Comparison Between CDP from Practical DevSecOps and SANS SEC540 Certifications

A discussion comparing two DevSecOps certifications: the SANS SEC540 priced at $8,000–$9,000 and the Certified DevSecOps Professional (CDP) from Practical DevSecOps priced at $899. The question raised is whether the significant price difference is justified. SANS SEC540 is described as prestigious and widely recognized in the industry, while the CDP is characterized as labs-based with a focus on practical skills including secure SDLC, CI/CD pipeline security, SAST, DAST, and Security as Code. The inquiry comes from a DevOps engineer transitioning into security, questioning whether the SANS brand recognition justifies the higher cost or if the CDP's hands-on approach better aligns with actual job requirements.