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Based on the market trends, it’s safe to say that the number of cyber security job openings in the next five years will not be outnumbered by the number of qualified professionals available to fill them. This means that a certified cyber security professional will always be in demand in any organization.
The CompTIA Security+ certification is the ideal first step for aspiring security professionals. But how should you study for the exam in 10 weeks? Let’s have a look at the steps that you need to take first.
Step 1: Utilise the CompTIA Resources
Take the time to explore CompTIA’s website. The official CompTIA Security+ SY0-501 certification study guide includes review questions, a glossary of relevant terms. Study the content mapped directly to the exam objectives to get an idea of the workload that is in store for you.
Step 2: Create a realistic study plan:
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Different people have different study techniques and time-tables. However, for such certification exams that have a wide range of subjects, it is important to set specific short term and long term deadlines to cover all the topics in time and also solve practice tests.
The 12 Week Plan
Week 1: Get Security+ Started
Focus on IT security practices in areas including network design and try solving case studies to get an idea of real-world security situations you might encounter.
Week 2: Time-bound Practice Exams
Cover the topics under virtualization, ports and protocols, mobile security as well as risk overview and calculation.
It is advisable to purchase an exam prep book to supplement your training for your CASP certification training.
Attempt practice exams within a certain time constraint to gauge to your knowledge.
Week 3: Set a Date
Schedule your exam with an approved testing site. Fixing an exam date holds you more accountable and gives you a stipulated deadline to finish your preparations.
Cover the concepts of data loss prevention, incident response, and physical security.
Week 4: Checkpoint
Move on to the topics of business continuity, data integrity and even start exploring specific attack types.
Since this week marks the halfway point, attempt another practice exam to see how much you are yet to cover.
Week 5: Catch Up And Move Forward
Start with social engineering threats, attack types, and reporting metrics.
Catch up on the topics that you feel need a little brushing up based on your practice test.
Week 6: Hands-on Training
It is time to delve into the study of assessment tools, penetration testing, and mobile device security.
During this week, it is ideal to register for a free trial of CompTIA’s CertMaster eLearning program. CompTIA Security+ certification requires some hand-on experience, through additional labs and quizzes.
Week 7: Brush Up On The Finer Details
It is time to cover the topics of data security, multi-factor authentication, and elements that make up a secure system.
To reinforce your exam preparations, it is a good idea this week to review the exam details.
Week 8: Utilise Your Support System
With your exam around the corner, deep dive into concepts of cryptography such as PKI and account management, cover considerations, management, and cryptography algorithms.
Share your training goals with your friends, family, and colleagues.
Week 9: Test, Revise And Review
Brush up on the topics of malware, network scanning, sniffing, and vulnerability scanning.
Attempt a final practice exam. At this point, you should aim to score around 90% since you still have a week’s worth of content to go through.
You are almost on the verge of achieving CompTIA’s A plus certification.
Week 10: The Home Stretch
Utilise this week to cover the topics of social engineering, identity management, and incident response.
Review the concepts that are necessary based on your practice examinations
Check out the exam logistics one last time.
It is important not to over-work yourself this week.
Have faith in the hard work you have put in from the beginning.
Conclusion
Cybersecurity can be a fulfilling career. This certification can prepare you for the roles of an information security analyst, security engineer, or security consultant role. Getting certified in security, even at the entry-level, sets you apart from the other candidates and boosts your potential for a new job or a lateral move into the domain. Following a regulated timeline can help you achieve your goals.
