AI is being dropped into production systems faster than security teams can secure them. LLMs are being wired into customer-facing apps, internal tools, and critical infrastructure. And most security professionals are completely unprepared to defend them.
Two certifications are stepping up to fix that gap: Practical DevSecOps’s CAISP (Certified AI Security Professional) and CompTIA’s SecAI+. Both claim to prepare you for AI security. But they are built differently, tested differently, and will take your career in very different directions. Here’s the detailed breakdown.
What is CAISP (Certified AI Security Professional)?
Certified AI Security Professional
Secure AI systems: OWASP LLM Top 10, MITRE ATLAS & hands-on labs.
CAISP is a hands-on, practitioner-grade certification from Practical DevSecOps. A cybersecurity training and certifications company specializing in DevSecOps, AI security, and application security skills. With over 11,000 security professionals trained and trusted by organizations like Roche, Accenture, IBM, PwC, and Booz Allen Hamilton, Practical DevSecOps has built a reputation for producing certifications that reflect what the industry actually needs.
CAISP is the direct result of that philosophy. It is built for security professionals who want to get into the technical weeds of AI and LLM security. Not just to understand it conceptually. Actually break it, defend it, and secure it in real world.
What You Learn in CAISP
The course runs across seven chapters covering:
- LLM attack techniques using MITRE ATLAS frameworks
- OWASP Top 10 for LLMs, including prompt injection, training data poisoning, model theft, and excessive agency
- AI supply chain attacks and how to counter them with SBOMs, model signing, and attestations
- Threat modeling AI systems using STRIDE, IriusRisk, and StrideGPT
- AI attacks and defenses in DevOps pipelines, including poisoned pipeline attacks and dependency confusion
- AI governance and compliance covering NIST RMF, ISO/IEC 42001, and the EU AI Act
The CAISP Exam
The exam is a 6-hour practical challenge where you solve 5 real-world tasks, followed by a 24-hour window to write and submit your professional report. There are no multiple-choice shortcuts. You either know how to do it, or you don’t. This format mirrors what an actual AI security engagement looks like in practice.
CAISP Pricing and What’s Included
- Price: ~$1,099
- Includes: 60 days of browser-based lab access, course materials, 30+ guided exercises, and one exam attempt
- Support: 24/7 via Mattermost
- CPE Credits: 36 CPE points
- Certification validity: Lifetime. No renewals required.
How CAISP Transforms Your Career
This is where CAISP separates itself from every other AI security credential on the market.
Security professionals who complete CAISP are not just adding a line to their resume. They are walking away with the ability to:
- Secure LLM-integrated applications for real vulnerabilities, not just theoretical risks
- Run AI red team engagements using MITRE ATLAS tactics and OWASP LLM attack scenarios
- Secure AI pipelines end-to-end, from model training and data ingestion to deployment and monitoring
- Build AI threat models that hold up in front of engineering teams and executive stakeholders
- Speak the language of compliance across NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001, and the EU AI Act
The salary data backs this up. AI Security Engineers with CAISP certification are seeing salaries in the $175,689–$213,882 range, compared to $110,000–$120,000 for uncertified professionals in similar roles. That is not a marginal bump. That is a career-level shift.
For Security Engineers who are already securing AI systems and cloud infrastructure, CAISP is the natural next step. For AppSec professionals who are seeing LLMs dropped into the applications they secure, it fills a critical skills gap. For Red Teamers who want to add AI attack scenarios to their engagements, it is the most technically rigorous path available.
What is CompTIA SecAI+?
SecAI+ (Exam code: CY0-001) launched on February 17, 2026, making it one of the newest AI security certifications on the market. It is CompTIA’s first certification in their expansion series, designed to help security professionals secure, govern, and responsibly bring AI into their organizations.
What You Learn in SecAI+
The exam covers four domains:
- Basic AI concepts related to cybersecurity (17%). Machine learning, NLP, deep learning, and AI-driven threats like polymorphic malware and adversarial attacks.
- Securing AI systems (40%). Protecting AI models, data pipelines, and deployment environments across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid setups.
- AI-assisted security (24%). Using AI tools to speed up threat detection, automate alert triage, and improve incident response.
- AI governance, risk, and compliance (19%). GDPR, NIST AI RMF, and global regulatory frameworks for responsible AI adoption.
The SecAI+ Exam
The exam format is straightforward: 60 questions (multiple-choice and performance-based), 60 minutes, and a passing score of 600 on a 100-900 scale.
Recommended experience: 3-4 years in IT, with 2+ years of hands-on cybersecurity. Security+, CySA+, or PenTest+ recommended as a baseline.
Certification validity: Estimated 3 years, then renewal required.
CAISP vs. CompTIA SecAI+: Head-to-Head Comparison
Exam Format and Rigor
This is where the two certifications split hard.
CAISP puts you in a live lab environment and allows you 6 hours to solve real attack and defense scenarios. You then write a professional report. It mirrors what an actual AI security engagement looks like. If you pass, you have proven you can do the work.
SecAI+ gives you 60 minutes and 60 questions. Some are performance-based, which adds a practical element, but the format is still fundamentally a knowledge test. It validates that you understand AI security concepts. It does not prove you can execute them under pressure.
The bottom line: CAISP tests execution. SecAI+ tests knowledge.
Curriculum and Depth
| Topic | CAISP | CompTIA SecAI+ |
| OWASP Top 10 for LLMs | Deep coverage with hands-on labs | Conceptual coverage |
| MITRE ATLAS Framework | Full attack tactic mapping | Referenced, not lab-tested |
| AI Supply Chain Security | SBOMs, model signing, attestations | Not covered in depth |
| Threat Modeling AI Systems | STRIDE, IriusRisk, StrideGPT | Mentioned within a broader GRC context |
| AI in DevSecOps Pipelines | Dedicated chapter with lab exercises | Speaks of securing DevSecOps pipelines using AI |
| AI Governance & Compliance | NIST RMF, ISO 42001, EU AI Act | GDPR, NIST AI RMF, global frameworks |
| Hands-On Lab Environment | 60 days of browser-based labs | No |
CAISP goes deeper on the offensive and technical side. SecAI+ goes broader on the operational and governance side.
Target Audience
CAISP is built for:
- AppSec professionals who need to secure AI applications and LLM Models
- Security engineers who intend to build AI security programs from scratch
- Red Teamers and penetration testers who want to attack LLMs and AI systems professionally
- Security architects who design enterprise systems and need to threat model AI workloads, define security controls for LLM-integrated architectures, and build reference frameworks that address model supply chain risks, data pipeline exposure, and regulatory requirements across NIST AI RMF and ISO/IEC 42001.
Certified AI Security Professional
Secure AI systems: OWASP LLM Top 10, MITRE ATLAS & hands-on labs.
SecAI+ is built for:
- SOC analysts who aim to use AI tools to speed up detection and response
- GRC professionals who need to understand AI compliance obligations
- Cybersecurity analysts who aim to learn basic AI security skills
- IT professionals transitioning into cybersecurity who want a structured foundation
Prerequisites
CAISP is a premium, practitioner-grade certification, not an entry-level course. It is built for security professionals with 6 to 10 years of experience in cybersecurity and AppSec who are comfortable with the Linux command line and have basic knowledge of Python or Golang.
Serious security professionals choose CAISP because it delivers real, job-ready AI security skills. If you want a certification that holds up in a live environment, includes a 6-hour practical exam, and requires a professional report submission, this was built for you.
SecAI+ recommends 3-4 years of IT experience with at least 2 years in cybersecurity. It also recommends holding Security+, CySA+, or PenTest+ before attempting it. This positions SecAI+ as a mid-career credential, not an entry point.
Pricing and What You Get
| Factor | CAISP | CompTIA SecAI+ |
| Price | ~$1,099 | Exam voucher only (training sold separately) |
| Lab Access | 60 days of browser-based labs | Performance-based questions in exam only |
| Course Materials | Included (videos, PDF manual, checklists) | Must purchase separately |
| Exam Attempts | 1 included | Purchased separately |
| Support | 24/7 via Mattermost | Community forums |
| CPE Credits | 36 CPE points | Counts toward CompTIA CE requirements |
| Certification Validity | Lifetime | ~3 years (renewal required) |
CAISP’s pricing is all-in. What you pay is what you get. With SecAI+, the exam voucher is just the starting point. Study guides, practice tests, and training courses are additional costs that add up fast.
Career and Salary Impact
AI security is not a niche anymore. It is becoming a baseline requirement for senior security roles. The AI security market is projected to reach $234 billion by 2032, and certified professionals are in short supply.
CAISP-certified professionals are seeing salaries in the $175,689–$213,882 range. That is a significant jump from the $110,000–$120,000 baseline for uncertified professionals in similar roles.
Organizations like Roche, Accenture, IBM, PwC, and Booz Allen Hamilton. Companies that already trust Practical DevSecOps to train their security teams, are actively looking for professionals who can demonstrate hands-on AI security skills, not just theoretical knowledge.
Conclusion
If you are an AI Security Engineer, Penetration Tester, or Security Consultant who deals with real AI security problems at work, CAISP gives you the technical skills to close LLM vulnerability gaps, run AI red team engagements, secure AI pipelines end-to-end, and advise organizations on AI risk with confidence. Not just discuss them in a meeting. If your role leans more toward governance, compliance, or AI-assisted security operations, SecAI+ is the better fit. Pick the one that matches what you do every day.
Certified AI Security Professional
Secure AI systems: OWASP LLM Top 10, MITRE ATLAS & hands-on labs.
FAQs
For CAISP, you do not need to be a developer. However, basic Python or Go scripting and familiarity with the Linux command line will help you get through the labs faster. The course is structured to bring you up to speed. For SecAI+, coding is not required. The exam focuses on security concepts, architecture decisions, and governance frameworks.
CAISP is the stronger choice. Security engineers working on AI systems require more than conceptual knowledge. They need to know how to identify vulnerabilities in LLM-integrated applications, secure AI pipelines from model training to deployment, defend against supply chain attacks, and build threat models that engineering teams can actually act on. CAISP covers all of that through hands-on labs and real attack scenarios. SecAI+ gives you a solid governance and compliance foundation, but if you are the person responsible for technically securing AI systems inside your organization, CAISP prepares you for the actual work.
CAISP gives you 60 days of lab access, and most professionals complete the course within that window. Expect to spend 8–12 hours per week to finish comfortably. For SecAI+, preparation time depends on your existing experience. With a solid cybersecurity background, 4–6 weeks of focused study should be sufficient.
Not in a hands-on way. SecAI+ covers adversarial machine learning and AI-driven threats conceptually, and you need to understand how to mitigate them. But if you want to actually run prompt injection attacks, poison training data, or execute model theft scenarios in a lab, CAISP is the certification that delivers that. Practical DevSecOps built those lab scenarios specifically so professionals can practice real attack techniques in a safe, controlled environment.
They are not competing certifications. They cover different angles of AI security. CAISP covers the technical attack and defense side. SecAI+ covers the operational and governance side.
