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My new job requires that I obtain a security+ certificate. Does anyone have any recommendations for extra training, books and videos, etc? If you have the cert, how was the test?

41 Spice ups
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I haven’t gone through this one, but I’ve gone through a few other training videos with @ITProTV ​ and I like how they’re presented.

https://www.itpro.tv/courses/comptia/security-updated-2017/

@CompTIA ​ also has material available.

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There is a course on alison.com which provides you with 12-15 hrs worth of training. It’s free which is always a bonus and will give you a stepping stone in the right direction.
Free Online CompTIA Security+ Training Course | Alison

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I used practice exams from examcollection. They are quite good and helped me pass MCSA, MCSE, CCAV and VCP. I have not personally did the security + exam or got the practice exam from exam collection but i would recommend it as it could be quite helpful.

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BOSON exams are a bit pricey but I find them to be pretty close to the real exams. I didn’t think it was hard but, I would describe it as 'Tricky" I remember a lot of questions were not as straight forward as I thought they would be, things like, which one of these system fails in the MOST secure way. You will want to be familiar with networking and sub-netting if you are not already.

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Professor Messer also has some good content and a free study group https://www.professormesser.com/category/security-plus/security-plus-study-groups/

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Sec+ isn’t too difficult, but from what I remember similar questions can have identical answer pools, so you need to pay attention. I used a textbook to pass a long time ago and CompTIA’s Certmaster CE program ( BenchPrep - online test) for cert renewal. Professor Messer is good and not expensive. I always use a textbook to study and look for free practice exams to see if I am weak any any areas.

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I second @brad - definitely go with Professor Messer. His training and study groups are free, but of excellent quality.
https://www.professormesser.com/category/security-plus/security-plus-study-groups/
A co-worker and I both successfully passed the Security+ using his material (after using his A+ and Network+ playlists to pass those certs).

4 Spice ups
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TrainingCamp worked well for me ( https://trainingcamp.com/ ). I also like Pocket Prep ( https://www.pocketprep.com/ )

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Check out Safari Books Online by oreilly.com. You pay a flat monthly fee for access to everything. Live training, webinars, labs, sandboxes, books, cert guides everything you could ever need. I feel this resource is largely overlooked.

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I used testout.com to study for the Security+ and it helped me pass the exam.

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Hey OP! Looks like you already have some solid direction on what resources are available with the help of these awesome SpiceHeads. :slight_smile:

Side note: Another comparable certification (if you’re interested) is the SSCP . Great route to take if you find yourself wanting to pursue the CISSP down the line! Here’s a great “How-to” in getting started in a cybersecurity career if you’re interested in learning more, as well.

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Udemy or Professor Messor.

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The only sources I used to prepared for the test were the Darril Gibson book: CompTIA Security+ Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-501, study Guide 4th Ed . and the Professor Messer videos . I was able to ace the test on my first try.

@justindoescher4265

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I received my Security+ certification earlier this year. The CompTIA information was sufficient to get through this exam. If you go through each objective and have general knowledge of each. It really wasn’t a hard exam if you have the base understanding of security.

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CBT Nuggets was one I used when I got my cert for the Air Force. The test was fairly difficult, but I had a few years of IT experience so I had a small advantage. You definitely need to study. Some of the other guys in the class I took for USAF were radio operators/admins, so it was a little tougher on them. The test I took was Sy0-501. It had some questions on ports, like FTP, RDP, etc. It also had a few “lab” questions where you place a firewall in a certain spot, then a server, a honey pot, and other things like that. From what I remember, the questions will try and trick you too. One answer will seem like the one, but another will be precisely the correct answer. My advice is to study, study, study.

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The only studying I used to pass it on the first try was the ITProTV course and some extra reading from the ExamCram book just to reinforce some areas. I found the exam to be pretty easy with just that.

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I strongly recommend Mike Meyers’ Security+ Certification Guide. Hard copy came with a PDF version, which is great for the note taking app on my tablet.

I read through the book twice, did practice questions 2-3 hours per day the week leading up to the test and passed comfortably.

If you’ve taken CompTIA tests before, it’s basically the same format - heavily biased towards multiple choice questions. The interactive/performance questions I’ve seen are mostly dragging a list of options into little boxes. I found the test slightly easier than A+, but harder than Net+.

My best tip - go through the exam objectives for the test one item at a time. If you can explain 90% of them in a way a child would understand, you will almost certainly pass. This also highlights what you don’t know as well for more studying!

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I passed the test twice, reading this book before the test both times. It was the CompTIA Security+ Study Guide: Exam SY0-501.

It highlights the important information for the test.

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Ding Ding Ding! This is the winner. Free course, free practice questions, informative, organized. I wish he had more certification courses outside of CompTIA!