Marketplace data and thoughts from Synesys
Group – where we care about YOUR career.
© 2016-2018 Synesys Group, all rights reserved. v1.0
How Will YOU
Invest in and Manage the
Cybersecurity Aspects of YOUR Career?
How Will YOU Invest in and Manage the Cybersecurity Aspects of YOUR Career?
© 2016-2018 Synesys Group, an Arizona USA corporation; all rights reserved. v1.0 Page 2
Questions and Answers for YOU
What’s the job and career market like in cybersecurity?
What do cybersecurity career progressions look like?
How does this progression affect salaries?
Where are the jobs?
SIDEBAR: Common Job Titles
SIDEBAR: How best select Cybersecurity training?
What professional knowledge and certification(s) would most enhance YOUR career, salary and
prestige?
Synesys Group offers YOU training for some of the most-requested highest-paid certifications.
(ISC)2 Certified Information Systems Security (CISSP)
ISACA Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
CompTIA Security+
(ISC)2 Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
ISACA Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)
CompTIA Network+
What if YOU want an intense exposure to Cybersecurity related topics, but not a certification …
at least not yet?
How can YOU best acquire the knowledge, and if you wish, pass certification exams?
What is distinct about Synesys Group boot camps?
What about cybersecurity exposure in part-day or single-day workshops?
Looking for a higher position, productivity, visibility or kudos – for YOURSELF or your team?
Would YOUR organization benefit from 45–120-minute technical presentations or keynote talks
on topics such as:
Are YOU employed by the US or Canadian military or federal government?
Who are Synesys Group and Bill Curd, PhD?
How do YOU contact Synesys Group?
Email: [email protected]
Office phone: 480-717-4136
How can YOU encourage Synesys Group to conduct training in YOUR organization or community?
Join Synesys Group President Bill Curd, PhD’s
11,000-member professional on LinkedIn at
https://www.linkedin.com/in/billcurd.
How Will YOU Invest in and Manage the Cybersecurity Aspects of YOUR Career?
© 2016-2018 Synesys Group, an Arizona USA corporation; all rights reserved. v1.0 Page 3
For companies
For professional or non-profit organizations
For individuals
Notes
References
What’s the job and career market like in cybersecurity?
COMPUTERWORLD reported in May 2017:
Moneymaking certs are in cybersecurity
Certifications in cybersecurity hold the top spots for salary. This year, six of the top 20 are
cybersecurity certifications and four are listed in the top five: ISACA’s CRISC, CISM, CISA and CISSP.
Top cybersecurity certification salaries range from an average of $110,634 for a CISA certification to
$127,507 for a CRISC certification. …
Higher salaries, better work performance, business support and the proliferation of certifications in
the workplace all point to a worthwhile investment. With no signs of slowing down, it's a perfect
opportunity to take advantage of their benefits.
GoCertify reported, “Cybersecurity is one of the hottest fields in information technology and skilled-
cybersecurity professionals are in high demand.”
Tom’sIT PRO reported in December 2017: “If you’re serious about advancing your career in the IT field
and are interested in specializing in security, certification is a great choice. It’s an effective way to validate
your skills and show a current or prospective employer that you’re qualified and properly trained.”
In mid-2018 for the USA, CyberSeek™ reported “Cybersecurity talent gaps exist across the country”, with
301,873 job openings and a Very Low cybersecurity workforce supply/demand ratio.
In March 2016, DARKReading reported, “Cybersecurity job postings grew by 91% between 2010 and 2014,
faster than overall IT jobs. The demand for cybersecurity professionals shows no signs of slowing down
given the increasing rise of cyberattacks and threats on businesses and government agencies.”
Consider CyberSeek’s data contrasting the number of certification holders versus the number of openings
requesting certifications:
How Will YOU Invest in and Manage the Cybersecurity Aspects of YOUR Career?
© 2016-2018 Synesys Group, an Arizona USA corporation; all rights reserved. v1.0 Page 4
Think about 27,427 job openings requesting CISM certification in a population of only 12,428 CISM-
certified professionals (presumably already employed); more job openings requesting CISA than the entire
population of existing CISAs.
Think about CyberSeek’s data on job openings requesting
cybersecurity certifications. Even though many professionals
already hold CompTIA’s Security+, an intermediate-level
cybersecurity certification, there are still 33,529 job openings
requesting it.
According to CyberSeek, the gold standard advanced cybersecurity
certification CISSP has more job openings requesting it (78,523)
than the entire population holding it (presumably already
employed).
0 40,000 80,000 120,000 160,000
Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP)
CompTIA Security+
CERTIFICATION HOLDERS / OPENINGS REQUESTING CERTIFICATION
Openings requesting certification Certification holders
CERTIFICATION OPEN JOBS
CISSP 78,523
CISA 40,681
CompTIA Security+ 33,529
CISM 27,427
CIPP 1,972
How Will YOU Invest in and Manage the Cybersecurity Aspects of YOUR Career?
© 2016-2018 Synesys Group, an Arizona USA corporation; all rights reserved. v1.0 Page 5
What do cybersecurity career progressions look like?
We invite you to explore CyberSeek’s interactive graphics at https://www.cyberseek.org/pathway.html to
see career pathways as well as the number of job openings and average salary for each position. It is
important to note that there are huge numbers (often tens of thousands) of unfilled job openings for
every position on this illustration.
How does this progression affect salaries?
According to The Narrow Ladder: The Value of Industry Certifications in the Job Market, October 2017:
Beginner Intermediate Advanced Expert
Certification A+ Security+
Network+
CISA
CISSP
CGEIT
CISM
Salary Premium
over Beginner
N/A 10% ($4,870) 26% ($12,310) 45% ($20,691)
How Will YOU Invest in and Manage the Cybersecurity Aspects of YOUR Career?
© 2016-2018 Synesys Group, an Arizona USA corporation; all rights reserved. v1.0 Page 6
They noted that
IT specializations such as Security Technologies and Network and Cloud Technologies offer good
examples of stackable credentials at work. In these areas, certifications create a clear career ladder,
validating qualifications at each career stage. Employers regularly use them as selection criteria for
hiring and promotion. Indeed, we found significant salary premiums at each stage as the level of
certification requested goes up. Take Security Technologies for an example: compared to a beginner-
level salary, an intermediate-level certification’s salary premium is 10% higher, an advanced
certification is 26% higher, and an expert certification can offer a premium of as much as 45%. That is
equivalent to more than $20,000 per year.
Where are the jobs?
CyberSeek™ Cybersecurity Supply/Demand Heat Map
Burningglass Technologies published “Infographic: The Geography of Cybersecurity Jobs, 2015” with
interactive graphics geographically showing total job postings, percentage growth, and geographic
concentration ca. 2014.
What professional knowledge and certification(s) would most enhance YOUR
career, salary and prestige?
DARKReading reports, “Earning a security credential can help you open the door to a great job.”
How Will YOU Invest in and Manage the Cybersecurity Aspects of YOUR Career?
© 2016-2018 Synesys Group, an Arizona USA corporation; all rights reserved. v1.0 Page 7
Certified Information Systems
Security Professional (CISSP)
was the 3rd most requested
certification across all
occupations (after only CPA
and PMP and before
Automotive Service
Excellence).
The highest-salary positions
are held by those with
broader, managerial-level
certifications such as CISSP,
CRISC, CISM, CISA, and CGEIT rather than narrow, more
technical and hands-on certifications. Synesys Group focuses on the former. In 2016,
DARKReading observed that, “The biggest demand is more for folks with blended technical
domains.”
Burningglass Technologies:
More than one-third of cybersecurity job openings ask for a certification, compared to 23% of
all IT jobs. The Security+ certification serves as the intermediate-level, with an average salary
of $75,484. Additional certifications can bring greater benefits. Becoming a Certified
Information Security Professional, for example, brings a salary premium of more than
$17,500 over Security+ alone.
More importantly, there are more job openings than certification holders right now, in some
cases with three openings for every certification holder. So a certification makes a jobseeker
much more marketable.
Common Cybersecurity Job
Titles: Chief Information Security Officer
IT Director / Manager
Security Systems Engineer
Cybersecurity Engineer / Analyst
Network Engineer / Architect
Cybersecurity Manager / Admin
Software Developer / Engineer
Program Manager
Systems Engineer
Systems Administrator
IT Auditor
How Will YOU Invest in and Manage the Cybersecurity Aspects of YOUR Career?
© 2016-2018 Synesys Group, an Arizona USA corporation; all rights reserved. v1.0 Page 8
Synesys Group offers YOU training for some of the most-requested highest-paid
certifications.
(ISC)2 Certified Information Systems
Security (CISSP)
The CISSP is overwhelmingly the most
requested cybersecurity certification in job postings, and according
to CyberSeek there are more open jobs for it than the entire
current population of CISSP holders – justifying the CISSP as Synesys
Group’s specialty. It is a very broad, high-level (managerial-level)
certification.
It merit’s saying again, the CISSP is in such demand that it is the
third most requested certification for all occupations in all fields.
It is a challenging, advanced certification requiring 4-5 years of
experience and a daunting exam but allows one to pass the exam
and become an Associate of (ISC)2 until they achieve the required
experience.
CyberSeek.org, #1 Most Number of Openings Requesting Certification (78,523)
tom’sIT PRO, #1 Top InfoSec Certifications
World of Technology Trends & Medium, #1 Hot Cybersecurity Certifications for 2018
CyberSecurity Portal, #1 Best Security Certifications for 2017
PCMagazine #5, Highest-Paying IT Certifications for 2018
Global Knowledge, #5 Top Paying Certifications ($111,475)
Even Jay Bavisi, Founder and President of EC-Council which offers competing certifications,
acknowledges that the, “CISSP is a globally renowned executive certification.” It was the first
information security credential to meet ISO/IEC Standard 17024.
ISACA Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
Per ISACA, “The uniquely management-focused CISM certification
promotes international security practices and recognizes the
individual who manages, designs, and oversees and assesses an enterprise’s information
security.”
tom’sIT PRO, #2 Top InfoSec Certifications
Cybrary, #2 Security Certification
CyberSecurity Portal, #2 Best Security Certifications for 2017
World of Technology Trends & Medium, #4 Hot Cybersecurity Certifications for 2018
CyberSeek.org, #5 Most Number of Openings Requesting Certification (27,427)
Global Knowledge, #7 Top Paying Certifications ($108,043)
The CISM is offered by ISACA – the world’s preeminent IT governance organization and ANSI-
accredited under ISO/IEC 17024:2012.
How best select Cybersecurity
training? Follow TechRepublic’s guidance
for selecting CISSP training. (http://techrepublic.com/article/six-tips-for-
finding-quality-cissp-training/)
Our instructor has been a
pioneer in the field working in all
8 domains, is well-credentialed,
provides the best after-course
study materials, and excels at
equipping participants to prepare
for and take the actual exam. As
each group is unique, daily
written evaluations are used to
optimize the experience -- no
cookie cutter here.
How Will YOU Invest in and Manage the Cybersecurity Aspects of YOUR Career?
© 2016-2018 Synesys Group, an Arizona USA corporation; all rights reserved. v1.0 Page 9
CompTIA Security+
Security+ is a challenging, broad, intermediate-level certification in
cybersecurity. For those involved with US federal information systems, CompTIA states that
“More choose Security+ for DoD 8570 compliance than any other certification.”
Although many already hold it, it remains in very high demand:
tom’sIT PRO, #3 Top InfoSec Certifications
CyberSeek.org, #4 Most Number of Openings Requesting Certification (33,529)
DARKReading #4 Valuable Security Certifications for 2017
CyberSecurity Portal, #5 Best Security Certifications for 2017
We concur with CompTIA’s assessment:
CompTIA Security+ is the first security certification IT professionals should earn. It establishes the core
knowledge required of any cybersecurity role and provides a springboard to intermediate-level
cybersecurity jobs. Security+ incorporates best practices in hands-on trouble-shooting to ensure
security professionals have practical security problem-solving skills. Cybersecurity professionals with
Security+ know how to address security incidents – not just identify them.
Security+ is compliant with ISO 17024 standards and approved by the US DoD to meet directive
8140/8570.01-M requirements.
According to CompTIA, the Security+ is often held by Systems Administrators, Network Administrators,
Security Administrators, and now by Junior IT Auditor/Penetration Testers.
(ISC)2 Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
Cloud security is one of the hottest topics with cybersecurity. The
CCSP is a collaborative effort by (ISC)2 and the Cloud Security Alliance
(CSA) – the world’s preeminent cloud security organization – and combines the rigor and domain
expertise of each.
CCSP complies with ISO/IEC 17024. Like the CISSP, those lacking the requisite experience may
pass the exam and become an Associate of (ISC)2 until they accumulate the experience.
ISACA Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)
The CRISC is offered by ISACA – the world’s preeminent IT governance
organization. ISACA describes the CRISC as “the only certification that prepares and enables IT
professionals for the unique challenges of IT and enterprise risk management, and positions
them to become strategic partners to the enterprise.”
CyberSecurity Portal, #3 Best Security Certifications for 2017
World of Technology Trends & Medium, #5 Hot Cybersecurity Certifications for 2018
Global Knowledge, #6 Top Paying Certifications ($111,049)
PCMagazine #6, Highest-Paying IT Certifications for 2018
How Will YOU Invest in and Manage the Cybersecurity Aspects of YOUR Career?
© 2016-2018 Synesys Group, an Arizona USA corporation; all rights reserved. v1.0 Page 10
Holders of the CRISC tend to be highly compensated. Further, ISACA says,
CRISC is the most current and rigorous assessment available to evaluate the risk management
proficiency of IT professionals and other employees within an enterprise or financial institute.
Those who earn CRISC help enterprises to understand business risk, and have the technical knowledge
to implement appropriate IS controls.
ANSI has accredited the CRISC certification program under ISO/IEC 17024:2012.
CompTIA Network+
Network+ is a challenging, technical,
vendor-neutral network foundations certification. CompTIA
describes it as helping “develop a career in IT infrastructure
covering troubleshooting, configuring, and managing
networks.” We highly recommend it for everyone involved
in cybersecurity or information technology because it
serves as a solid foundation for virtually every domain in
these fields.
Cybrary ranks the Network+ as the #2 Network
Certification.
What if YOU want an intense exposure to Cybersecurity related topics, but not a
certification, at least not yet?
YOU would be well served by participating in any of Synesys Group’s certification boot camps. But we also
make available intense technical boot camps:
Cybersecurity Fundamentals {4-5 days}
Cyber Network Fundamentals {5 days}
Cyber Privacy Risks, Regulations, Protections {1-2 days}
Darknet and Dark Web†
Basics & Issues with Cryptography, HTTPS, Digital Signatures, PKI – They’re Broken {1-2 days}
Online Intelligence & InvesVgaVons† {1-3 days}
Custom (upon request)
How can YOU best acquire the knowledge, and if you wish, pass certification
exams?
While some can self-study or learn on-the-job enough to pass a certification exam, most of us
cannot. Everyone benefits from the intense focus during a face-to-face boot camp. Synesys
Group has a history of significantly reducing study time and stress, even for self-studiers.
Whether or not you aspire to take a certification exam, each boot camp offers to
Bill's Network+ class was the best
class I have attended in the past 15+
years. The material was extremely
relevant to issues we confront daily at
Blackboard, and the way it was
presented was easy to follow, easy to
understand, and allowed one to
ultimately piece concepts together for
trouble-shooting purposes. I did not
want this class to end, and whole-
heartedly believe this class should be
mandated for everyone at
Blackboard.
Tom Klemzak, Director of Product
Development, Blackboard
How Will YOU Invest in and Manage the Cybersecurity Aspects of YOUR Career?
© 2016-2018 Synesys Group, an Arizona USA corporation; all rights reserved. v1.0 Page 11
Provide dedicated focus time to clarify and tie together concepts,
Refresh and expand concepts and vocabulary,
Provide face-to-face interaction with professional peers with a common goal but diverse
strengths, and
Earn affordable renewal hours for various (already-held) certifications.
When YOU attend a Synesys Group boot camp for exam preparation,
YOU will:
Cover all domains by an instructor who has worked
extensively in each,
Learn to optimize study time,
Hone testing strategy and confidence,
Assess exam preparedness and identify areas of strength and
weakness, and
Exhaustively practice answering questions (Scientific American
Mind reported this was one of the most effective learning
techniques).
YOU might attend a boot camp early as a kick-off for your exam’ prep
and/or toward the end as a capstone to refresh and pull everything
together shortly before your exam. Some have chosen to do both.
A word of caution: No boot camp can substitute for the requisite experience and individual study
that is necessary to pass certification exams.
No group is too small or too big for a boot camp, although pricing favors larger groups; so, kindly
spread the word.
What is distinct about Synesys Group boot camps?
Printed and bound slide deck optimized for subsequent study, with detailed content such
as definitions already included to eliminate furious note taking
Thermometer-icons™ on slides, estimating likelihood of content on exam, plus statistical
weighting of domains
Exam practice throughout, using multiple sources of questions
Use of TurningPoint electronic clickers to engage every attendee on every practice
question (when available)
Bill is one of the most
experienced security
professionals I have met. I
thoroughly enjoyed his CISSP
boot camp seminar and
recommend it to anyone
considering taking the
certification exam or just
wanting more knowledge
and understanding of IT
security.
Steve Clayden, PhD, CISSP,
Faculty Arizona State
University & Glendale
Community College
How Will YOU Invest in and Manage the Cybersecurity Aspects of YOUR Career?
© 2016-2018 Synesys Group, an Arizona USA corporation; all rights reserved. v1.0 Page 12
Expert guidance on managing exam stress, even for the new aggressive adaptive exam
Expert guidance on structure and style of exam, examining test questions and answers,
and maximizing exam score – whether your exam is linear or Computerized Adaptive
Testing (CAT)
Expert guidance on maximizing study effectiveness while minimizing study time
Plus, typically one to three commercial study and/or practice question books
Extensive electronic library including complete slide deck and glossaries useful for exam
prep and professional reference
Daily written evaluations to optimize experience for each unique group
What about cybersecurity exposure in part-day or single-day workshops?
Synesys Group offers technical workshops of 2-4-8-hour durations on topics such as:
Cyber Law and Regulations
Internet Investigative Search
Techniques†
Cyber Privacy – Principles,
Encroachments, Protections
Cybersecurity Targeted for Project
Managers | Physical Security Pro’s |
Healthcare Pro’s | Everyday People
Applied Cryptography (Yes YOU Can)
Protecting Your Privacy for Parents &
Children
Cyber Crime, Terrorism & Warfare
Holistic Cybersecurity, Compliance,
Auditing
IntroducVon to Fraud†
Custom (upon request)
Looking for a higher position, productivity, visibility or kudos – for YOURSELF or
your team?
Virtually every career coach emphasizes that the higher YOU rise in YOUR
career (and salary) “soft” skills become much more important than hard,
technical skills.
According to burningglass Technologies, “Employers frequently bemoan the lack of ‘soft skills’ in
the workforce” and “struggle to find workers with adequate foundational or ‘soft’ skills”.
How Will YOU Invest in and Manage the Cybersecurity Aspects of YOUR Career?
© 2016-2018 Synesys Group, an Arizona USA corporation; all rights reserved. v1.0 Page 13
Synesys Group cares about YOU by offering the following 4-8-hour Professional Effectiveness
Workshops:
Dealing Effectively with Different
Personalities
Dealing with Difficult People
Handling Questions from Sales
Professionals (without giving away the
farm)
Effective Resumes, Job Descriptions, and
LinkedIn Use
Organizing Your Thoughts
Time Management with Microsoft
Outlook
How to Prepare for and Take Any
Certification Exam
The Power of Holistic, Process-Focused
Thinking
Custom (upon request)
Would YOUR organization benefit from 45–120-minute technical presentations or
keynote talks on topics such as:
Social Media Dangers
Introduction to Cryptography
Ransomware (Who, Why, How to
Protect & React)
Multinational Export Compliance
Multinational Privacy Regulations
InvesVgaVng Organized Retail Crime†
Internet Attacks
Why Is It So Dangerous On-line?
Bitcoin & Cryptocurrencies
Darknet, Dark Web, … and Deeper
Cybersecurity Thinking for Executives
Cybersecurity for Everyday People
Cyber Privacy for Everyday People
Why YOU Should Care About
Cybersecurity
Why YOU Should Care About Cyber
Privacy
Privacy – Nature & Encroachment
Seeing Your Operation Through the Eyes
of an Adversary (OpSec)
Custom (upon request)
From the very first moment Bill was able to radiate engagement and deep expert
knowledge. As a lecturer he impressed with the positive attitude and constant effort of putting
the subject into context and initiating discussions. Søren Adelholm Brandbyge, CISSP
How Will YOU Invest in and Manage the Cybersecurity Aspects of YOUR Career?
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A limited number of are provided gratis to professional associations and non-profit organizations.
Are YOU employed by the US or Canadian military or federal government?
Many of the certifications taught by Synesys Group are
accredited by the NSA-CNSS 4011-4016, preferred by the FBI’s
Tier 1-3 certification training requirement, mapped with NIST’s
cybersecurity workforce framework, or approved by the DHS NICCS (National Initiative for
Cybersecurity Careers and Studies) Program.
Synesys Group offers all of Mile2’s (primarily live on-line) boot camps and certifications, with the
exam taken (and typically passed) on the last day of the boot camp, including
Who are Synesys Group and Bill Curd, PhD?
“Synesys” is derived from an ancient Greek word that could be construed as
knowledge becoming understanding becoming wisdom. Synesys Group is a small
business of never more than 3 or 4 people, incorporated in Arizona, USA in 2004,
intent upon accumulating and sharing knowledge with fellow professionals. It gives
at least 10% of its time and income back to its community.
Synesys Group’s President is Dr. Bill Curd, a pioneer in cybersecurity, privacy and
GRC, computer system and networking engineering, OSINT and investigative
techniques, and national security and geopolitical matrix.
Bill teaches and speaks as a pioneer and practitioner sharing his knowledge before, during, and after
events … not as a rented trainer. He has taught hundreds of CISSP boot camps and webinars all over the
USA and trained thousands of professionals in cybersecurity, privacy, cyber law, GRC, on five continents.
He has numerous professional certifications including CISSP (#468), ISSMP, ISSAP, CRISC, CISA, C|CISO,
CGEIT, GCFA Gold, CIPT, CFE, CCIE, CTFI, CFHI, CIHE, SMSP and CISM; and affiliations including HTCIA, CSA,
SDSUG, ISACA, IEEE, ISSA, US Secret Service Electronic Crime Force, Association of Former Intelligence
I attended an outstanding presentation by Dr. Curd about the Dark and Deep Web through InfraGard.
This was one of the most enlightening and interesting presentations I have ever attended. I would
recommend him to both technical and non-technical learners alike. Very impressed with his
knowledge and presentation style.
Kevin Wilson, Special Agent in Charge, NBIB, OPM
Certification, Accreditation, Auditing
Disaster Recovery
ISO 27001
Cloud Security
Ethical Hacking & Penetration Testing
Security & Risk Management
Incident Handling & Forensics
Healthcare IT Security
Secure Programming
How Will YOU Invest in and Manage the Cybersecurity Aspects of YOUR Career?
© 2016-2018 Synesys Group, an Arizona USA corporation; all rights reserved. v1.0 Page 15
Officers, FBI InfraGard and the FBI Citizens’ Academy. He attended 8 universities-colleges, with 4 majors,
earning 4 degrees including a PhD in electrical engineering. He has taught at several universities.
How do YOU contact Synesys Group?
Email: [email protected]
Office phone: 480-717-4136
How do YOU stay informed? Request to be added to an appropriate never-shared email list.
How can YOU encourage Synesys Group to conduct training in YOUR organization
or community? Please contact us to discuss opportunities for topics, venues, schedules, and
participants. All training can be targeted to your organization or industry. Boot Camps and Workshops
typically include both printed and electronic materials.
We gladly incentivize individuals or organizations to attract attendees and/or provide a free
venue by discounting attendance. No provider beats our quality or pricing!
For companies: Many enterprises find it more affordable and realistic to train their existing
personnel in cybersecurity than to try identifying and hiring affordable external candidates
whether by hosting private, internal training on their site or sending their personnel to our public
training events. Some of the largest, best-known corporations in America have brought us onsite.
For professional or non-profit organizations: Many leverage their membership lists, LinkedIn or
Google+ groups to pull together attendance (and sometimes obtaining free publicity for their
organization by branding the training with their name at no cost to them).
I recently had the opportunity to attend a talk by Dr. Curd, who presented to us some extremely helpful tips and
information when using the internet for investigation. I can honestly say that not only did I come away with
some very useful knowledge for my own investigations but realized a tremendous respect for someone who
pioneered in the field, long before I ever thought of becoming an investigator.
Dr. Curd's impressive and vast background in the private and government sectors speaks for itself. His multiple
degrees and credentials in Science and Engineering, in addition to Forensics and Investigations, Homeland
Security, Information Security, Security Project and Process Management, as well as Government and Audit
demonstrate a solid basis for critical thinking and practical use when researching the ever-changing information
on the internet.
We are most fortunate to have Dr. Curd in Arizona; however, I highly recommend anyone who has interest in
these areas of investigation to travel wherever he is, to attend his lectures, workshops, or boot-camps. His
perspective will not only enhance the skills you have already perfected over the years but will offer more "tools
for your toolbox" in your investigative arsenal.
Karen Stewart CFE
Join Synesys Group President Bill Curd, PhD’s
11,000-member professional on LinkedIn at
https://www.linkedin.com/in/billcurd.
How Will YOU Invest in and Manage the Cybersecurity Aspects of YOUR Career?
© 2016-2018 Synesys Group, an Arizona USA corporation; all rights reserved. v1.0 Page 16
For individuals: Helping us bring together attendees and venues is appreciated, and incentivized.
What’s required for a venue: Comfortable seating for the duration, projector or display visible to
all, cable to connect into our equipment’s HDMI or VGA or DVI socket, and power. Wi-Fi is often
convenient but not required.
Training web site: Synesys Group will gladly provide an information, registration and payment
web site at no charge for any company, association, or public training event; or, the client is
welcome to manage registration and payment themselves.
Notes
† Some content is restricted to ve\ed civilian, government & military professionals
Synesys Group only offers training for experienced professionals, not vocational training for entry into a
paid occupation per A.R.S. § 32-3001 et. seq. and gives at least 10% of its time and income back into its
community.
References
https://www.cyberseek.org/heatmap.html
https://www.azcybertalent.com/employees/
https://www.computerworld.com/article/3194818/it-careers/do-it-certifications-still-matter.html
https://www.burning-glass.com/research-project/cybersecurity/
https://www.burning-glass.com/blog/geography-cybersecurity-jobs-2015/
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/information-security-analysts.htm
https://www.globalknowledge.com/us-en/content/articles/top-paying-certifications/
http://www.tomsitpro.com/articles/information-security-certifications,2-205.html
https://www.darkreading.com/careers-and-people/5-hot-security-job-skills-/d/d-id/1324678
burningglass Technologies Cybersecurity Jobs Report 2015
https://www.isc2.org/Certifications/CISSP
http://www.isaca.org/Certification/CISM-Certified-Information-Security-Manager/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.isaca.org/Certification/CRISC-Certified-in-Risk-and-Information-Systems-Control/What-is-
CRISC/Pages/The-Benefits-of-CRISC.aspx
https://www.isc2.org/Certifications/CCSP
https://certification.comptia.org/certifications/network
https://certification.comptia.org/certifications/security
http://www.sitepronews.com/2016/06/23/how-earning-the-sscp-certification-helps-your-career/
https://www.burning-glass.com/blog/how-to-get-a-cybersecurity-job-in-three-charts-a-degree-a-certification-and-a-
clearance/
The Narrow Ladder: The Value of Industry Certifications in the Job Market. October 2017