CompTIA Security+ Training Boot Camp

The internationally recognized CompTIA Security+ certification is a sought-after and high-demand credential for information security professionals seeking to enter the cybersecurity job market.

Show hiring and department managers you have what it takes to be an irreplaceable asset to the organization. This certification is for entry-level students or IT professionals looking to level up. For additional information, visit our Security+ Certification Hub.

Students are not required to possess any other certifications before taking the Security+ exam.

It is highly suggested that students obtain the CompTIA Network+, or have equivalent knowledge, beforehand. This certification will help build foundational knowledge that can be applied to the Security+ exam.

As an industry leader in the information security industry, CompTIA issues updates to certification exams to ensure students are being tested on the most relevant information, including emerging threats and new technologies.

Most recently, CompTIA updated its Security+ exam from the SY0-501 to the SY0-601.

The SY0-501 exam was officially retired on July 31, 2021 and all students now take the SY0-601.

There are six primary differences between SY0-501 and SY0-601 that students should be aware of:

1. Newer Security+ 601 skills include more threats; cloud environments; entry-level incident response; and governance, risk and compliance (GRC).
2. There are fewer domains in the new version: 5 instead of 6.
3. There are fewer objectives: 35 instead of 37.
4. There are 25% more bulleted examples listed under each objective to help contextualize the meaning of the objective. Although the exam questions are not based on the bulleted examples, students should be familiar with all of them.
5. Several exam domains and exam objectives were re-ordered and re-named to address instructional design improvements. For example, the previous Technologies and Tools domain was broken apart into the domains where the technologies and tools were applied.
6. Bloom’s taxonomy indicates more application of skills and slightly less analysis overall. Analysis skills are taught in CySA+, which is higher up the cybersecurity career pathway. Application of skills, such as administration and configuration, are covered in Security+.

Watch our webinar, CompTIA Security+: Everything you need to know about the SY0-601 update, featuring CompTIA Director of Products Patrick Lane, to learn more about the update.

The Security+ performance-based questions come in various formats and require students to perform a specific task or solve a problem in a simulated environment.

These questions are more involved than standard multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank or drag-and-drop questions and are used to gauge a student’s skillset in replicated scenarios that they may face during the course of their work.

First, there may be questions in which there is more than one way to arrive at a correct answer. In these instances, the test taker will receive full points if the correct solution is achieved.

Second, on all CompTIA exams, there is a timer; however, with PBQs, this timer is not visible to the test taker.

Third, partial credit on answers is occasionally offered but is not guaranteed.

The Security+ fulfills the requirements for Department of Defense (DoD) Directive 8570, which is mandatory if you are looking to get a government job that is involved with any aspect of information security.

Read our blog for a more detailed account of the relationship between Security+ and DoD 8570.