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Security+ Study Guide

Background​

The Security+ certification is meant to be an entry level certification for cybersecurity jobs. It teaches a great amount about general security topics (encryption, hacking methods, etc.).

My Background​

A certification, at its core, is a checklist to show that you know a bit about a certain topic. This mentality I did develop after I had gotten the certification, but is nonetheless still applicable. While studying for this certification, I was averaging 5+ hours a day studying for the exam, and I was super interested in the topic. Prior to the certification, I had a bit of knowledge of hacking topics through my studies at my university such as IDS/IPS, Encryption, Viruses, etc. Going into the Security+ I had knowledge of about 40%-50% of the topics (Not too bad, but not great either). So I got the certification after 3-4 weeks of studying. I'll be honest, spending 5 hours a day is definitely doable, but for me I had other things going on at that time, so it was a stressful time for me. I also am not great at taking tests. Why am I sharing this? This is so you can take my situation and put yourself on a perspective based on my experiences, and then see how much or how little time you have to put into studying for the certification. I ended up getting a 790/900 for the SY0-501 Security+ certification exam.

About the Exam​

The exam does not ask questions in terms of definition (ex. What is an IDS?). Instead, what it will do is use the terms and materials to test your understanding of the material (ex. There are two files and one of them has been changed. What can you use to tell the file has been changed).

Resources I used to study​

  • Darril Gibson's Security+ Study Guide: Amazon Link - (~$50 (when I bought it, it was around 50, the exam is now preceeded by the SY0-601, so the price is around $28 USD.
    • I religiously studied this book from front cover to back cover. This is a great resource because it also has practice questions after each section to test you to make sure that you are understanding the topic how it is intended to be studied.
  • Jason Dion's Practice Exams: Udemy Link - (~$12-15)
    • I would recommend saving these practice questions till the end, since each practice exam covers everything mentioned in the book. I did take each practice exam 3 times thus trying to learn from my mistakes each time I took it.
  • Professor Messer (Youtube and Website) - ($25-99 (depending on how much resources you purchase))
    • The Youtube videos were a great way for me to add on to what I had learned in the Darril Gibson's study guide.
    • If you are looking for a crash course on the Security+, I would highly reccomend that you read the notes that Professer Messer has prepared. It costs $25 USD, but it gives a small snippet of everything you need to know about the exam.