| Author |
Number of certified Security+ (31 May 2003)
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| 117wik 2003-06-01, 4:10 pm |
| got a reply from Comptia:
'Thank you for your email.
At this time there are 919 certified globally.'
That's not a lot to me at all?? | |
| net_grl 2003-06-01, 5:30 pm |
| Globally...
So that would make at the moment security "professionsals" a elite bunch????? | |
| neuralfx 2003-06-01, 5:40 pm |
| More of a minority .. its only been out for a little while .. I think one reason why it isn't growing is because many of us who are Comptia have gotten tired of spending the money on the tests when Comptia really doesn't push them in IT .. take Server+ for example .. or .. besides the fact it can be used with CIW .. look at I-Net+ .. ah but maybe this will gaine some weight .. I was glad to see CompTIA get Server+ recognized for the MCSA though .. anyway just wait awhile I'm sure Security+ will gain in popularity ..
-neural | |
| 117wik 2003-06-01, 6:21 pm |
| seems to me that a lot of people are interested in getting Security+ certified but not many actually go and do it. | |
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| Now a biggie - how many of those Sec+ qualified were already CISSP before they took the exam. From my investigations I am thinking a very high percentage, and unfortunately InComptia is using those stats to try to validate their exam  | |
| Tarzanboy 2003-06-01, 8:06 pm |
| Exam cost in USD:
$450 - CISSP
$450 - SANS (GIAC)
$350 - SSCP
$225 - CompTIA (Security+)
$125 - CIW-SA
$125 - Microsoft
$125 - Cisco
Cheers,
TB | |
| azimuth40 2003-06-01, 10:18 pm |
| quote:
Originally posted by Tarzanboy
Exam cost in USD:
$450 - CISSP
$450 - SANS (GIAC)
$350 - SSCP
$225 - CompTIA (Security+)
$125 - CIW-SA
$125 - Microsoft
$125 - Cisco
Cheers,
TB
 I see your point. I have noticed that the roar about overpriced Comptia exams does not seem as great in the security circles. However isn't Cisco really 5 exams at 125 per plus CCNA to get CSS1 or its replacement CCSP ? | |
| Tarzanboy 2003-06-01, 10:51 pm |
| For a CCSP, you need a base of at least a CCNA (1 exam that has good name recognition) or CCIP (CCNA + 4 exams) in addition to 5 exams for the CCSP. You can alternatively go for a specialist cert in IDS, Firewall or VPN with a base CCNA and 2 exams.
Cheers,
TB | |
| popdevil 2003-06-12, 5:43 am |
| Is having the Security+ exam having a higher price a good or bad thing? | |
| BinaryFission 2003-06-12, 10:58 am |
| also the security+ now counts towards 1 elective on MCSE and towards your MCSE +Security | |
| popdevil 2003-06-12, 12:34 pm |
| do you have a link that states this is the case? | |
| 117wik 2003-06-12, 4:39 pm |
| popdevil is that a Q for me??
i got those figures from Comptia by emailing them so no i don;t have a URL | |
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| BinaryFission 2003-06-13, 9:19 am |
| popdevil sorry for the long reply . I'm glad you found it.
It seems to me that Comptia is trying to make there certs have some meaning and influence in the IT field.
I like this because you can kill two birds with one stone. | |
| Boricua 2003-06-13, 12:31 pm |
| This cert has only officially been out for 6 months so 919 is a great number 'globally'. You to remember that it takes a while before any cert gets to the masses. I'm sure the popularity of Sec + will double in a year. Just be proud that those of you who have passed are plank owners of this cert now. I think that compTIA will have to do something in about 2yrs to keep this cert fresh as well.
L8R | |
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| Considering most of that 900 odd already have higher certification the figures mean little. Take out those who sat the beta and the CISSP and you will find the numbers are very small. Remember - lies, damn lies & statisics!!
Comptia will need to address the quality of the exam if they wish to make this certification valid and worthwhile. Reading through the various groups and taking note of the various comments about the screwy questions - multiple correct answers - comptias refusal to discuss any inconsistancies & a few other problems leaves this cert with a not too bright future.
Why has Microsoft included it as an option? - probably because they have had a lot to do with the exam and do not want it to fail. Of course time will tell, but at the moment the foundations are very shaky. A shame really as this certification really is something that should be valued and there are many (repeat MANY) network admin that really should know this stuff. | |
| Boricua 2003-06-14, 1:00 pm |
| Once again this exam has only officially been out for roughly 6 mths. I'm not really sure about the stats on most people who took the exam already holding a higher cert but if your concerns about the quality of the exam and questions being screwy then this cert will be huge...Just think about all of the issues people have with the CISSP exam sounds familiar??? Just a thought.....read this below.
http://www.infosecuritymag.com/2003...ustrating.shtml | |
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| True enough - however CISSP is a higher lever certification and Sec+ is a low/mid level one.
Just because an exam is psychometrically valid according to the experts doesn't mean squat. Remember how all the experts were telling us about all of those dot.bom companies that were loosing millions of dollars monthly and how they were good things?? Think Value America ... lol
I can't disclose an exact question, but there are several that are totally subjective and the correct answer depends on what state/country you are in and what industry you are providing security for. If Comptia is going to test on areas that are peripheral to the computer security area (IE. building security / mantraps / social engineering etc.) then they need to be accurate.
Like I said - I truly believe in the need for this exam, but I just wish that Comptia had not rushed it after 9/11. What they have done is by rushing this and not being precise, they have compromised the exams correctness and devalued it - that annoys me greatly. | |
| Boricua 2003-06-15, 9:38 pm |
| I'm sure they will get it together in the near. Since this is the first test I'm sure they might follow the trend of having you re-certify to keep your cert. | |
| Tarzanboy 2003-06-16, 1:18 am |
| From the CompTIA Security+ FAQ
quote:
Will I ever need to renew my certification?
No, CompTIA certifications are lifetime certifications.
Cheers,
TB | |
| IvanaB5 2003-06-30, 7:22 pm |
| I've taken the Security Certify Network Professional course. In order to take this course, they recommend that you have taken Security+ first. Security+ seems to be a good preparation for a career in Network Security. Plus, non-vendor certs seem to care more weight with most employers today. | |
| isles1 2003-07-14, 9:21 am |
| 919? I am surprised it is that low of a number. I am also surprised CompTIA released that information... | |
| Carjunky 2003-08-01, 12:04 am |
| Think about it.. Today with so many unemployeed the weak will leave IT, byebye to paper people for now..
The strong will look for an edge...Security+ only 919 certified is better then most exams. It's going to be an edge. And when your talking with managers that can only read a computer business mag and don't understand systems when they see your a certified security+ tech they are going to want YOU to protect there multi million/billion dollar information system.
So in a sense it is a smart move for comptia to push these low stats.
The only question is how do I pass this exam? | |
| 117wik 2003-08-02, 9:32 am |
| read many books, study hard.... | |
| isles1 2003-08-02, 10:30 am |
| quote:
Originally posted by Carjunky
Think about it.. Today with so many unemployeed the weak will leave IT, byebye to paper people for now..
The strong will look for an edge...Security+ only 919 certified is better then most exams. It's going to be an edge. And when your talking with managers that can only read a computer business mag and don't understand systems when they see your a certified security+ tech they are going to want YOU to protect there multi million/billion dollar information system.
So in a sense it is a smart move for comptia to push these low stats.
The only question is how do I pass this exam?
1) Why do you think the weak will leave IT? There are still many paper certs. out there, it is just harder to break into the field. I work with a few people who are not qualified to do thei job as much as otheres, but I do not see them getting laid off anytime soon.
2) Even though I hold the cert., I do not think it qualifys me to protect a multi-million dollar info system. The exam objectives cover a good amount of material, but from a general perspective only; not specific enough to prepare you to be a Security Engineer for a LAN. Still, I do recommend the exam: a) it is a good entry level security exam, b) it can be applied to MS certification tracks, c) it shows a potential employer that you have an interest and understanding of security principles and, d) at least for me, furthered my interest in learning more about network security and pursuing more specific, specialized security exams.
3) I see you point about why CompTIA released the stats, but that number can be interpreted in a negative way also; that no one is really interested in attaining the cert.
4) How do you pass? I recommend using the MS Press Sec+ book, along with the Myer's Passport. Take the practice exams, complete the end-of-chapter questions, the go through each and every objective and make sure you understand each heading and subheadings. The material the exam covers is not that difficult, but I found the way the exam was presented was not clear at times. Study hard, take your time, and practice relevant areas in a lab setting.
Good luck! | |
| azimuth40 2003-08-02, 11:59 am |
| Your point 3. Why should anyone be surprised at that number since it was a 6 month count. To put it into perspective Microsofts MCSA took 6 months to roll over the 10,000 mark. That was a cert that everyone supposedly wanted and was a single test for anyone with an MCSE.
Given that literally hundreds of thousands of MCSE's could upgrade for half the cost of the Security+ exam, some considered 10,000 a low number. Microsoft's marketing machine made everyone think that number was a huge success.
Certs take time before anyone even finds out about them and time to study for test and time for books to be published. Microsoft published their own book and it was available as the beta period was over. The failure rate for Security+ is also quite high. I would like to see new figures at year end now that it is a pre-requisite or co-requisite for several other things. | |
| isles1 2003-08-02, 12:21 pm |
| quote:
Originally posted by azimuth40
Your point 3. Why should anyone be surprised at that number since it was a 6 month count. To put it into perspective Microsofts MCSA took 6 months to roll over the 10,000 mark. That was a cert that everyone supposedly wanted and was a single test for anyone with an MCSE.
azimuth40:
Just playing devil's adocate. I have faith in the cert., just pointing out to Carjunky that the 919 can be interpreted in a few ways.
The cert already has displayed impressive industry acceptance. | |
| Carjunky 2003-08-04, 1:55 am |
| I agree that it could be good or bad. But, with security such an issue I feel it is to bring in the test numbers, I know it sparked my interest.
As with the MCSA's success. I feel that its a bonus to those of us looking to get MCSE certified any way, kinda like an assocates degree, then a bacloers degree. A mid point.
As for me I'm stuck in a hard place. Have to much experence to get a entry level spot, but now have to deal with the big guns that are loking for work as well. And in NJ the comp is hard.
So I'm loking for the edge. Somewhere, until then I still have my site to run. | |
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| i'll say that the cert means you understand some basics about computer/network security but if i had no other experience and just read the books i wouldnt be able to lockdown a cardbox let alone a network. very very basic. that being said the test was friggin hard... |
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