What is CREST and How to Prepare for it?

What is CREST?

CREST is a non-profit certification and endorsement body that represents the technical information security industry. An internationally recognized endorsement is provided by CREST for individuals and organizations giving them threat intelligence, penetration testing, and cyber incident response services.

All the members of CREST undergo tough and regular assessments. Additionally, the individuals who qualify for this certification have to pass stringent examinations to showcase their skill, competence, and knowledge. This body is governed by executives of accomplished security professionals who also develop and promote awareness, standards, and ethics within the market of cybersecurity.

Why Become CREST Qualified?

The qualification of CREST is seen as the mark of excellence and individuals qualifying for CREST are hugely in demand. IT provides a specific entry point from academia and also to those who want to cross-train the industry. Also, individuals get a streamlined career path within the industry due to CREST qualifications.

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Due to examinations, individuals acquire the needed conclusive skill, competence, and knowledge. Their code of conduct reflects on their interest to work within the boundaries of a regulatory authority; both professionally and ethically. One gets real professional work opportunities via CREST run special working groups, approved training, and conferences. This ultimately helps professionals to influence and shape the industry.

CREST Examinations

CREST provides examinations in various fields, which are listed below:

1. Penetration Testing
2. Applications testing
3. Infrastructure testing
4. Simulated attack management and technical implementation (red teaming)
5. Threat intelligence CREST Registered Threat Intelligence Analyst (CRTIA) is for individuals who aim to offer safe and ethical services in Threat intelligence.
6. Incident response
7. Host intrusion analysis
8. Reverse engineering and malware analysis
9. Network intrusion analysis
10. Incident management
11. Security architecture This examination is formally recognized under the UK CESG Certified Professional Scheme (CCP).

There are three levels of CREST exams

• Practitioner - Entry into the profession
• Registered – Proficient in working independently without surveillance
• Certified- Technically proficient for running major teams and projects

Preparation for CREST

CREST provides certification for several exams. These exams have various topics and patterns but the way of preparation is the same for all exams.

• List Down All

The Important Topics To prepare in an organized and timely fashion, it is essential to prepare lists. Make lists of topics that are important, semi-important, not that important, need improvement, need research, etc. to know where you stand and what all needs to be done to get better.

• Make and Follow

A fixed schedule is realistic while preparing for the exam. Always plan the time that needs to be dedicated in preparations of each subject so that you save up sufficient days for revisions.

• Apply For The Exam

Beforehand It is recommended to complete your training in cyber threat intelligence before taking the exam. If training is not possible, then make sure you have at least 2 years of working experience in information security. The application must be submitted with experience proof beforehand as the reviewing process can be time-consuming.

• Utilize All The Free Resources

There are many things available on the official page of CREST that can help you in your preparations. One of these is the Blueprint of CTIA exam that gives you detailed information related to all the topics that are covered in the exam along with the important questions. These can really help you prepare in a structured manner without wasting much time.

What Are The Other Skills That Are Important For The Exam?

Besides acquiring as much theoretical knowledge one can, it is imperative to have some extra skills that can help you stand out in the crowd.

• Knowledge of accomplishments and vulnerabilities outside the tool collection

The interview questions are dependent on the needs and size of a company and are usually different from each other. However, they have one common question that checks whether a candidate knows about vulnerability in comparison to automated tools.

• The willingness of continuous learning

Though no one can be an expert in all domains one must be dedicated to learn and improve. Instead of just mugging up from books, one must try to fire up a virtual machine, get a code, and test the machine themselves. Learning from hands-on experience will help you in building muscle memory that gradually helps us in recalling information and creating new ways of combining understanding.

• Apprehension of secure web communications and technologies

Firstly, one must have to understand everything from registering a web domain name to an IP cloud address to generating secure certificated for the domain and then using those certificated for securing web communications. One must also know about web technologies and their applications.

• Soft skills

 Communication is a crucial aspect for any organization and it is mandatory even for a non-technical profile. If you want to work in a team and stand out, then your communication skills must be strong.

Conclusion

CREST certification is a must-have as it has lots of benefits including a structured career path, and numerous employment opportunities in the information security industry. This certification is a gold standard industry-leading certification and it is recognized by governments, regulators, and buying communities. Whether you are an individual or an organization you will be highly benefited from CREST certification.