Security+ after GSEC

Methodikal

Hello all,

I have a question regarding the material/modules covered in the Security+ exam. How close is it to the GSEC? I went to the GSEC boot camp in May, and have been studying since. I'm scheduled to take the GSEC on Monday. If all goes well with that, I'm hoping to knock out the Security+ as soon as possible. Do you think there's enough overlap with the two that I can take the Security+ a couple of days after the GSEC exam? Thanks in advance!

Methodikal

Bl8ckr0uter

Why do both?

I think the GSECs objectives are way more advanced and far reaching than the security plus so assuming all goes well, a week or 2 of studying will probably do the trick.

dynamik

I don't know if I'd call it way more advanced. It's still pretty high-level. It definitely has greater breadth.

You're going to find a lot of overlap between them. I think just taking it a couple days later might be a bit of a rush. You could probably get up to speed in a week or so. I'd get a Security+ book just to make sure you fill in any gaps that differ between them.

Methodikal

Thanks for the responses!

knwminus: I'm going for it because it seems like more employers list the Sec+ as a requirement than they do for the GSEC. Plus, I'd like to knock it out while all this information is still fresh in my brain. I'm even considering going for the CISSP right after the Sec+, since all three certs cover the 10 domains. I want to take the CEH after Sec+, but again, I think it might be best to go for the CISSP since it tests for the higher level stuff that will be fresh in my brain.

Dynamik: Can you recommend any books that I can breeze through fairly quickly? Like the Security+ Exam Cram or something? Oh yeah, Archer rules!

Methodikal

Bl8ckr0uter

Amazon.com: CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-201 Study Guide (9781439236369): Darril Gibson: Books

Extra Credit:

Amazon.com: Network Security Bible (9780470502495): Eric Cole: Books

I can only say that this is what I am using. The Network Security Bible has its dry spots.

Devilsbane

Methodikal wrote: »

knwminus: I'm going for it because it seems like more employers list the Sec+ as a requirement than they do for the GSEC. Plus, I'd like to knock it out while all this information is still fresh in my brain.

And of course you can't forget that for the rest of 2010, passing the Sec+ exam grants you the cert for life. Wait until 2011, and it expires every 3 years.

Methodikal

knwminus wrote: »

Amazon.com: CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-201 Study Guide (9781439236369): Darril Gibson: Books

Extra Credit:

Amazon.com: Network Security Bible (9780470502495): Eric Cole: Books

Thanks!

Methodikal

Devilsbane wrote: »

And of course you can't forget that for the rest of 2010, passing the Sec+ exam grants you the cert for life. Wait until 2011, and it expires every 3 years.

Good to know, thanks for the info!

Devilsbane

Methodikal wrote: »

Good to know, thanks for the info!

A+ and Network+ have the same policy. So if you are even slightly interested in either, now would be the time to scoop them up.

Methodikal

Devilsbane wrote: »

A+ and Network+ have the same policy. So if you are even slightly interested in either, now would be the time to scoop them up.

Thanks, but as of right now, I'm not really interested in those. Here's my planned cert path:

1. GSEC
2. Sec+
3. CISSP
4. CEH
5. OSCP

I might switch 3 and 4 though, I'll decide later on. A lot of it depends on if I get accepted to be a facilitator for the SANS CISSP course. I applied a couple weeks ago. If I don't get it, I'm strongly considering the CEH after the Sec+.

Methodikal

dynamik

Dr. Eric Cole, who wrote the Network Security Bible is also one of the authors for the GSEC course. If you have the GSEC books, I wouldn't get that in addition to them; there would be an enormous amount of overlap. I'll second Darril's book even though I've never read it. It gets fantastic reviews from everyone.

You might want to consider the eLearnSecurity course between the CEH and OSCP. It's new and the cert isn't well known (yet), but everyone is raving about the content. It's on my wish-list. There's a review here: The Ethical Hacker Network - Review: eLearnSecurity’s Penetration Testing Pro (PTP)

Methodikal

dynamik wrote: »

Dr. Eric Cole, who wrote the Network Security Bible is also one of the authors for the GSEC course. If you have the GSEC books, I wouldn't get that in addition to them; there would be an enormous amount of overlap. I'll second Darril's book even though I've never read it. It gets fantastic reviews from everyone.

You might want to consider the eLearnSecurity course between the CEH and OSCP. It's new and the cert isn't well known (yet), but everyone is raving about the content. It's on my wish-list. There's a review here: The Ethical Hacker Network - Review: eLearnSecurity’s Penetration Testing Pro (PTP)

Yeah, Eric Cole rocks. I have all his MP3's from the GSEC course. I listened to all of them as part of my studies.

Thanks for the heads up on eLearnSecurity, I'll have to check that out. So would you definitely recommend taking that AFTER the CEH? Does it dive deeper into the foundations that will be learned in the CEH?

dynamik

Yea, the CEH ethical hacking/pen testing from a high level. It'd be more accurate if they called it an overview of ethical hacking. You could probably pass it without every using a tool, assuming you have some good deductive reasoning abilities and can decipher various output. The OSCP is also insane with a 24-hour lab exam. I think the eLearnSecurity course fits nicely in the middle (from what I hear).

Methodikal

dynamik wrote: »

Yea, the CEH ethical hacking/pen testing from a high level. It'd be more accurate if they called it an overview of ethical hacking. You could probably pass it without every using a tool, assuming you have some good deductive reasoning abilities and can decipher various output. The OSCP is also insane with a 24-hour lab exam. I think the eLearnSecurity course fits nicely in the middle (from what I hear).

It's been added to my Cert path. Thanks!