CompTIA Cybersecurity Career Pathway: How to Prepare

Introduction

Do you want to work in the cybersecurity field? With the rise of cybercrime, more companies are looking for IT employees with CompTIA cybersecurity certifications.

One of the leading trade organizations in the IT business is CompTIA (Computing Technology Industry Association). It has one of the most well-known vendor-neutral certification programs in the business. CompTIA has granted over two million certifications to IT and business professionals since developing the first A+ credential in 1993.

Here’s how CompTIA security certifications can help you advance in your profession.

What are the Benefits of CompTIA Cybersecurity Certification?

One of the fastest-growing fields in the labor market is information security. According to the Labor Statistics Bureau of the US, cybersecurity occupations will grow by 28% between 2016 and 2026. According to CyberSeek, over 715,000 people worked in cybersecurity-related employment in the US between September 2017 and August 2018, with over 310,000 vacancies vacant.

Cybersecurity salaries vary by role and location, but in the United States, the average annual salary is roughly $107,000. ACCORDING TO AN IDC WHITE PAPER, certified IT workers demonstrate greater competence and lifetime worth to their employers and earn high compensation in a flourishing labor market. Some of the advantages of certification are as follows:

• Get a head start: Certified IT experts are 50% more likely than non-certified individuals to receive promotions during the first year of employment.
• CompTIA-certified IT workers are nearly twice as likely as non-certified IT professionals to advance in careers.
• Gain an advantage over your coworkers by doing the following: In most security-related and network administration duties, CompTIA-certified IT workers routinely outperform non-certified IT professionals.
• Get noticed: Certified IT professionals with the same tenure have a 30% higher total influence than non-certified IT workers.

CompTIA Cybersecurity Certifications: Everything You Need to Know

CompTIA security certifications help you develop the experience you need to advance in your profession, whether you’re just starting in the sector or wish to move to chief information security officer (CISO). Everything you must know about the CompTIA cybersecurity career is available here.

COMPTIA SECURITY+

This credential establishes the foundational cybersecurity abilities needed for an entry-level position. It includes hands-on troubleshooting situations and teaches you to handle rather than report security concerns. According to CompTIA, over 500,000 people have the Security+ certification.

CompTIA Security+ Certification is a highly recommended course.

You can do the following after completing this course:

• Recognize computer security’s essential ideas.
• Recognize the most prevalent security risks and flaws.
• Protect your network.
• Put security measures for compliance, access control, and account management.
• Investigate and respond to security breaches.
• Make a company continuity and catastrophe recovery plan.

Prerequisites: You need to understand computer and networking concepts to succeed in the CompTIA Security+ course. Before attending the system, The vital suggestion is to have CompTIA A+ and Network+ certifications (or comparable expertise), 6–9 months of networking experience, and two years of IT administration experience.

SY0–601 — CompTIA Security+ is an exam that you should take.

CompTIA Security+ Certifications issued after 2011 have a three-year validity period. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are required to keep your certification current. CEUs are a type of continuing education credit.

CYBERSECURITY ANALYST (CYSA+) is a certification program developed by CompTIA.

CompTIA’s CySA+ certification includes security analytics, intrusion detection, and response. It focuses on advanced threats and teaches you how to identify and defeat malware and advanced persistent attacks using behavioral skills (APTs). This credential is for cybersecurity analysts and related jobs such as vulnerability analysts, cybersecurity specialists, threat intelligence analysts, and security engineers.

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Certification is a highly required training course.

You can do the following after finishing this course:

• Control security threats and flaws
• Setup typical threat detection software.
• Recognize the duties and responsibilities of cybersecurity professionals.
• Analyze the data and analyze the findings to find problem areas.
• Recognize the architecture, policies, and processes that govern security.

While there are no prerequisites, CySA+ is designed to follow the Security+ certification and is more technical and hands-on. A minimum of 3–4 years of hands-on experience in information security or a similar field is required.

CS0–002 — CompTIA CySA+ is the exam to take.

PENTEST+ (COMPANY PENETRATION TESTER+)

The PenTest+ certification is for you if you enjoy poking holes in systems and discovering vulnerabilities that most people overlook. This certification is for IT professionals who wish to improve their penetration testing abilities and understand how to plan, scope, and handle security flaws. PenTest+ includes the most up-to-date penetration testing techniques for mobile, cloud, desktop, and server platforms.

CompTIA PenTest+ (PenTest+) Certification is a recommended training course.

You can do the following after completing this course:

• Prepare for and carry out penetration tests.
• Reconnaissance both passively and actively.
• To obtain information, perform non-technical tests.
• Examine and exploit host-based flaws.
• Examine networks and put software to the test.
• Analyze the findings of penetration tests and provide a report on them.

Prerequisites: You need a basic understanding of information security concepts, such as identity and access management (IAM), cryptographic concepts and implementations, computer networking concepts, and standard security technologies, before enrolling in this course. In addition, you must have 3–4 years of hands-on experience in information security or a similar field.

Earning the CompTIA Security+ certification can help you achieve this level of knowledge and abilities.

PT0–001 — CompTIA PenTest+ is an exam that you should take.

ADVANCED SECURITY PRACTITIONER (CASP+) is a certification program offered by CompTIA.

The CASP+ certification confirms risk management, enterprise security operations, architecture, cooperation, and integration expertise. It is the most advanced CompTIA cybersecurity certificate. It’s aimed at cybersecurity experts in charge of securing large-scale enterprise environments.

CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+) is the recommended training course.

You’ll be able to do the following after completing this course:

• Support enterprise-wide IT governance and risk management.
• To support enterprise security, utilize collaborative tools and technologies.
• To secure a business environment, use study, and analysis.
• Advanced authorization and authentication procedures require incorporation.
• Secure hosts, mobile devices, networks, and systems by implementing security controls
• Assess the security situation.

Prerequisites: A minimum of ten years of IT administration experience is recommended, with at least five of those years spent on hands-on technical security.

CAS-003: CompTIA CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+) Exam

CompTIA Cybersecurity Certifications: Commonly Asked Questions

1. Bachelor’s Degree in must to get a job in Cybersecurity?

Do you want to pursue a CompTIA cybersecurity career path but don’t have formal IT training? The good news is that a four-year or even two-year college diploma may not be required.

Certification in any area of information technology, mainly CompTIA security certifications, opens up doors to traditional jobs and entrepreneurial and part-time opportunities.

2. Should I Begin With Which Certification?

Any cybersecurity position requires CompTIA Security+ as a foundation. The best way to progress to intermediate-level cybersecurity jobs is to start with this certification. The CompTIA A+ is considering a prerequisite for entry-level IT jobs if you are changing careers or have limited expertise in IT.

3. Do You Need IT or Cybersecurity Experience to Earn These Certifications?

If you want to work in Cybersecurity, you should have some IT experience at the very least. Because the topics discussed in Cybersecurity are highly complicated, having some prior expertise with computer and networking principles is helpful.

4. Is it necessary for me to take all of these certifications?

You may not need to take all of the certifications listed in this article, depending on the career you choose to pursue. According to the skill level and experience required to graduate with the following certificate, the logical evolution of cybersecurity certifications and positions follows this general path:

• Security+ is a certification offered by CompTIA.
• CompTIA CySA+ and CompTIA PenTest+ are two of the most popular certifications in the IT industry.
• Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+) is a CompTIA certification that certifies you as a security expert.

5. Will a CompTIA Certification Enable Me to Get a Cybersecurity Job?

While no one can guarantee employment, obtaining a certification is one of the first steps toward landing a job in the cybersecurity field. The likelihood of finding work in information technology and IT security is high.

Conclusion

As the world’s largest IT training company, New Horizons provides current training for all CompTIA certifications. New CompTIA training covers a wide range of critical technology topics to help you advance your IT career and ace the exam.

Whether you prefer in-person or online training, New Horizons can assist you in your CompTIA cybersecurity career path today.