Identity & Access Management certifications

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of any organization mentioned. The author has no affiliation with the mentioned organizations, and any references made are not intended for advertising or promotional purposes. The author's intent is to share knowledge and insights related to identity and access management certifications, based on personal experience and research. Readers are advised to conduct their own research before making any decisions based on the information provided in this article.

Since a long time ago and as a passionate identity professional, I have been searching for the best vendor-neutral Identity and Access Management (IAM) certifications. I strongly believe that if you want to take security seriously and prevent many headaches, you should consider identity as one of your key pillars. It is essential for your staff to be on the same page.

Identity encompasses not only IAM but also other related areas such as Identity Governance and Administration (IGA), Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM), Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM), Privileged Access Management (PAM), etc. For the purpose of this article and to avoid excessive use of acronyms, I will primarily focus on IAM.

During my research, I discovered two main organizations that offer certifications and services related to identity:

• The Identity Management Institute (IMI). They provide a comprehensive portfolio of certifications, which is available here.
• IDPRO and the CIDPRO certification: They offer the Body of Knowledge which is an excellent resource with a wealth of relevant content and external references to prepare for the exam. I am excited to pursue this certification next.

I decided to give IMI a try and went through some of the certifications they offer. I must say that I am very satisfied with the experience. The IMI provides a study guide and exam-specific videos, along with online support.

It is important to note that obtaining one or more certifications is not merely about proving yourself or someone else something. However, it is worth considering that recruiters, hiring managers, and interviewers may view certifications as an added advantage. In my opinion, any certification should be well supported by a combination of knowledge and experience (the more, the better). A skilled interviewer knows how to assess your understanding and expertise by asking relevant questions, not necessarily focusing on specific settings, parameters, or low-level details. Such information can be easily found if you know what to search for.

If you have any questions, feel free to post them here. Let's remember to be respectful to others.

Thank you for taking the time to read.