CompTIA Security+ Jobs
IT security has grown a lot in recent years, and is also expected to grow even more in coming time. There is a huge gap between the number of cybersecurity professionals needed in the industry and the number of people skilled enough for the job. Most people do not have the foundation knowledge of cybersecurity and hence this causes difficulty in getting a job.
So many employers have kept a requirement of certifications in their criteria. Applicants having at least one certificate in their resume, will generally have a higher chance of getting the call. These certifications act as the proof of knowledge of the applicant. Among many other cybersecurity certifications of different levels and worth, one such entry level certificate is CompTIA Security+.
CompTIA security+ certification is a highly regarded certification in the industry. It validates the basic skill required to perform some core security operations and pursue IT security as a career. The skills that a person gain through this certification includes:
- Attacks, Threats and Vulnerabilities
- Architecture and Design
- Operations and Incident Response
- Governance, Risk and Compliance
- Implementation
The price of the exam is $349, but candidates can also opt for a bundle with different packages. CompTIA also provides different training options for candidates, through online training, books, videos, practise tests and the packages differ in price.
Security+ is compliant with the ISO 17024 standard and is approved by the US Department of Defense(DoD). Millions of CompTIA ISO/ANSI-accredited exams have been delivered till date. Students preparing for this certificate get skills to solve practical security problems and also give hands-on troubleshooting experience. The qualified students are then expected to:
- Be able to analyse the security architecture of an enterprise and implement appropriate solutions where required.
- Be able to monitor the hybrid environment including different technologies like cloud, IOT, mobile
- Be able to operate within the law and policies set by government regarding IT security
- Be able to identify and respond to security incidents in the organization
The CompTIA certification exam updates its syllabus every three years to catch up with the latest trends in the IT industry. Right now SYO-501 and SYO-601 are the versions of Security+ in which the latest release is SYO-601. This version of exams has some changes in the course content with addition of new topics like Cloud security and some changes to better suit the current industry needs. However, any of the certification will be just as valuable to the employer as both provide the core knowledge of security sought for an entry-level job.
The exam content is mostly theory based and covers vast aspects of cybersecurity. It is evident from the syllabus of this course that vast knowledge is tested in the exam. All the different types of attacks, vulnerabilities, threats are to be studied. All the different tools of cybersecurity used by the red team and blue team have to be known. Complete knowledge of computer networks, how they work, what are the security problems and solutions of networking, different protocols, working of web, everything is to be studied. Different security architectures and designs are to be known, that are implemented in organizations. Different access control methods, identification systems need to be known to properly implement privacy. Practical knowledge of risk assessment and response is also very important.
With the Security+ certificate, a candidate can apply to a large number of jobs in the information security industry, and many recruiters even specifically put this certificate in their requirements section. Some of the CompTIA Security+ Jobs are:
- Security Administrator
- Systems Administrator
- Helpdesk Analyst,
- Network Engineer,
- Security Engineer/Analyst,
- DevOps Developer,
- IT Auditors,
- IT Project Manager,
- Penetration Tester
- Enterprise Service Desk – Work for the company’s help desk where you have to answer queries related to applications, system, network, hardware. Questions will be asked on operation, booting, installation, customization, etc. The person on the service desk has to identify and diagnose the problems, categorize the problem based on some key words, advise the user on proper action and then guide them till the resolution.
- Security Analyst – Work will be to install software, firewalls on users computers. Will have to work in collaboration with different departments to identify flaws in the security system of the company and help in taking the correct measures needed to resolve them. They need to ensure that the digital assets of the company are secure and out of unauthorised access. Both the online and physical safety of devices are to be taken care of. They also generate reports on the company’s security architecture for the IT administrators and managers so they could evaluate the efficiency of security policies.
- Junior Network Administrator – Work would be to work with users and make sure that all the computers on the network are running properly and also doing the troubleshooting, booting, upgrading work when required. They are responsible for the operation and maintenance of connections and traffic across servers, network devices. This job may require working for extra hours than regular business hours as the network must be up and running twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. This path often leads to Network Administrator, Network Architect etc.
- IT Support Technician – Work is mainly related to taking the problems of different employees in the company and solving their problems with most efficiency, with troubleshooting, booting, installing, repairing, etc. They are mainly for providing assistance to computer users and answering technical questions related to the computer, networks, software. All the companies have an IT department which consists of these IT support technicians and they are responsible for maintaining the entire technical structure of the company. The growth in this role has been expected to grow and requires really skilled people in dealing with various types of computer problems. A certificate that can validate the candidate’s capability is really beneficial for this role.
- Application Support Analyst – Work would be to advise and solve customer’s problems related to applications. Have to handle queries via phone or mail, understand the user’s problem, identify the cause and give suitable advice. Along with solving the problems, they have to come up with more accurate designs that eliminate the problems itself. This requires constant analysis of application’s working and to find out places of vulnerability and improvement. Also they need to keep a record of applications performance and changes in the application for the senior authority analysis.
- Change and Configuration Agent – Work with a team of people to review, add, delete and document the working of different technical processes in the company for better and smooth functioning. The change manager/agent will try to get ultimate utilization of proficiency and resources of the company employees. They focus on focusing on areas which lead to increase in benefit, value creation and results. They need to work with different teams to get their work done, and can also supervise and directly support managers to get the reports to overall functioning and changes needed in the company.
These are some of the roles a candidate could apply for after getting the Security+ certificate. Also this certificate ranks 10 in the world’s top 20 highest paying certifications. The average salary of a Security+ certified professional is about $84,000 and further depends on the role and experience. Also, according to a survey, most people say that this certificate has helped them get a raise in salary. Also there are ways to boost the payment in such roles. Prior experience in the IT industry before the Security+ certification and job application will surely let you take more than what you would have got as a fresher. Additional certifications along with Security+ will also help in getting your resume noticed. Also there is a factor of location in getting such jobs and their payscale. Industry also plays a key role in determining the job. Maybe that some industries has different requirements for the same role, and others may have different sets of requirements. So getting a job also extends beyond just having a certificate.
Many well-known companies like Hewlett-Packard, U.S Navy, Army, Air Force, Marines, IBM, Motorola, Symantec employ applicants with ComptTIA certification. Although it’s not like that the people with no certificates cannot get the same job as certified ones, the certificate definitely helps in validating the person’s skill and helps the company save time in checking for the candidates knowledge.
Freshers/entry-level candidates can apply for the cybersecurity jobs through various online portals like: Indeed, Monster, Glassdoor, FlexJobs, AngelList, Linekdin, Scouted, LinkUp.
Candidates should keep on checking these job platforms, for the different roles accepting the Security+ certificate, and update themselves according to the different skill requirements for those jobs. The IT industry is evolving very fast and with that, the need for companies is also changing. Therefore it is must to keep oneself with the latest trends of the industry. Many of the jobs that we saw above are based on interaction with company employees and customers, as well as with senior authority. Soft skills are really necessary for such roles, as the candidate need to have self-confidence while solving customer’s problems, good listening skills to understand the problem carefully, and good speaking skills to make the customer understand the solution. Also writing skills are needed to make a report on analysis which is going to be reviewed by a higher authority. Attitude, personality, and such other traits are also very much needed for working in teams.
Also read How I got my dream job in cybersecurity
