Cybersecurity and Applied AI career insights
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Certification intelligence
22 certifications across cybersecurity (16) and Applied AI (6). Filter by vertical to scope; clear the filter for the full catalog.
Real cost data
Exam fee, study materials, training, retake math, and CPE upkeep. The full 3-year ownership cost, not just the sticker price.
Salary lift evidence
BLS + ISC2 + CompTIA salary survey delta tied to each cert. With caveats on selection bias.
Career-path mapped
Each cert is mapped to the career path it most directly serves so you know whether it advances your career or just decorates your resume.
Showing 22 certifications.
Amazon Web Services · Foundation · $100
Career-changers entering Applied AI from adjacent IT roles
Amazon Web Services · Practitioner · $150
Practitioners moving from data science notebooks into production ML on AWS
Amazon · specialized · $300
AWS Security Specialty is the cloud security cert you earn when AWS is your operating environment.
Microsoft · specialized · $165
AZ-500 is Microsoft's Azure-specific security engineering cert.
ISC2 · specialized · $599
CCSP is ISC2's cloud security specialization.
EC-Council · mid · $1199
CEH is the cybersecurity industry's most polarizing certification.
ISACA · advanced · $575
CISM is ISACA's management-focused counterpart to CISSP.
ISC2 · advanced · $749
CISSP is the cybersecurity industry's gold standard for senior practitioners.
CompTIA · advanced · $494
CASP+ is CompTIA's advanced technical cert for senior practitioners who want a practitioner-focused alternative to the management-focused CISSP.
CompTIA · mid · $404
CySA+ is the detection-and-response cert.
CompTIA · mid · $404
PenTest+ is the offensive counterpart to CySA+.
CompTIA · specialized · $404
SecAI+ is CompTIA's newest cert and the first vendor-neutral credential to cover AI security end-to-end.
CompTIA · Entry · $404
Security+ is the cybersecurity industry's most common first certification.
GIAC · advanced · $999
GCTI is the GIAC Cyber Threat Intelligence certification, paired most often with SANS FOR578: Cyber Threat Intelligence training.
Google Cloud · Practitioner · $200
ML engineers in Google Cloud-first organizations moving toward senior practitioner depth
Google · Entry · $250
The Google Cybersecurity Certificate is a Coursera-hosted eight-course program aimed at complete beginners.
GIAC · mid · $999
GSEC is the breadth cert in the GIAC catalog: a hands-on technical exam covering defense-in-depth fundamentals across networking, cryptography, web security, incident response, and Windows and Linux hardening.
International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) · Governance · $799
Privacy and compliance professionals adding AI governance to their practice
ISC2 · Entry · Free
The ISC2 CC (Certified in Cybersecurity) is the free entry credential ISC2 introduced to widen the pipeline into cybersecurity.
Microsoft · Practitioner · $165
Practitioners building AI solutions on Azure for enterprise customers
Microsoft · Foundation · $99
Career-changers building AI literacy from a non-technical background
OffSec · advanced · $1599
OSCP is the offensive cert that hiring managers actually respect.
The 2-minute AI Risk Score maps your current role to a career path and recommends the certifications that matter for that path.
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Certification details are sourced from official certifying body websites. Verify current pricing, exam format, and requirements directly with the certifying organization before making decisions. DecipherU is not affiliated with any certifying body.