Do I need experience to pass the Comptia Sec + exam?

StretfordRed

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Any certification in computing is good to work in Cyber/Information security

I’ve not taken my CISSP or CompTia exams (would have been around 12 years ago), but been working in cyber security for about 7 years now doing IR, forensics, malware analysis, etc

Did MSc, got 4 GIAC/SANS certs and all of them were useful. But the KEY THING to remember a certification is verifying what you know/have learnt.

So don’t consider taking a certification as the silver bullet to get into a job. Instead take the time to learn and understand the topics.

I’ve worked with a shyt load of people with certs for days, who don’t know bare basics and in your first day of the job you’ll look silly if you don’t understand how to do your job

Take the time to complete the journey. Theres never a finishing line when it comes to learning in our industry. I’m still studying till this day and have 3/4 courses/certs to do this year :picard: . But I know the finish line is when I decide to stop learning, rather than when I get X very

If you want to get into cyber security. You NEED to build a lab, study at home (Cyberary, PenTesterAcademy, HackTheBox, OverTheWire, IppSec on YouTube, SANS Forensics on YouTube), follow some cyber security people on Twitter and start to get an understand of where you want to specialise as it’s a massive field.
 

O.T.I.S.

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I took and passed my A+ exam yesterday. I studied for about a month and gotten a pretty good score on it so I’m very proud of that.

I’ve decided to skip getting Network + and go straight to getting security + because I’ve always been interested in that field but from what I been told I need at least a few years of experience as a IT administrator to pass it.

I was wondering if anyone on here have been able to pass it without much experience at all. I would really just rather get the cert as early as next year.
I skipped Network+ too but I already had CCNA and networking experience as well as Security experience and a Windows Network Infrastructure cert.

I would say knowing Networks will help you better on the Sec+ than knowing A+ ever will.

I’m in the process of getting my Net+ and renewing my Sec+ but I already got a CYSA+... ill say one thing, it won’t be as easy as A+
 

O.T.I.S.

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And don’t listen to most of these nikkas here, CompTIA is still a standard cert for Cyber security jobs. Sec+ is the most entry level cert to cyber security you can get. Everyone at my job is required to have one just for their positions as contractors. If you want to become a high level GS type you might need a degree but still will need a Sec+.

Sec+ is entry level cyber security, ive had mines since 2012. I’m considering taking CISSP or CASP (both are IAT III level certs) but I’m also qualified with higher level positions now just with my CYSA+ and experiences, I’m just new to the company so once I stack up a few more certs and finish college we gonna see.

CEH is also on par with CYSA+ in some circls, so don’t listen to these nikkas. If you want entry level cyber security you're fine with a Sec+.

This site will show you how the DOD views your certs in regards to cyber security

DoD Approved 8570 Baseline Certifications

Now idk what some civilians shyts are going to want. And yeah, you can do the “coli” common answer to bullshyt and code but coding isn’t for everyone. Even though cyber security will require you to know some coding.

So basically, you startec with CompTIA so depending on what you want to do you might as well stick with the stack up until Sec+ and then branch off into CCNA Security, CEH, CISSP, etc if you don’t want to fukk with CompTIA anymore. I got half Windows certs and half comptia.. still thinking about going with Pentest+ and/or CASP and eventually trying to get ITIL and CCNA Security. But I’ll probably get different ones in my coursework
 

O.T.I.S.

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I just got some Sec+ and CySa+ (I think that’s what it’s called) material from a contact in this cyber security group I joined. Hoping to get cracking on it. I was told if you crack down on studying for 3 or so months you should be good.

Would it be wise to get the Sec+ and then embark on network before the CySa+? I’m looking to get at least two by the end of the year and hopefully get an entry level job before I apply for a masters in comp sci next year @Deuterion
Yes it would be very wise unless you have experience with network defense already

CYSA is basically the blue team of pentesting.... it’s basically Network defense.
 

Balla

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Ok so out of the A+ and Cisco, which one is better? I don’t know what I want to do, but I want to get my foot in the door somewhere and go from there.

I keep hearing A+ is good or it’s not worth it, I don’t want to waste my time and money if it won’t get me a job.

I never heard much about Cisco.
 

Child_Of_God

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Ok so out of the A+ and Cisco, which one is better? I don’t know what I want to do, but I want to get my foot in the door somewhere and go from there.

I keep hearing A+ is good or it’s not worth it, I don’t want to waste my time and money if it won’t get me a job.

I never heard much about Cisco.

I don’t know much about Cisco but A+ is good to have if you want to know the basic’s to computers. Most people say to skip it but it’s very useful to have if your just starting out and It’s generally a good pathway to the IT field.
 

O.T.I.S.

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Ok so out of the A+ and Cisco, which one is better? I don’t know what I want to do, but I want to get my foot in the door somewhere and go from there.

I keep hearing A+ is good or it’s not worth it, I don’t want to waste my time and money if it won’t get me a job.

I never heard much about Cisco.
Depends on what you want to do or what you know

If you wanna know stuff about Networks and got a solid foundation and background in computers (not Microsoft word or email or no bullshyt) then CCNA is better but A+ is better to start off with if you have zero knowledge or hands on. Then you could stack with Net+ then either go into security+ or CCNA.

A+ can get you a helpdesk gig. CCNA will get you a better gig overall but without a few years of working experience you can forget that shyt unless you gonna be someone’s underpaid work horse for a few years
 

Deuterion

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Ok so out of the A+ and Cisco, which one is better? I don’t know what I want to do, but I want to get my foot in the door somewhere and go from there.

I keep hearing A+ is good or it’s not worth it, I don’t want to waste my time and money if it won’t get me a job.

I never heard much about Cisco.

A+ is a cert to get if you want to be a computer technician.

Cisco certs teach you how to use Cisco products and services which are all based around building, troubleshooting, and maintaining computer networks.
 

Rice'N Beckford

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I passed the SEC+ last month. Dont listen to these nikkas about needing to take the Net+ beforehand. Alot of coli ITnikkas brag and wanna sound smarter than they are. You learn more on the job and with exp. And if you just starting and interested in Security go wit the sec+ then cysa ceh etc..:stopitslime:

I needed the SEC+ since im a contractor and TBH. This 23 yr old woman who got a job wit us who doesnt even know the diff between SSDs and spinning drives passes her exam last week on her first try:russ:

But im not gonna lie the trouble I had wit the exam was WPA types, EAP types and PKI. All which you can get additional help with without taking the net+


Theres nikkas on out server amd transport team with CEHs and dont even know how to install programs correctly:what:
 

MoneyBags

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Hell no, I memorized the practice test answers the night before and passed.
 

O.T.I.S.

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I passed the SEC+ last month. Dont listen to these nikkas about needing to take the Net+ beforehand. Alot of coli ITnikkas brag and wanna sound smarter than they are. You learn more on the job and with exp. And if you just starting and interested in Security go wit the sec+ then cysa ceh etc..:stopitslime:

I needed the SEC+ since im a contractor and TBH. This 23 yr old woman who got a job wit us who doesnt even know the diff between SSDs and spinning drives passes her exam last week on her first try:russ:

But im not gonna lie the trouble I had wit the exam was WPA types, EAP types and PKI. All which you can get additional help with without taking the net+


Theres nikkas on out server amd transport team with CEHs and dont even know how to install programs correctly:what:
So you’re suggesting he becomes one of those people that grab a SEC+ and don’t really know wtf he’s doing:jbhmm:
 
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