Thinking about letting Security+ expire

Kandinsky

I still have until July of this year before I have to take action. My original thought last year was to get the CSA+ and I began studying for it, but the way things worked out, I ended up getting Server+ instead, which renewed my A+ and Network+ for another 3 years or so. Where I'm at currently, they're heavily into Microsoft, so it's more beneficial for me at the moment to get an MCSA or something than CSA+, which probably wouldn't help my career as much. I figure, even if I let Security+ lapse, in the future, I can always get CSA+ or even CASP which are both higher up the ladder than Security+ anyway. I kind of feel like you have to get the certs that are going to benefit you the most at the time, rather than later.

TechGuru80

Come on....it doesn't take that much effort to renew Security+ by getting continuing education credits. With vendor certifications (Cisco, Microsoft, etc.), it definitely only makes sense to renew or acquire what will help you since you have to retake the test...but when it only requires you to do continuing education that is pretty weak...till July that is like 2 hours per week of something you should already be doing.

Kandinsky

I really don't understand the whole continuing education thing. So far I've kept my certs current by getting a higher cert. I don't know how to do the CEU thing or how to track it. I don't know if I have time. Like right now in the evening after work I'm studying Powershell and Office 365. I don't know if I have time to do "continuing education."

TeKniques

You can renew the Security+ with other certifications if that is your intent:

https://certification.comptia.org/continuing-education/renewothers/renewing-security

TechGromit

I guess it all really depends on where you feel you are in your career. I know a SANS instructor that let his CISSP lapse, he stopped paying the renewal fee and it took (ISC)² several years of him not paying before they revoked it. I guess having a prestigious security professional with your certification helps it more than him not paying the renewal fee hurts.

ThePawofRizzo

I have the mindset to keep as many certs as possible in order to keep any edge on your resume that other applicants may not have. Security+ has some better recognition in the industry than many other certs, so I would suggest you hold onto it.

CEUs are easy to update. I upload a copy of the certificate of completion from a webinar or course to the CompTIA CEU database, and also a PDF showing a description from the course or webinar webpage or catalog. If you do CSA+ you've simply be auto-renewed. I've taken my week long vendor training and used it for CEUs, college coursework that I'm already using, etc.

I believe you can also use CompTIAs CertMaster training for Security+ renewal. I used it to prep for an exam, and it is lessons and tests you progressively work through as you have some time. I don't remember exactly, but I think with a few hours each week you could work through it in a month.

Granted the renewal will cost you some money whichever way you go. Still, IT Security is such a buzzword these days, I think having Sec+ on the resume if you need it can be useful.

Kandinsky

ThePawofRizzo wrote: »

I think having Sec+ on the resume if you need it can be useful.

Yeah, I can understand that viewpoint, I'm still on the fence about it. Right now learning powershell is taking up my time. Also, I've heard it mentioned before that very few employers ask if a cert is current or expired or not. Speaking from my own experience I think I've only ever had one interview where they asked me when I had obtained my certs. I'll look into the CEU thing. Thanks guys.

yoba222

Kandinsky wrote: »

I kind of feel like you have to get the certs that are going to benefit you the most at the time, rather than later.

Doing certs that relate to the technology you get to touch on a daily basis is definitely smart. But as far as doing what will benefit you most right now, I feel the opposite way. If you want to get ahead and move into a more advanced role, you need to pursue a more advanced cert.

As far as continuing education goes, please don't take my bluntness as a personal attack because it's not. If you're too lazy to spend 20 minutes reading up on CE to discover how easy it is to do and what others are doing to make it happen, you deserve what you get when it expires.

Kandinsky

I received a reminder email from CompTIA yesterday that I have 180 days to renew my Security+. The email had a link to their continuing education page, so I clicked on it out of curiosity. I found this, it looks relatively new, it's dated from Dec. 5, 2017:

https://certification.comptia.org/continuing-education/choose/renew-with-a-single-activity/complete-a-comptia-certmaster-ce-course#security

They have them for A+ and Network+ too. Apparently it's a 4-6 hour course with some quizzes but upon completion of everything you get all your CEUs for that exam. It costs $175, but whatever, this whole certification thing is an investment anyway right? Anyway, this is probably what I'll do in a few months. I have until July. I want to get as close as I can to the expiration date before I renew because I just renewed my A+ and Network+ in October when I earned Server+. I need to give it a few months so I don't have to worry about renewal for awhile after this.

[Deleted User]

Seriously it is not that hard to maintain the Security+! Just take the CSA+ and you get full renewal!

Kandinsky

That was originally the plan, but I don't have time to study for that at the moment. I might still pick it up in the future, but right now my energies are being spent learning powershell and office 365.

Kandinsky

DR650SE wrote: »

Why not just take the 35 question CompTIA recert exam?

https://certification.comptia.org/continuing-education/choose/renew-with-a-single-activity/recertify-with-a-comptia-recertification-exam

Interesting. I didn't know about that. That's a possibility, but I think I will still just do the training thing. It's basically the same price and it doesn't seem to require a proctored exam.

Kandinsky

Ah, nice. I didn't see that before. That changes things. I may take that option after all, thanks!

Kandinsky

Well, I just finished the CompTIA Security+ Certmaster CE course about 15 minutes ago. I decided to opt for that, since it's a self-paced refresher course. I finished it about a month before my Sec+ was set to expire. Now I just have to wait until CompTIA does their thing and sends me an updated certificate. I figured I might as well renew it, because it is a well-recognized cert and good to have on your resume. I studied hard for it so I don't feel like letting it go just like that. Also, I got my job to pay for the renewal GREAT SUCCESS. Now I don't have to worry about it again until 2021.