Passing Security+ - What Worked for Me#
I’m excited to share that I passed the CompTIA Security+ exam on my first try! This has been a key milestone on my path into cybersecurity, and I wanted to take a moment to reflect on how I got here and what’s next.
I chose to take this test because it is a baseline requirement for a lot of jobs in cybersecurity. Truthfully, I should’ve taken this test much sooner than I did, but I wanted a solid base in cybersecurity first. Some of the topics I had to get familiar with were:
- Threat detection & attack vectors
- Risk Mitigation
- Secure network and application architecture
- Access controls
- Identity and access managment
- Incident response
Security+ covers all of that, and much more. It also serves as a prerequisite for more specialized certifications like CySA+, which is next on my list.
How I studied:#
I studied part-time while working my internship, using a mix of video lectures, flashcards, practice exams, and hands-on labs. Here’s what worked best:
- Professor Messer’s Youtube series
- Professor Messer’s exam notes and practice exams
- Exam Compass Practice Tests
- Anki Flashcards - these were mostly useful for ports, acronyms, and encryption algorithms.
- My homelab - I practiced creating firewall rules, sniffing packets, and running vulnerability scans.
It was a really challenging test! My strategy was to give all the questions a good first answer (spending not more than ~2 minutes on each) and flagging the questions I wasn’t sure about. The PBQs were easily the hardest part of the test. I think that was one area that the practice material didn’t really cover well enough, so I felt slightly underprepared upon seeing those questions. Each of the PBQs took me the better part of 15 minutes on average. If I could go back, I would spend more time practicing with the simulations, especially under time pressure. The simulations test your ability under pressure just as much as they test your practical understanding.
Check the status of my certificate!#
Final thoughts#
If you’re considering taking the Security+, go for it. You don’t have to be an expert - just curious, consistent, and willing to learn.
Feel free to reach out if you’re prepping for the exam. I’m happy to share tips or cheer you on!
