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One of the fastest ways to develop cybersecurity skills and gain experience is to earn one of its many prestigious certificates. Which raises an important question: What is the ideal certification for career beginners?

CompTIA Security+ training is one of the best choices for professionals looking to give a career a new path in information security. As per the CompTIA, this is the first security certification an IT professional must obtain to work in this high-demand field as it “provides the basic knowledge required for any role in cybersecurity and is a stepping stone to cybersecurity work. Security+ includes hands-on troubleshooting best practices to ensure applicants have hands-on skills in solving security problems. “

Here are some important points you need to know about this certificate.

What is Security+ Certificate?

CompTIA Security+ is a vendor-neutral global information security certificate. It confirms the basic knowledge required to meet DoD 8570 requirements to perform basic security functions and a career in IT security.

This is a great opportunity for entry-level professionals as Security+ focuses on hands-on skills and ensures certificate holders are better equipped to solve problems on a wide range of topics.

The topics covered in this certificate are based on the latest trends and techniques in risk assessment and management, incident response, forensics, enterprise networking, hybrid/cloud operations, and security controls to ensure high productivity in the workplace. The latest update of the Security+ certificate includes the Junior IT Auditor / Penetration Examiner role and the previous roles as the system administrator, network administrator, and security administrator.

How to get a Security+ certificate?

The new CompTIA Security + SY0-601 exam will be available on November 12, 2020. In order to successfully pass, applicants must demonstrate that they have the knowledge and skills necessary to:

• Assess the company’s environmental security position and recommend and implement appropriate security solutions.
• Monitor and protect hybrid environments including cloud, mobile devices and IoT.
• Work with an awareness of applicable laws and regulations, including governance, risk and compliance principles.
• Identify, analyze, and respond to security events and incidents.

The purpose of the examination and the associated weight percentage in the examination include:

• Attacks, threats and vulnerabilities (24%)
• Architecture and design (21%)
• Implementation (25%)
• Operation and accident response (16%)
• Management, risk and Compliance (14%)

The Security+ exam costs $370 and has 90 multiple choice questions to be answered in 90 minutes. Applicants must achieve a minimum score of 750 (on a scale of 100-900).

Are there any requirements for this certification?

Security+ is an entry-level certificate, so there’s good news. The SY0-601 exam has the following recommended (but not mandatory) requirements: CompTIA+ networking and two years of IT administration experience with a security focus. However, certification must validate the applicant’s skills and requires a basic understanding of best practices for network and host-based security.

The CompTIA Security+ certification is aimed at IT security specialists with:

• Sufficient knowledge of IT security
• Basic experience in technical information security
• Extensive knowledge of security and enforcement issues, including topics in the domain list

Why choose Security+?

Even for entry-level positions, information security specialists must be qualified and have on paper experience. After all, securing an organization from cybersecurity threats is a huge responsibility: a single mistake by any part of the security team can mean a huge loss of profit or even a loss of reputation.

Choosing your first information security certificate is an important step in your career. There are many ways to become a cybersecurity professional, but it won’t happen overnight. Each step along the path needs to be carefully planned and based on short, medium and long term goals. Certificates should be more than just the alphabet soup that comes after your name on social media. The certificate chosen should create a series of steps to develop meaningful skills and knowledge, especially for professionals just starting their cybersecurity careers.

The SY0-601 exam fits well with a number of ideal professional and career traits, such as a solid entry-level certification that is highly valued in the field. It can help a person stand out from the crowd and demonstrate a certain level of skill. For this reason alone, it is worth investing in this reference.

One of the most important points is how this exam focuses on practical knowledge. For example, providing candidates with the necessary skills for positions such as systems administrator, security administrator, IT auditor, IT project manager, network/cloud engineer, DevOps/software developer, help desk manager/analyst and security engineer/analyst.

Another important fact is that Security+ stands out as one of the most coveted certificates constantly being mentioned in job descriptions of websites like Hired, Monster, or LinkedIn Jobs.

CompTIA Security+ Certification: Benefits

This certificate is ideal for IT security professionals who are relatively new to the field or have never taken a security certification exam before. This is also useful if you want to switch from a connected space to cybersecurity. Recommended as the first Security Certificate, you should earn as it provides the basic skills required for any job in cybersecurity and can help you reach intermediate cybersecurity positions. If you consider getting this CompTIA Certificate, the benefits listed below will help you make the right decision.

Vendor-neutral certification

The certification is vendor-neutral, which shows that you don’t have to focus on the technology and security of the right vendor. In this way, you can incorporate common cybersecurity components. The broad skills and knowledge gained through certification make security professionals and network administrators in high demand in the IT market. This gives you the ability to search for several options in this area.

Assumptions and experience required

Since this is an entry-level certificate, not much experience is expected. This is one of the main benefits of certification, so many individuals entering the security industry choose the CompTIA Security+ certificate to increase their career opportunities significantly. Unlike other cybersecurity certificates, this certificate has no requirements. It is recommended that only professionals taking the certification exam have at least two years of professional experience in security and networking to enhance their ability to take the exam and retire on time.

Globally recognized certificate

The CompTIA Security+ certificate is recognized worldwide as one of the most important security certificates in cybersecurity. The Security+ Certificate presented by CompTIA (Computer Industry Association) is also approved by ANSI and is intended to demonstrate that a person is using the knowledge, skills and functions required to comply with ISO 17024.

High career opportunities

Cybersecurity professionals are sought after by organizations in the private and public sectors. CompTIA Security+ certification gives you the advantage of handling network security and administration tasks. With this certificate, you can perform various tasks with various services, such as Compliance and operational security, cryptography, threats and vulnerabilities, data and host protection, access control and identity and application management.

Higher salary bracket

Security + Professionals are likely to get more salary pay-out than their uncertified counterparts. With this certificate on your resume, as a network engineer, you can expect a median salary of between $42,130 and $95,830. It should be noted that other factors will determine how much you will earn, and these factors include your level of experience and accreditation. A CompTIA Security + Certified Professional can make around $66,890 a year in just a few years.

Opportunity to take government jobs:

If you’re looking for cybersecurity or networking at a government agency, getting the CompTIA Security + Certificate is a great place to start. The certificate is compliant with the DoD 8570 standard. This is considered a compliance standard used to enumerate the many requirements that government officials and contractors need at various levels of work in IT. The certification meets the DoD 8570 compliance standard, which is required for both technical and executive-level positions.

Opportunity to learn and grow

Before you can get a certificate, you need to familiarize yourself with the purpose and content of the exam. After intensive preparation, you will have to take the exam. While preparing for the exam, you will learn a lot about cybersecurity. In addition, you will acquire skills and knowledge that will be useful for you to become a premier security specialist. That’s why hiring managers always take care of skilled workers with this CompTIA certificate. Certification is proof of your professional experience and skills.

Ability to work anywhere in the world

An important advantage of CompTIA Security+ certificates is that they are recognized, trusted and accepted across the globe. Wherever you wish to work, this certificate can open doors for you. If you want to work in the US, Security+ lets you. For example, he is recognized by the US Department of Defense and can work as an ice breaker for any job in a government agency. If you want to work as a specialist in network cybersecurity, this Security+ certificate is very important for you.

In short, Security+ is ideal for developing the skills required for cybersecurity positions, which are highly recognized worldwide with ISO/ANSI accreditation status. While it can be challenging, any particular candidate can succeed with the right training. It covers all the basics to make Security+ your first certificate.

Wrapping up:

The security analyst market is hot. There’s a lot of work! For those with the right skills, salaries in this field can be high. However, information security experts must also be qualified for entry-level positions and have a good experience level. Building a strong knowledge base and acquiring practical skills suitable for the job is required. Certifications can help identify key topics and the information needed to excel in your chosen field, and there’s no doubt that the Security+ certification offers significant benefits and is a smart choice for any professional.

Get in touch with us today for starting your career in cybersecurity through Security+ certification.