sscp and sec+ AND TICSA

ja5983

hey guys.

i know this might have been asked before..but anyway...let me ask again

I have sec+ and TICSA and want to get my SSCP. Is there a huge difference in studying between the 3? I know TICSA was very much like SEC+ but a slight bit more studying involved. What about hte SSCP VS TICSA or SSCP VS SEC+?

JDMurray

I have the Security+ (from 2003), and I'm studying for both the TICSA and SSCP right now. From what I've seen of practice exams and training materials, the TICSA is closer a "Security++" exam, while the SSCP is closer to a "junior CISSP." TICSA covers more information security subject matter than the SSCP, but the SSCP will cover its own seven domains of the (ISC)**2 CBK much more deeply than the TICSA will cover its own EBK.

What is your impression of the differences between the Security+ and the TICSA? The info in the Que book is not very deep at all. I'm assuming the TICSA exam is a lot harder than the PreLogic practice tests included in the book.

ja5983

What is your impression of the differences between the Security+ and the TICSA? The info in the Que book is not very deep at all. I'm assuming the TICSA exam is a lot harder than the PreLogic practice tests included in the book.

I have two impressions of the TICSA: the knowledge it gives you/how hard it is and its worth.

knowledge - I took appx 3 weeks to study for the TICSA, that being right on the heels of my Sec+. The material was very similar but TICSA was more in depth by far in most categories (encryption was about the same). This definately gave me a more in depth look at the info i learned from Sec+ and helped me build an even better foundation. TICSA requires also knowing metrics and info from TruSecure thats not necessarily in the ONLY TICSA study guide there is. In fact, MOST of the TICSA is not in the study guide. I found myself going to the test and saying 'thank you God' that I was studying other security books at the time. As for educational value, I definately think the TICSA will help you alot in really nailing in your security foundations. It is a very worthy certification for your education.

Value $$. Some TICSAs may disagree (though i dont know that there are very many to disagree with me), but i feel that the TICSA is worth LESS than the paper it was written on and certainly less than the $350ish it costs to take and then $100/2yrs to upkeep.

TruSecure/CyberTrust/WHATEVER has almost NO information about the TICSA on its site. The TICSA site is buggy at best now that they have changed to CYBERTRUST, with references to the TICSE (VAPOR CERT!!) and links that go nowhere! TruSecure provides no assistance to the certified in career placement or furthering your education (which MS and CompTIA and Cisco do). There is no way that I have found to verify that your TICSA is real and you cannot release your transcript to HR as there is no transcript release tool. No HR people know what the TICSA is anyway because almost no people in IT know what the TICSA is!! I have never in my life met another TICSA and I have never seen TICSA in one job posting in my life (and i have checked), nor have I ever had a hiring manager say 'oh you have TICSA? We like that' (my last 2 jobs and my current job are security related too!!!) I actually find myself putting TruSecure ICSA Certified Security Associate, written out, on my resume, so that people have an idea of what it is!! I would say, the TRUE worth of TICSA in your career is alot less than the A+ and probably around the value of the 'Brainbench Network Security' certificate you can get for free during bench games...


I figuredIid write this up to let you know what your getting into before you spend the $300+ to get the certificate. Is it worth it to learn? hell yes. Are you going to get anything monetary back for the $$ you spend? that will be a VERY cold day in hell...

keatron

Sheesh!!!!

JDMurray

I have to admit that I am a bit dismayed by the lack of positive information--or any information at all--that I've found thus far about the TICSA on the Internet. The TICSA web site contains an endorsement statement from the (ISC)^2, but I don't any acceptance of the cert from any industry. There are typically fewer than five or six job postings on the major job boards which mention TICSA. There are also no cert prep tests or books (other than Que) for it.

This all reminds me of the SCNP cert which I was studying for, but decided not to pursue due to these same reasons. Both certs cover very good information, and are useful to study for, but I'm not sure that I actually need to spend the $$$ on getting the actual certs themselves.

ja5983

Keatron,

I guess im just a bit disgruntled at how TruSecure/CyberTrust has held their certification in what I feel is low regard since they give no support for it. I am also a little disgruntled that though it sits next to my CCNA on the wall....its worth about as much as my 3 brainbench certs below it!

As for the information about the TICSA, thats where the problem lies, it really seems to me like 2 guys were like...hey...lets have a cert...OK....drew a piece of paper up....gave some ideas on what should be on it...then just dropped it... There is NO clear info, the study guide isnt great and no one really knows anything about it (presumably because theres probably only like 600 TICSAs if that.

Jdmurray, if you have seen ONE job posting that says TICSA you are ahead of me, before I got my current job in OCT, I was searching the east coast job boards (all the way from boston to miami) and never even saw one that suggested it.

Once again...

Que book $5
TICSA $350
Profit from TICSA $.10
Education from ticsa priceless....

JDMurray

ja5983 wrote:

Jdmurray, if you have seen ONE job posting that says TICSA you are ahead of me, before I got my current job in OCT, I was searching the east coast job boards (all the way from boston to miami) and never even saw one that suggested it.

If you do a general search not concentrating on a specific geographical area, you see it pop up in a few job postings. I think several HR departments saw it on a list somewhere next to the CISSP and SSCP and threw it into their job reqs as an indication of proven security knowledge without having researched it first. In comparison, the SSCP is typically referenced by 50+ job postings.

ja5983

haha well atleast some places know what TICSA is..just wish i knew who they were....LOL