CompTIA Security+ is a worldwide certification that establishes the fundamental knowledge required to perform core security functions and pursue an IT security career. CompTIA Security+ Certification Guide is a best-in-class exam study guide that covers all of CompTIA Security+ 501 exam objectives. It is authored by Ian Neil, who is a world-class trainer of CompTIA Security+ 501. Packed with self-assessment scenarios and realistic exam questions, this guide will help you master the core concepts to succeed in the exam the first time you take it.

Using relevant examples, you will learn all the important security fundamentals from Certificates and Encryption to Identity and Access Management concepts. You will then dive into the important domains of the exam; namely, threats, attacks and vulnerabilities, technologies and tools, architecture and design, risk management, and cryptography and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).

This is a practical certification guide covering all the exam topics in an easy-to-follow manner backed with mock tests and self-assesment scenarios for better preparation.

Key Features
Learn cryptography and various cryptography algorithms for real-world implementations
Discover security policies, plans, and procedures to protect your security infrastructure
Written by Ian Neil, one of the worlds top CompTIA Security+ (SY0-501) trainer

What this article covers

Chapter 1, Understanding Security Fundamentals, covers some security fundamentals that will be expanded upon in later chapters.

Chapter 2, Conducting Risk Analysis, looks at the types of threats and vulnerabilities, and at the roles that different threat actors play.

Chapter 3, Implementing Security Policies and Procedures, looks at reference architectures, different guides, and how best to dispose of data.

Chapter 4, Delving into Identity and Access Management, looks at different types of authentication and how to dispose of data. We will first look at the concepts of identity and access management.

Chapter 5, Understanding Network Components, examines networking components and how they could affect the security of your network. We will look at firewalls, switches, and routers. 

Chapter 6, Understanding Cloud Models and Virtualization, teaches about virtualization, deployment, and security issues. We will get acquainted with various cloud models, looking at their deployment and storage environments. 

Chapter 7, Managing Hosts and Applications Deployment, looks at different mobile devices and their characteristics, as well as the applications that run on these devices.

Chapter 8, Protecting Against Attacks and Vulnerabilities, explores attacks and vulnerabilities, taking in turn each type of attack and its unique characteristics. This module is probably the most heavily tested module in the Security+ exam. 

Chapter 9, Implementing Public Key Infrastructure, gets into the different encryption types and how certificates are issued and used. 

Chapter 10, Responding to Security Incidents, deals with incident response, focusing on the collection of volatile evidence for forensic analysis.

Chapter 11, Managing Business Continuity, turns its attention toward our business environment to consider the provision of systems availability, looking at selecting the most appropriate method for recovery following a disaster. 

Chapter 12, Mock Exam 1, includes mock questions, along with explanations, which will help in assessing whether you're ready for the test.

Chapter 13, Mock Exam 2, includes more mock questions, along with explanations, which will help in assessing whether you're ready for the test.

Appendix A, Preparing for the CompTIA Security+ 501 Exam, is included to help students pass the Security+ exam first time.

Appendix B, Acronyms, contains full forms of the abbreviations used in all the chapters. 

Preparing for the CompTIA Security+ 501 Exam

The CompTIA Security+ 501 exam is a very tricky exam and the only way to pass it is by having a solid knowledge base and good analytical thinking.

The exam is 83 questions in 90 minutes and the pass mark is 750/900, which equates to 83.33%. I think you can get maybe 12-13 questions wrong, but nobody knows how the exam is scored as passes scored in the 750s are even, and 760, 770, 780 seem to be odd and don't increase in the same increments.

The exam will start with simulations that are graphics where you will drag and drop in the answers, usually with four or five different sections. I believe that you get partial points for dragging in a correct answer. To get a look and feel of what a simulation looks like, google Security+ 401 exam simulations under images and many will appear. This will give you an idea of what to expect, but these simulations will be very different as 501 is a different exam.

This book is designed with open questions at the end of each chapter since you need to know the material thoroughly to obtain certification. If we had used multiple choice all of the way through and you were good at guessing, you may have a false impression of your knowledge base. I will give you tips for the exam, followed by additional exam preparation material, including drag and drop practical exercises to help you tackle a simulation type of question, followed with some useful Linux commands.

Tips on taking the exam

When taking the exam, you need to read the question thoroughly and look at the grammar of the question, especially if you are a native English speaker as we tend to scan, and your answer must meet the objective of the question. Adopt a subtractive method by first of all ruling out the answers that are wrong and then select the correct answer; the hard way to tackle this exam is to immediately pick the right answer.

When you start the exam, the simulations will come first. If you are finding them tricky, go to the top right-hand corner and there will be a button saying something like flag for review, but do NOT attempt to answer it. Do this with any question you find difficult, no matter how large or small it is. When you have finished the 83^rd question; it will automatically take you to the review screen. Don't waste time working out a difficult question; mark it up, bank your points, and then give yourself a chance when you are less pressured.

The review screen is larger than the display screen, therefore go to the top of the left-hand column and work your way down that column, then move onto the middle column and the right-hand column.

If you have not answered the review question, there will be a string in red saying something like you need to answer this question, making them very easy to spot. If you have answered the question, the review question will be a different color of blue than the questions that have been answered; this can be tricky if you are color blind. When it asks you if you are finished with the review, scroll up to the top where you should see 0/83 questions. If it says 2/83, then this means that you have not answered two questions. If you cannot answer a question correctly, give it your best shot since there is no penalty for putting in a wrong answer; you never know, you may guess correctly.

When you finish the exam, don't worry as it will go into a few screens where you answer questions based on your profile. However, when it thanks you, and you press next, that is the heart attack job as your score appears on the screen. In the middle of the screen, you will see a Security+ logo-look directly below it and look for the word congratulations—this is all you need to see. Anything else is a bonus.

Exam preparation

An exam preparation guide with a checklist, drag and drop questions, and Linux commands is given here. Follow the checklist to ensure that you are the best prepared that you can be:

Exam Facts

Required exam:	CompTIA Security+
Number of questions:	90 max, multiple choice and performance based
Length of test:	90 minutes
Passing score:	750 (scale of 100-900)
Exam codes:	SY0-501
Cert timeframe:	Three years from date Security+ exam is passed. Certified for life if certified on or before Dec 31, 2010.
Cert Renewal:	See CompTIA Continuing Ed Program

 

 

Exam Objectives

Exam Objectives (Domains)

Domain                                                                                  % of Exam

1.0 Threats, Attacks and Vulnerabilities                                        21%

2.0 Technologies and Tools                                                          22%

3.0 Architecture and Design                                                        15%

4.0 Identity and Access Management                                           16%

5.0 Risk Management                                                                 14%

6.0 Cryptography and PKI                                                           12%

Total                                                                                         100%