As a privacy professional, adding a certification next to your name comes with many benefits. It can help you remain competitive, advance in your career, increase your salary, better collaborate across your organization, and more.
But which certification is right for you?
In this article we’re going to take a look at two globally recognized certifications offered by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP): the Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) and the Certified Information Privacy Technologist (CIPT).
When comparing the CIPM vs. CIPT certifications, you’ll want to consider your role within your organization and your career goals, and how they align to the topics covered in each certification program. We’ll be discussing that here, along with who typically obtains each certification, and what to expect in terms of certification costs, maintenance, and exam structure.
What Is CIPM Certification?
The CIPM certification is often viewed as the “how” of privacy protection, as the focus is on implementing data privacy regulations into your organization’s day-to-day operations and mitigating the risk of improper handling of personal data.
Through CIPM certification, you’ll demonstrate your knowledge in privacy program administration and management through the entire data life cycle. More specifically, you’ll be able to structure a privacy team and implement your privacy program framework, measure performance, and clearly communicate your work to stakeholders.
Who Typically Obtains CIPM Certification?
With the focus primarily on the functional aspects of data management and privacy protection, professionals from a variety of backgrounds can benefit from obtaining CIPM certification. For example, marketing, finance, human resources, and customer service departments all have privacy responsibilities that, if not managed properly, can cost their organization.
Essentially, any professional who is responsible for integrating privacy requirements into day-to-day operations should consider CIPM certification.
Also worth considering is pairing the CIPM with a second IAPP certification. One of those combo options is the CIPM paired with the Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP/E), which will equip you to fulfill the data protection officer (DPO) requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The CIPM certification prepares you to manage a privacy program across your organization, while the CIPP/E certification provides you with comprehensive GDPR knowledge, perspective, and understanding.
What Is CIPT Certification?
Like the CIPM certification, the CIPT certification can be referred to as the “how” of privacy protection, just from a slightly more technical perspective. Established in 2014, this first-of-its-kind certification focuses on how to use technology to build privacy directly into products and services, rather than the policies and procedures for processing personal data from an organizational perspective (like the CIPM).
A CIPT certification will allow you to evaluate emerging technologies for your organization, understand how to use them to ensure customer privacy, as well as facilitate privacy practices for data security perspective.
There are a ton of regulations around how data can be captured, stored, and used. CIPT certification will demonstrate your deep understanding of privacy in technology, proving you can help mitigate risk for your organization.
Who Typically Obtains CIPT Certification?
With “technologist” in the name, you’re correct in thinking that this certification is often sought after by technically inclined professionals. Software developers, data architects, privacy engineers, and network and cloud engineers are likely candidates, for example.
However, non-technical professionals can also benefit from CIPT certification. Getting the CIPT certification as a lawyer, digital marketer, project manager, or sales representative, to name a few, has its advantages. You’ll be more competitive and therefore likely to receive better compensation—and you’ll be able to better communicate across your organization.
Technology has its own language. Obtaining the CIPT certification can help you gain fluency in that language—which is particularly helpful if you don’t have a technical background—leading to better collaboration and solutions for your company.
Certification Costs, Maintenance, and Exam Structure
When comparing the CIPM vs. CIPT, the associated costs, maintenance of the certification, and certification exam structure are the same.
The exam fee is $550 USD, and there’s a $250 Certification Maintenance Fee (CMF) due each 2-year certification term. In order to keep your certification current, you’ll need to pay this CMF and complete 20 Continuing Privacy Education (CPE) credits each term. CPE credits can be earned by attending in-person conferences or virtual events hosted by the IAPP, for example.
Both certification exams consist of 90 multiple-choice questions in which you have 2.5 hours to complete. You can take the exam in person at one of the 6,000 IAPP testing centers worldwide, or from the comfort of your own home, utilizing the remote proctoring option offered by IAPP.
Each exam is separated by domains, which are outlined in the Body of Knowledge (BoK) and Exam Blueprint—more on that next.
CIPM vs. CIPT Domains
Domains are the overarching topics covered in each certification exam. You should have a deep understanding of and be able to put into practice each of these subjects.
The CIPM certification exam is separated into six domains:
- I. Privacy Program: Developing a Framework
- II. Privacy Program: Establishing Program Governance
- III. Privacy Program Operational Life Cycle: Assessing Data
- IV. Privacy Program Operational Life Cycle: Protecting Personal Data
- V. Privacy Program Operational Life Cycle: Sustaining Program Performance
- VI. Privacy Program Operational Life Cycle: Responding to Requests and Incidents
The CIPT certification exam is separated into seven domains:
- I. Foundational Principles
- II. The Privacy Technologist’s Role in the Context of the Organization
- III. Privacy Risks, Threats and Violations
- IV. Privacy-Enhancing Strategies, Techniques & Technologies
- V. Privacy by Design
- VI. Privacy Engineering
- VII. Evolving or Emerging Technologies in Privacy
In order to walk into the certification exam with confidence—confidence that you know these topics inside and out—it’s recommended that you spend a minimum of 30 hours training and studying.
Preparing for the Certification Exams
The IAPP offers many helpful, free resources, like the Certification Candidate Handbook, and the BoK and Exam Blueprint. Many privacy professionals also take advantage of study resources and tools beyond what the IAPP has available.
At Privacy Bootcamp, we offer an affordable, self-paced e-learning platform developed by privacy and data protection experts. With courses available for the CIPM and CIPT certifications, you’ll have confidence in your ability to pass the IAPP exams. Each course comes with guided e-study modules, hundreds of digital flashcards and practice questions, interactive exercises, a quick reference “cheat sheet,” and a live-exam environment, which mimics the experience of the actual testing application.
Conclusion: CIPM vs. CIPT
When deciding between the CIPM vs. CIPT certifications from the IAPP, it really boils down to your role and responsibilities within your organization, who you interact with on a daily basis, and what your career goals are.
With certification maintenance, associated costs, and exam structure being the same across both certifications, you can focus on what it is that you’re looking to gain from the qualification. And with proper preparation for the certification exam, you’ll be one step closer to adding those four letters next to your name—whether they be CIPM or CIPT—and being recognized as an esteemed privacy professional.
