What is CompTIA Security+ certification?
CompTIA Security+ certification is a global certification exam that validates the baseline skills you need to perform core security functions and pursue an IT security career.
CompTIA Security+ emphasizes hands-on practical skills, ensuring that the security professional is better prepared to problem solve a wider variety of issues. It is the first security certification IT professionals should earn and establishes the core knowledge required in any cybersecurity role. This provides a springboard to intermediate-level cybersecurity jobs. Cybersecurity professionals with CompTIA Security+ know how to address security incidents, not just identify them.
How do I get my CompTIA Security+ certification?
You will earn the CompTIA Security+ certification by passing one exam that consists of both multiple-choice and performance-based questions
Basically, the CompTIA Security+ exam is not that much different from any other written test you may have taken. The exam uses various question types to verify your knowledge in specific areas of information security, including the following:
- Securing applications, networks and devices
- Threat analysis and response
- Risk management
- Being well-prepared remains your best bet to score a positive exam outcome, namely passing the test and being awarded the CompTIA Security+ certification. Purdue’s course helps you get there.
Why should I get CompTIA Security+ certified?
CompTIA Security+ is the industry standard for validating baseline skills needed to perform core security functions and pursue an IT security career. CompTIA Security+ is compliant with ISO 17024 standards and approved by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to meet directive 8140/8570.01-M requirements.
Who should get their Security+ credentials?
CompTIA Security+ is for IT professionals with two years of experience in IT administration with a security focus, or equivalent training, looking to start or advance a career in security.
What is the job outlook for someone who has their Security+ credentials?
The new CompTIA Security+ certification covers the junior IT auditor/penetration tester job role, in addition to the following:
- Systems administrator
- Network administrator
- Security administrator
- Security specialist
- Security consultant
- Security engineer
Companies like Northrop Grumman, Brotherhood Mutual, The Joint Commission, Nationwide, Agile Defense, and Modern Technology Solutions, Inc. (MTSI) all look for CompTIA Security+ certification in hiring.
Certification makes a great first impression. According to an IDC report, 96 percent of HR managers use IT certifications as screening or hiring criteria during recruitment.
How Much Can I Make with CompTIA Security+ Certification?
Here are a few CompTIA Security+ jobs and their average salaries:
- Systems administrator $62,619
- Network administrator $59,702
- Security administrator $88,043
- Security engineer $96,359
What Is on the CompTIA Security+ Exam?
Skills covered in CompTIA Security+ have become a baseline for all cybersecurity jobs and the new version has been updated to reflect how cybersecurity jobs are becoming more specialized, for example with the advent of security analytics. Because of this, the importance of and demand for CompTIA Security+ has increased for a broader variety of job roles.
Successful candidates will have the following skills:
- Identify strategies developed by cyber adversaries to attack networks and hosts and the countermeasures deployed to defend them
- Understand the principles of organizational security and the elements of effective security policies
- Know the technologies and uses of cryptographic standards and products
- Install and configure network- and host-based security technologies
- Describe how wireless and remote access security is enforced
- Describe the standards and products used to enforce security on web and communications technologies
- Identify strategies for ensuring business continuity, fault tolerance and disaster recovery
- Summarize application and coding vulnerabilities and identify development and deployment methods designed to mitigate them
The CompTIA Security+ exam covers the following domains and topics:
- Threats, Attacks and Vulnerabilities: Analyze indicators of compromise and determine types of malware or compare and contrast types of attacks
- Identity and Access Management: Implement identity and access management controls or differentiate common account management practices
- Technologies and Tools: Troubleshoot common security issues or deploy mobile devices securely
- Risk Management: Explain the importance of policies, plans and procedures related to organizational security
- Architecture and design: Summarize secure application development, deployment, cloud and virtualization concepts
- Cryptography and PKI: Compare and contrast basic concepts of cryptography or implement public key infrastructure
Why should I take the CompTIA Security+ certification course at Purdue?
More than 300,000 cybersecurity jobs were open in the U.S. as of early 2020 and the figure could top 3 million globally in 2021, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology and others.
The CompTIA Security+ certification meets Department of Defense Directive 8140 certification standards, which is required for certain job classifications. The U.S. Department of Defense is one of the largest employers for cybersecurity professionals.
Already employed, need this to grow in your career?
Email us at centr@purdue.edu and we will assist you with what you need for your employer.