How Hard Is Sec+

jojopramos

I've already finish my A+/Server+ from CompTIA but I want to pursue my MCSE Security thats why I want to take Security+ but my scores in A+ are 752/763 only and Server+ (753)....whereas the passing on this one is 764....How hard is this Exam?

sprkymrk

It's tough, but not impossible. Your A+ and Server+ really won't matter much. This test is all about theory, concepts and best practices. There is no "hands-on" at all. You will not be asked to perform any tasks or fix anything.

You will be asked about algorithms, hashing, PKI, encryption, physical security, different attacks and malware like smurf, trojans, worms, teardrop, etc. You may be given a situation like "your network is slow and you notice hundreds of half-open connections on your router, what kind of attack are you experiencing?" You will need to know the different forms of access control and when to use each one (RBAC, MAC, and DAC). You'll need to know about things like social engineering and security policies, etc.

There's more, but to answer your question, it is a tough test. However you don't need to be a computer expert to pass, just make sure you know the objectives.

jojopramos

thanks spymark, at least I have an idea on what to expect on this exam. I think that with the right books (Mike Myers and Sybex), It will be enough for this one since I am already have my MCSE Cert and already tackled PKI, IPSEC, algorithms, hashing, encryption on Infrastructure and physical security on Sever+......

jojopramos

thanks spymark, at least I have an idea on what to expect on this exam. I think that with the right books (Mike Myers and Sybex), It will be enough for this one since I am already have my MCSE Cert and already tackled PKI, IPSEC, algorithms, hashing, encryption on Infrastructure and physical security on Sever+......

sprkymrk

Your welcome and good luck.
BTW - Use the Sybex for your main study time, and just use the Mike Meyers as an easy to carryy "travel" study guide as it does not cover nearly enough. Also, a lot of folks preferred the Syngress over the Sybex, but I liked them both. Also be sure to use the tech notes from this site, they are VERY good.

mvastarelli

If I recall I passed my A+ tests in the mid-low 600's and the Network+ test in the mid 700's. The bar is set a little higher with this test, but as with all tests, the "difficulty" perceived by the test taker is usually directly proprotionate to how well they know the material they're being tested on. Security+ doesn't leave a whole lot of room for error though. However, if you know the material you're going to be tested on well, you should have no problem passing it (I passed with an 810 btw).

Also, these are the two books I used for preparation:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1931836728/qid=1129778501/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-2058521-9493747?v=glance&s=books
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0789729105/qid=1139681556/sr=1-10/ref=sr_1_10/002-1592315-7766458?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Vogon Poet

With your background it should not be extremely difficult to pick up the concepts or how they are applied in a real environment. It doesn't ask you to apply them, but it is much clearer if you already know the info from Microsoft's 70-290 & 70-291 exams.
It took me about 2 months of study time. Not bad.
I recommend the Sybex book & Exam Cram practice test questions.
And yes, the TechNotes on this site are excellent.

jojopramos

Thanks....I will first order the Sybex/Syngress books from Amazon then start my official review....

Philippatos

I used the official courseware available on CompTIA's website as my primary study guide, supplemented with the Exam Cram 2 and Sybex books.

I didn't like the Sybex book much. According to my notes, for example, the Sybex book confusingly refers standard forensic procedures by the term "AAA model":

1) Acquire
2) Authenticate
3) Analyze

While the official courseware describes a 5 (or 6) step process:

1) Preparation
2) Collection of evidence (prioritizing from most volatile to least -- i.e. memory first, hard disk last)
3) Authentication
4) Examination
5) Analysis
6*) Documenting and reporting -- an ongoing process so not really a "step" itself.

And needless to say it's confusing to refer to it as the AAA model you need to know for the test:

1) Authentication
2) Authorization
3) Accounting (or Auditing)

The Exam Cram 2 book had countermeasure information the official courseware didn't cover and that actually showed up in a question on my test. So I'm not going to knock that book. The condensed format serves better as a reference than primary study guide though, IMHO.

I scored an 844/900 on my test BTW.