CSA next step?

donx4

Im coming the the end of my study of the sec+ will be sitting the exam soon. I know im jumping the gun here as i have not yet passed and my question is slightly out of scope of this sec+ forum but... how big of a jump from the sec+ is the CSA+ ?

if i pass the sec+ the first attempt i will be studying for it for about a month, how long of a commitment of time would the CSA be and is there alot of cross over?

cheers

636-555-3226

It'll be a great follow-up. Security+ covers the general basics, CSA+ covers the hands-on technical stuff. Cross-over, but not the same as one is just principles, the other is doing it. You'll want some hands-on skills for the CSA. The exam objectives are at

https://www.comptia.jp/pdf/comptia-cybersecurity-analyst-(cs0-001).pdf

It's easy to practice the real world stuff, just look at the objectives, download some online software that does it, and use that software in a lab (VM) environment

Example - 1.1 Given a scenario, apply environmental reconnaissance techniques using appropriate tools and processes

Some of the tools are even listed - nmap, dns scans, nessus, etc.

The best part of CSA+ is it's real-life, so the skills you're learning for it will mirror exactly what you'll likely do if you get an infosec job. Probably a decent amount of commitment since you'll need to learn how to actually use the tools

mikey88

I haven't seen any job listings that were asking for CSA+ I'm wondering if CCNA Cyber Ops or other from GIAC/EC-Council are a better ROI with name recognition.

636-555-3226

GIAC's definitely better name recognition & reputation than CompTIA, but there's quite a cost discrepancy between the two, especially for someone just starting out without that large enterprise job that can afford the $6k+ SANS training