Is The Security+ Certification Right For You?

Is the Security+ Certification Right for You?

I always thought of information security as a rewarding yet challenging career field. Security analysts usually need to know a little bit of everything when it comes to protecting a network. These cyber warriors persistently keep track of new and emerging threats. Examples of these threats are software vulnerabilities, viruses or social engineering attacks. If information security is your intended career path, then the security+ certification might be right for you.

What is the COMPTIA Security+ certification?

The Security+ certification is a vender neutral certification. Vender neutral means that the certification isn’t strictly focused on any certain type of proprietary hardware or software. Instead, the Security+ certification has been designed to have a very broad scope. It doesn’t really matter if you work on Apple or Microsoft products, because a lot of the same security+ knowledge will apply.

In my opinion the broad scope of the exam can be viewed as either an advantage or disadvantage. The certification is an advantage because it can be loosely applied to many IT positions. It is a disadvantage because if an employer is looking for a very specific IT skill, they might not give the certification a second glance.

What is the COMPTIA Security+ Exam Like?

The Security+ certification is 100 questions. You have 90 minutes to complete the exam. Right now the price exam is about $250.00. You don’t get any second chances on the test, so study hard.

What about Study Materials?

I have recently purchased the book Security+ Get Certified Get Ahead by Darril Gibson. This book cost about $30.00 on Amazon.com. I like this book because it is a fairly easy read and the material is laid out in a well organized manner. There are many other security+ books out there, choose one that you are comfortable with.

Conclusion

The Security+ comparable to the coveted Certified Information System Security Professional certification, but it is a step in the right direction. The CISSP is the best certification to get if you are pursuing a career in information security.

I think if you have about two years experience in the information technology field, the Security+ certification shouldn’t be too difficult to obtain. Then again, I haven’t obtained it yet. When I do obtain the Security+ certification, I will make an update.

By: Evan C.

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

You can find this original article posted at Digidojo.org. If your are interested in other network security articles, visit Digidojo.org.