CompTIA Security+ CE Certification

On May 9th 2023 I successfully passed the CompTIA Security+ CE exam. Here I'd like to share my thoughts and experiences with studying towards and taking the exam.

Passing the Network+ was the first step towards a career in Cyber for me. I believe that you need to have a foundational knowledge of networking and how everything communicates before you can think about how to secure it all. You can read about my experiences with the Network+ here.

What training resources did I use to study for the Security+?

The Security+ cert is a lot more important to me so I wanted to not just be able to pass the exam but to really understand the fundamentals. To do this I used similar resources to study for the exam as I did with the Network+ but then took it further. So here's what I used:

• The official Study Guide from Sybex. Again I read through the whole book, using the end of chapter practice tests to reinforce the info.

• Again I used LinkedIn Learning and I watched through the course presented by Mike Chapple. It's still pretty much taken from the book but it's a lot better having the audio and slides to help take it all in. I also watched through his SSCP course as the two are very similar and once of the sections on the SSCP is taken from the Security+ course (he forgot to change the info on one of the slides!)

• I watched the videos provided by Professor Messer as these gave an alternative take on the topics, providing his own explanations and visual content. These videos were great to help understanding and the reinforce the information being taken in. I would encourage anyone studying for or looking to study for the Security+ to watch them. You can view them all for free on YouTube or visit his site where you can purchase his full course which includes other learning materials. Home - Professor Messer IT Certification Training - CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+ - (no affiliation to Professor Messer or his site / content, I just think it's really good!)

• Additionally, I took out a months subscription it ITPtoTV from ACI Learning - Online IT Training & Certification Courses | ACI Learning (itpro.tv) (no affiliation, just great content). This course gave a lot more detail and information which helps in understanding what you're trying to learn.

• Practice tests - I used the ones from Wiley's online Sybex Test Prep site but also did a couple from ITProTV. The ITProTV ones were really difficult in comparison, but I wanted to be challenged more (and I got my wish!). Again, neither really prepare you for the style and content of the questions on the exam.

• I was also doing a lot on online training platforms like Try Hack Me and LetsDefend, to try and get a feel for some of the tools and concepts. I think this helped more with the questions around attacks and the like.

What's it like taking the exam?

I sat the exam via OnVue, Pearson Vue's online testing platform as there wasn't a local test centre offering the exam. It's a relatively easy way to take the exam, you just need a laptop in a quiet room free of other people and anything that could be used to cheat.

Obviously, it was the same experience as when I took the Network+ exam, with the setup and the annoyingly vague questions but I got a lot more Performance Based questions than I was expecting. The performance questions did tax me and took a lot of time, to the piont that there wasn't much left at the end fo the exam. I'm almost inclined to agree with the people who say flag them and leave them till last to make sure you get the bulk of the other questions done. Again, the biggest piece of advice I could offer for anyone taking this, or any exam for that matter, would be to READ THE QUESTION! It's so important to read it properly and understand what it's asking. It took me a lot longer to complete this exam as I was having to re-read the questions to make sure I knew what they were asking for (still didn't work all of the time).

What did I struggle with?

Well, from a content point of view, Cryptography, Standards and Compliance. I know they're all super important but boy can reading about them put you to sleep. These are areas that I know I need to pay a little more attention to as I continue my education.

Another area I struggled with was focus. Whilst studying, I was also trying to learn much much more. I was spending time on Try Hack Me, the Microsoft Ignite- Protect Everything Challenge, tinkering with my home lab and new tools. Although it was valuable learning it was time taken away from focusing on the Security+ course. I'd get to a topic in the book and think "ooh, that sounds interesting, let me have a look on the internet" and off I'd go researching it. Not necessarily a bad thing, but one thing does lead to another and then down a rabbit hole.

All these things have had a mental note taken of them so when it comes to the next Cert, I'll work a lot smarter.

What are my take aways from gaining the certification?

Foundational Knowledge! It's so important to get to grips with the basics and foundations. As I'd studied a lot for this exam (to the point I thought I'd broken my brain on the weekend before the exam) passing was not only a huge relief but a massive boost to my self confidence. Not only could I talk the talk, but now I have a piece of paper (or digital badge at the time) to prove I can walk the walk ... on a foundational level of course.

To anyone studying towards or looking to take this exam, Good Luck and don't rely on just one source of learning. There's loads of free content out there, especially on YouTube and whenever you think you're ready to sit the exam, by all means book it in but do a lot more studying 😉.

 

CompTIA Network+ CE Certification

On January 30th 2023 I successfully passed the CompTIA Network+ CE exam. Here I'd like to share my thoughts and experiences with studying towards and taking the exam.

What training resources did I use to study for the Network+?

I used a number of methods to study, along with using my existing knowledge from previously being a Helpdesk Analyst and from setting up my home networks and labs. Other methods I used are:

• The official Study Guide from Sybex. I read through the book alongside other study methods to get a good foundational knowledge of the content. I must say that although it generally well written and I recommend reading the book, I did come across a couple of errors in the text as well as at least one of the questions where the answer given was actually incorrect (confirmed by a trainer I consulted).

• I was incredibly lucky to have been given the opportunity of a mentoring group internally provided by my current company and run by one of their training experts. We met weekly, reviewing the material from the Study guide and having discussions and quizzes to help enforce the knowledge and identify any weaknesses. This really was a great tool as it gave me the opportunity to query topics that I wasn't overly confident on.

• LinkedIn Learning has a number of courses and I watched through the one presented by Mike Chapple. The content was pretty much from the Study Guide but with the benefit of embellishments and descriptions with visuals from Mike. I think that having the intakes of visual and audible learning is a massive benefit giving your brain different ways to absorb the information.

• I watched the videos provided by Professor Messer as these gave an alternative take on the topics, providing his own explanations and visual content. These videos were great to help understanding and the reinforce the information being taken in. I would encourage anyone studying for or looking to study for the Network+ to watch them. You can view them all for free on YouTube or visit his site where you can purchase his full course which includes other learning materials. Home - Professor Messer IT Certification Training - CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+ - (no affiliation to Professor Messer or his site / content, I just think it's really good!)

It's a lot of information and content to take in, trying to memorise Ports, Subnet calculators, IEEE standards, what's at what layer of the OSI model and what it does / how it interacts with other layers etc., so time is required to take it all in. After all this learning it's time to take the exam.

What's it like taking the exam?

I sat the exam via OnVue, Pearson Vue's online testing platform as there wasn't a local test centre offering the exam. It's a relatively easy way to take the exam, you just need a laptop in a quiet room free of other people and anything that could be used to cheat.

Having done practice tests from the Study Guide and via Wiley's online Sybex Test Prep practice exam website can can whole heartedly say that they DO NOT prepare you for the style nor content of the exam questions - and it was a bit of a shock for me, even after the performance based questions. This was the second online exam I'd taken and the nerves didn't get any better. Questions are annoyingly vague but this is to 1: make you think about the situation they are describing and 2: test your knowledge and real understanding. The biggest piece of advice I could offer for anyone taking this, or any exam for that matter, would be to READ THE QUESTION! It's so important to read it properly and understand what it's asking, I've been caught out so many times by misinterpreting a cleverly worded question.

What are your take aways from gaining the certification?

Studying the syllabus has not only reinforced what I already knew but taught me so much more. A lot of it I will never need ever again (much the same with any subject) but having the knowledge and knowing where to find it again if I forget will be a great help in the future.

The benefit of actually taking and passing the exam is twofold. Not only does it give me a sense of pride and self belief but I can now prove my abilities to potential employers and demonstrate that I can and am willing to learn and am serious about what I want to do. 

To anyone studying towards or looking to take this exam, Good Luck and don't rely on just one source of learning. There's loads of free content out there, especially on YouTube and whenever you think you're ready to sit the exam, by all means book it in but do a lot more studying 😉.