US Department of Defense's IAM vs IAT Certifications
There is often some confusion about the difference between IAM and IAT certifications. Many times these terms are confused and interchanged.
Both of IAM and IAT were established by the US Department of Defense (DoD) in 2004. These are qualification standards that are meant to ensure that the DoD IT systems are staffed with technical and management personnel who meet a certain standard of technical expertise.
IAT stands for Information Assurance Technical. The IAT certification levels are achieved by passing specific exams and having certain work experience that meets the particular requirements. These requirements are focused on technical knowledge and are geared toward technical staff.
IAM stands for Information Assurance Management. The IAM certification levels are achieved by passing specific exams and having certain work experience that meets the particular level requirements. These requirements are focused on management and are geared toward leadership staff.
Both IAT and IAM standards have three levels: 1, 2, and 3. Level 1 is considered entry-level certifications, level 2 are intermediate, and level 3 is expert level.
The US Government jobs and many US commercial industry jobs require applicants to meet one of the certification levels as a minimum requirement for being considered for the position.
Below is the US government published chart that shows the IT certifications that fall into each of the IAT and IAM levels.
DoD 8570.01-M. DoD Approved Baseline Certifications
