Recruitment & Reskilling Strategy , Training & Security Leadership , Video

Do Security Professionals Need Certifications or a Master’s?

Prof Kwa Discusses Education Strategies for Cybersecurity Professionals Suparna Goswami (gsuparna) • April 23, 2024

Philip Kwa, academic program director, Masters in Cybersecurity, Asian Institute of Management

How much education and training do cybersecurity professionals need? While certifications help keep cybersecurity professionals up to date on the latest technology, a master's program builds leadership skills for future CISOs, said Philip Kwa, academic program director, Masters in Cybersecurity at the Asian Institute of Management.

Certifications can help build important skills for entry-level employees, but "in the master's program, we encourage students to have a critical thinking and problem-solving mindset. This provides crucial skills for strategic roles in cybersecurity," Kwa said.

In this video interview with Information Security Media Group, Kwa discussed:

Areas in which cybersecurity certifications are useful;
How a master's program helps develop leadership skills;
The importance of balancing certification with higher-learning programs.

Kwa, who leads the Masters in Cybersecurity program at the Asian Institute of Management, has more than 20 years of broad global working experience across multiple corporate and entrepreneurial environments.