Cert Progression Help

Schumasc

Hello all,

This is my first post as I am just getting involved with the certification process. I am a 2nd year student enrolled at a 5 year university for cyber security. I am currently working a help desk internship, but am quickly trying to progress to a security position with a top company.

The first cert I have decided to attempt is the Security+ . After doing some research, I have figured this to be the most worthwhile exam for somebody in my position. CompTIA seems to be well recognized by most companies and the exam doesn't seem all that challenging with the proper preparation. I also considered GSEC and CCNA:Security , but the GSEC was a bit too much for my wallet and the CCNA seemed like a little more studying. I am looking for something that I can achieve within a month or two.

Which certification would you recommend after the Security+, is the question that I have? I feel that a lot of certifications are equal in level to the Security+ and I would like keep progressing as a security professional. I would also like to note that I would like to obtain my CISSP shortly after graduation, so as I keep taking exams and achieving certs, I would like to get progressively closer to that goal.

Any recommendations will help! Thanks

cdx

Hi Schumasc,

This is an excellent question. Sec+ is very reputable and worth the return on investment. A great answer to your question from qualified individuals in the security section is in this thread:
http://www.techexams.net/forums/security-certifications/28593-security-certification-where-start.html

T-RAV

Glad to see you are setting goals and planning to stick to it. Security+ is a great starting point because it is general and can start just about any path. And it is definitely obtainable within 2 months of studying. I don't know your level of experience but taking the information that you are an intern, I'm gonna give you my advice from that perspective.

The problem I have is I think you might need to start with a networking cert such as Network+. I say this because network understandings are the basis of protecting a network. Its not valuable to have network security certs if you dont supplement with network certs (at least the basic one). You have to have an understanding of what you are protecting. I just passed the Sec+ last week and I can tell you also having the Net+ knowledge helped a lot.

A lot of people think certs are everything. from what i have seen, experience trumps certs most of the time. Dont get me wrong. I still encourage you to get as many certs as possible, as long as you are working your butt off to also learn from experience, not only books. what I mean is, since you are a help desk intern, be proactive and go after an extra workload. Maybe focus on the higher level security tickets or projects and as your manager if you can help or be a part of those.

Here is my plan:
I already have A+, Net+ and Sec+, next is:
Linux+
CCNA
CCNA Security
Project+

those will all be obtained before i graduate. after graduation i will go after:
CCNP Security
SCYBER (Cisco Cyber Security Specialist)
CCIE Security

I may get different ones but I wont know until that time comes.

My path focuses on Cisco so it makes sense. yours may be different and it can always change over the years depending on where your career takes you.

Good luck. hope this helped.

ThePawofRizzo

You're on the right track, but I do agree with T-RAV regarding the Net+. It may be a good idea to consider starting with Network+ and then going for Security+. I have several CompTIA certs, and most of them build on one another, so as you study for one, there are some concepts you will be learning that will apply to others. The A+ to N+ to Sec+ path is very much like that. If you weren't in a time crunch, I'd say start with A+. Given your short time frame I would say try N+ then Sec+ as the first will actually be building the foundation for the Sec+. And earning Sec+ will meet your CEU needs for N+. If you already have some IT knowledge you could self-study both these exams within a couple months...granted you will have to work at it. Don't assume the CompTIA exams are easy because they are foundational as they will be a challenge, especially Sec+. If you simply don't have the time or money, doing only Security+ would be fine, but in studying for N+ you'll really be prepping for Sec+ concepts.

Schumasc

Thank you all for your input. I also agree that it would be worthwhile for me to gain the knowledge associated with the Network+ . Right now, with a limited budget and the main goal of trying to receive a security internship, I think it would be most wise to achieve the security+ certificate. I am thinking though that it would definitely be a smart idea to study as if i were taking both exams, but only take the security+ exam due to the reason listed above. Would anybody recommend Todd Lammle's Network+ study guide for preparation? It seems to have very positive reviews. I am also going to use Darril Gibson's Security+ study guide.


And thank you for the advice T-Rav. I understand that certs are not everything and I also agree that one truly learns the most from experience. The hard part about getting experience is the fact that nobody wants to give a job to somebody without experience. For this reason, I think that well recognized certifications, along with my good academic standing, would be allow me to gain an internship with a top company looking to promote from within.

May i also ask why you are focusing primarily on the Cisco certs. I understand that when it comes to networking, Cisco is considered the gold standard. My father, a networks engineer, has partnered with Cisco many times throughout his line of work and I know that he places great value on the knowledge associated with their systems. I would just like to know why you are tailoring your education towards Cisco. Is there a specific company that you would like to work for that uses their systems? Have you received advice from a mentor to achieve these certs? I personally am really trying to reach the goal of obtaining a CISSP a few years after college. I was thinking of going after the CNA and CCNA:Security after the Security+ exam, but am also considering the SSCP(associates) because I believe that it might help me reach my goal faster. Any thoughts?

636-555-3226

I'd recommend Todd Lammle & Network+ exam then Darril Gibson & Security+ exam. At least some knowledge is required for Security, and Network+ is a good foundation.

Schumasc

After doing more researching, I'm feeling that after my Security+, attempting my CCNA and CCNA:Security would probably be wise. As i stated above, Cisco is a gold standard for networking systems, and is very well recognized by a lot of top tier companies. I'm sure that many of you have taken and passed both of these exams. If you have, please discuss the study material that you used, the amount of time that you studied, your prerequisites, and the difficulty of the exam. All of this material would be extremely helpful for me to decide if this is the right step to take after my Security+.