Entry Level Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) from ISC2

I would go for Associated CISSP, go big, or go home. I have a lot of IT certifications, but when I look back...it was a waste of time and money to focus on early certs that might not advance to my career. The associated CISSP gives you the advantage of CISSP without experience, but you can upgrade over time.

 

Good advice for some - maybe not so for others. That's a big expense - and maybe not the first step, for somebody who wants an intro to see how they'll like the field.

If they do like it -- yes. they'll probably dive right into the CISSP after the freebie. Maybe with a modicum of confidence, as well. Let the free course do its job. The CISSP exam alone is $749 plus whatever you spend to prepare for it, which can range from a few hundred dollars, to a few thousand.* The cert discussed here enables an informed decision on what, if anything, comes next.

I think this free program is a very useful offer. There are also plenty of people who want to know something about cybersecurity for their own use - and have no wish to make it their profession. This free course could work for them.

* Info from here: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/certifications/cissp-certification-requirements/#:

 

I have it. They've been offering this for free for a couple of years. It's like CompTIA ITF; it doesn't have much value for employment purposes. They're more exploratory certifications. If you can pass the CC and like the content, then you should seek CompTIA Security+.

 

I have mixed feelings about these types of certifications. ISC2 CC is like CompTIA ITF+ or even the more useless ComPTIA "stackable certifications" or AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner.
They help to dilute the market with job seekers bemoaning the fact they have "AWS CCP and a master's degree and I can't get a job" or "I have Sec+ and a TS clearance but can't get hired".....
ISC2 introduced the free program to prop up the number of CC holders "artificially" in my opinion, under the marketing guise of helping students get into the job market. If they really wanted to support the market by giving away a 200$ CC voucher, they could have implemented some kind of "emerging talent" program to knock off 200$ off their other certs and push "Associate of ISC2" more strongly.
Speaking as someone who earned CC, SSCP, CCSP and CISSP! and mentoring numerous military veterans moving into this field!

I'm an adjunct professor at Purdue Global and can't count how many undergrad students in my IT104 class "Intro to Cybersecurity", who are just getting started on their journey, talking about their "lifelong passion for cybersecurity" and wanting to earn their CISSP in the next year, without much knowledge or training.
ISC2 has created this marketing monster where everyone is going for the big dog, and they think that creating another entry-level cert with the ISC2 imprimatur will somehow motivate and create a ready workforce.