Passed Security+ this morning, on to the next thing

mgeoffriau

Got this done this morning. Pretty straightforward after taking the Network+ exam. Used Darrel Gibson's book and premium site, along with some Anki flashcards for acronyms and port numbers. Thanks to everyone here for sharing tips, strategies, and encouragement.

PCTechLinc

Congrats! That's a really awesome score. What is next for you?

TNbound

grats

mgeoffriau

PCTechLinc wrote: »

Congrats! That's a really awesome score. What is next for you?

Thanks! I'm going to cram for a week or two for the ITIL Foundations exam and get that done, and then I am thinking about enrolling in WGU's MSCSIA program. I had been considering the CISSP next, but if I want to do a Master's degree, right now would be the best time. I can do the CISSP after that.

PCTechLinc

Awesome! I went through WGU's MSISA program before they changed, and I really liked it. I have a former student that is enrolling soon. Keep in mind though, unless WGU has changed their policy, the CCNA is a pre-req to sign up for that program. She passed ICND1, and is working on ICND2 now. I would talk to an enrollment counselor just to make sure.

mgeoffriau

PCTechLinc wrote: »

Awesome! I went through WGU's MSISA program before they changed, and I really liked it. I have a former student that is enrolling soon. Keep in mind though, unless WGU has changed their policy, the CCNA is a pre-req to sign up for that program. She passed ICND1, and is working on ICND2 now. I would talk to an enrollment counselor just to make sure.

They've expanded the prerequisite possibilities. From the program page:

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university, and must also demonstrate IT security experience through at least one of the following three methods:

• Have earned a bachelor’s degree in IT security or IT networking that covers at least two CISSP CBK domains. (You can find the domains listed here.)
• Hold a CISSP, CCIE, CCNP, CCNA, CCNA Security, CEH, CHFI, GIAC 2700 or GCWN certification that is valid and earned within the last five years.
• Submit a resume for review showing recent significant IT security experience, of at least three years, which demonstrates at least two CISSP CBK domains.

I have a BA in Philosophy. I don't have a BA in IT, nor do I hold any of the certifications mentioned, but I have worked for 3.5 years in Healthcare IT and have plenty of experience in security policies, incident response, secure mobile device management, etc.

PCTechLinc

Ok, that makes sense why she still has to complete CCNA. She has her Bachelor's Degree in Software Design, and I know that her security experience is lacking in that sense. Thanks for the updated info!

ultm8mind

Not meaning to jack your thread but is WGU a "reputable" school? Just want to make sure it's not another University of Phoenix or something like that...

PCTechLinc

ultm8mind wrote: »

Not meaning to jack your thread but is WGU a "reputable" school? Just want to make sure it's not another University of Phoenix or something like that...

"Reputable" can be a subjective meaning. I used to teach at Heald College, which was established in 1863, and was closed by the Department of Education in 2015, while under management by Corinthian Colleges. Heald was fully accredited all the way up to the day we were closed. I don't have any experience with UoP, so I won't talk about them.

WGU started in 1995, and is regionally accredited for multiple undergraduate and graduate programs. I'm not going to say that their programs are better than other schools, because I don't know. I can say that the things that I have learned from their programs thus far have helped me technically and professionally. I do like the fact that they are non-profit. As with everything, you have to do your research and pick the school that you believe will provide the end result for which you are looking.

ultm8mind

Thanks for the reply brother, yeah I am just curious where I should start my next degree and it seemed there are a few of us in this group that have acquired their degrees from WGU. Appreciate it, now back to your regularly scheduled program...

Also it was the original poster score that was pretty good, I pulled an 831 and when I saw his I was like WOW.

DAVIS NGUYEN

Congrats!

amurica

Congrats! Im jealous Did you feel like there was a lot of overlap between Network+ and SEC+? Which one did you find easier?

mgeoffriau

Yes, lots of overlap. There's a little bit of direct overlap, since Network+ includes some network security stuff. But also lots of indirect overlap, in that a good understanding of network design and protocols is necessary to understand the content of Security+.

I definitely found Network+ more challenging (I studied longer and scored lower on it), but I think the difficulty level is actually probably pretty close between the two. The fact that Security+ felt much easier was mostly due to the fact that I had just spent so much time preparing for Network+ and I was just building on top of that foundation.

c0mptia

Sweet..congrats on the pass

amurica

Oh wow. Thats interesting because I feel like everyone I have talked to says Sec+ is harder. Im really glad to hear you say the contrary because 3 weeks ago I passed Net+ with only a 720 and I felt like if anything was harder than that I would not be able to pass. Thanks for you input.

nisti2

Congratsss on your pass!! Really nice score!!