of enterprise storage, vulnerability management, SCADA, VoIP and IP6 protocols.

Though the Defense Department plans a massive boost in its cybersecurity work force, its training has been criticized. The DoD is in the midst of redesigning its certification policy, creating job-specific requirements.

Meanwhile, cybersecurity positions were among the highest paid for IT professionals with security clearances, according to a survey of more than 16,300 security-cleared professionals by ClearanceJobs.com.

The average total compensation was $101,198, reports Nextgov, though there were more lucrative IT jobs with clearances:

• Software programmers, $107,471
• Software or systems engineers, $108,064
• Program or project managers for technology, $114,917

Overall, though, the site noted a 3 percent drop in average compensation overall to $88,447 in 2012. It cited troop withdrawals from the Middle East and lower starting pay for new hires as reasons for the decline.