The paper that these certifications are written on, is worth less than the paper to wipe my butt!

But, to the 'HR bunnies' (recruiters that claim that they know the industry, do nothing to promote it, except fill their pocketbooks, and are popping up like rabbits) out there that don't know the first thing about computers, think in their infantile wisdom that because someone has a certification that they know more than everyone else?

Guess again.

I know more 'security professionals' who aren't because they don't have a certification or formal education (or in some cases, both). These people can't seem to get that job as the 'security professional' because some dip who can read a manual, memorize it, then take a test is getting a high paying job -- just because they're certified. This is wrong. Yet... the *real* 'security professionals' (OK, I will say the nasty, bad word -- 'hackers') who were once bad, and now have righted their wrongs, know more about the infrastructure, have more of a passion for computers, and thirst for knowledge and understanding -- than ANYONE ELSE I HAVE KNOWN.

Yet, these are the same people who are currently out of work right now -- ALL BECAUSE SOME PERSON IN HR THINKS THAT THEY ARNE'T QUALIFIED ENOUGH BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR CERTIFICATION.

We're going to rely on our nation's financial stability based on some people who barely know how to spell 'Ethernet' (and in most cases, cannot pronounce it properly, either)? These are the same people who will get jobs doing work for our national government, convince people in power and management to do things that would make most decent technicians cringe.

What it translates to is this: people who are good at smoozing other people out of their money. Period. Plain and simple, and they are not concerned about your company's infrastructure well-being, either. And if you think that most of these so-called certified 'security professionals' could blindly work their way out of a subway tunnel during an ice storm in the middle of July -- guess again. Most of them are nothing more than bureaucratic, hyped-up non-technical 'yes people', who suck up to corporate management at the first sign of trouble.

Is this what Corporate America wants? Because, if it does ...

... we're in for some VERY rough waters in the near future.

I am working on establishing my own certification, too. It's the 'Certified Technological Sanitation Disposal Engineer', one who specializes in technological sluggery along with other greenish or brownish ooze. The test is simple: answer 1 to 2 questions, pay me $50, and be given a realistically looking certificate saying that you've successfully passed/completed the CTSDE examination. If at all, this should have the 'HR bunnies' scratching their paws for a few months... ;)

I have 3 degrees, all of which are in field of topics relating to business and/or computers. I have over 17 years experience in IT, and you can't tell me that I can't get a job because I am not certified? This is often the exact same question asked by many (more than) *qualified* technical people out there right now, who are US citizens, have several degrees, or can show that they've several years of experience under their belts -- you are *still* out of work.

Why?

Go back to the 'HR Bunny Theory' concept. The 'HR Bunny' only *knows* what to eliminate, not what to keep. And in many cases right now, has to weed through hundreds, if not thousands, of resumes daily. But NOT having a certification is NO EXCUSE for being lazy about and saying, 'Well, because he/she has excellent qualification, but because they don't have CBFD certification, we cannot hire them.' And, of course, they would like to say that the hiring manager is the one who dictates the requirements. Not always. I know several colleagues who are recruiters, and this is a lame excuse of an excuse. Translation: they're weasling their way out. Don't let them do it.

What we need are more recruiters *AND* managers to look at the 'Big Picture'. Wouldn't you rather have these hackers on *YOUR* side, protecting your software and hardware, instead of them being OUTSIDE??? Think about it.

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Link to this comment: http://www.securityfocus.com/comments/columns/118/17039#17039