In autumn 2022, we announced an exciting opportunity for master students on cyber security courses at the University of Kent to further enhance their CVs in the current competitive job market. This initiative from the Institute of Cyber Security for Society (iCSS) sponsored five students on the NCSC-certified MSc Cyber Security, or MSc Computer Science (Cyber Security), towards one of the following EC-Council certifications:
- Certified encryption specialist (ECES)
- Certified incident handler (ECIH)
- Certified security operations center analyst (CSA)
- Certified threat intelligence analyst (CTIA)
- Certified network defender (CND)
- Certified disaster recovery professional (EDRP)
Dr Virginia Franqueira, iCSS deputy director (Education), said: ‘This is a concrete opportunity for our cyber security students to graduate with a well-regarded certification on their CV. The sponsorship covered costs related to access to all EC-Council training material for the chosen certification (e.g., eBook and iLab) and the corresponding certification exam (one sitting). We were very happy to see the students’ success.’
Here’s what some of the students had to say about the opportunity on passing their exam.
Cassandra: ‘I had the opportunity to take an EC-Council Incident Handler (ECIH) certification, alongside my Masters in Cyber Security at the University of Kent (Canterbury). Having the chance to do courses and certification specifically on incident handling, has allowed me to enrich and improve my knowledge and ability to anticipate, detect and respond to incidents in a theoretical as well as practical way. This is a real asset in the context of my studies with the aim to work as a SOC Analyst.’
Seun: ‘I recently completed the EC-Council Disaster Recovery Professional (EDRP) v3 certification, which was self-paced and offered easy-to-understand materials and guided lab sessions. Overall, the EDRP has provided me with a valuable set of skills and knowledge to further my career as a disaster recovery professional. With this certification, I have enhanced my ability to effectively plan, implement, and manage disaster recovery processes for organizations. I look forward to utilizing these skills in my future work and continuing to develop my expertise in this field.’
Gabriel: ‘The iCSS’ sponsorship of my EC-Council ECIH certification was a not-to-be-missed opportunity that has proved very valuable to my professional development. The training was seamless, and I was particularly impressed by the reactive support of all parties throughout the course. The provided book was also comprehensive, containing a great amount of detail, and the templates provided came in handy in real-life scenarios. The benefits of obtaining the certification were numerous. Not only did it help me gain legitimacy as a professional in my field, but it also allowed me to better understand incident handling-related topics and sharpen my answers to these challenges. Overall, I am grateful for the opportunity provided by iCSS and believe that their sponsorship of my EC-Council certification has had a significant impact on my career growth as a junior cybersecurity consultant.’