Everything you need to know about CompTIA CASP+ Certification

In the business of IT related certification, there’s no doubt that CompTIA is leading the market and has become one of the leading players of the industry. For any individual with a desire to work in the field of information security, CompTIA’s Security+ certification is still a mandatory requirement for an entry-level job in the field. CompTIA has come a long way and now offers a huge range of IT related certifications that help individuals willing to pursue a career in the field of information technology. There are many professionals that have started off their career with the fundamental certifications and have moved up in the career ladder by adding more certifications in their skillset. However, there always had a vacuum in CompTIA offerings especially for professionals with years of experience. CompTIA has earned the reputation of trendsetting in the IT field but has now decided to attract the professionals by adding advanced certification courses for professionals. One such course offered by CompTIA is CASP+ (CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner+). This course is designed keeping in view the needs of professionals who wish to broaden their skillset. This is also an attempt by CompTIA to take competitive advantage over its competitors, who have managed to capture the attention of IT professionals.

Why Should You Get A CompTIA CASP+ Certification?

What good a certification would do if it is not accepted by the industry players and employers, right? Certainly, such certification will help you expand your skillset but for employers and professionals in the industry, it will not be worth more than a piece of paper on which you get your certification. CompTIA is well aware of this situation and aims that its certifications not only help individuals get the right skills to become a pro in the field but also land them their dream jobs. This is perhaps the main reason behind CompTIA’s effort to push its certification to be accepted by major players of the industry including the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) among others.

The DoD has issued a “Directive” labeled DoDD 8570.1-M in this regard that made it clear that any person who wishes to work as an IT security professional should get themselves certified from one of the many recognized courses. The directive further made it clear that CASP+ by CompTIA is one of the certifications acceptable by the DoD, whereas every certification has been grouped by the department on the basis of position so as to clarify which certification is necessary to be considered a professional of the field. However, high-level positions would need different and advanced certifications including CISM or CISSP.

It is apparent that CompTIA has ensured that all the hurdles in the way of CASP+ being recognized as an advanced certification level the DoD are clear. The course is at par with similar certifications available at such level and equips the test-taker with the skills, theoretical knowledge, and expertise required to become an IT security professional. If you are considering to take your career further without having to get CISSP certification then CASP+ is the best alternate readily available to you.

CompTIA’s CASP+ vs. the CISSP – Which one is better

Among the professionals of the IT industry, the CISSP has been recognized and accepted as a “gold standard” certification to become certified security professional. There are experts who still believe that the CISSP is still better than CASP+ in many aspects. However, there are certain advantages of opting for CompTIA’s CASP+ than the CISSP, which give you all the more reasons to get CASP+ certification. 

First and foremost is the cost. The CISSP would cost you around $600 and you would need to give a 6-hour exam for it. On the other hand, CompTIA’s CASP+ cost less than the CISSP and the exam only lasts for 165 minutes to be exact. There are no prerequisites for CompTIA’s CASP+ certification but you would have to have at least 10 years of experience in the field with 5 years of experience in the domain of IT Security.

Secondly, CASP+ is a performance-based exam and would equip the test-taker with hands-on cyber security skills. If one can go a bit idiomatic here, it can be said that CASP+ certified professionals can “walk the walk” and “talk the talk.” CASP+ course also has simulations to test your skills on different systems and on a network. These skills are mandatory for the job role CASP+ prepares you for including security architect and security engineer.

Finally, since CASP+ course is performance based and comes with simulations, it gives the test-taker the right knowledge and practical skills you would need to be considered by employers who are looking for system engineers of system architect. CASP+ exam helps you understand how a technology works and would give you technical mastery you need to ensure compliance as per the industry standards.

About CASP+ exam

If you hold a CASP+ certification, it will mean that you have acquired excellent competency in management of risk, enterprise security architecture and operations, research and collaboration, and security integration at the enterprise level.  If you manage to clear the exam successfully, you will have the knowledge to:

• Expand the domain of enterprise security and include concepts & techniques related to operations and architecture
• Analyze risk by interpreting data trends and identifying the needs of cyber defense for an organization
• Broaden security control topics and include other platforms as well like mobile and others.
• Implement various cryptographic techniques.

What is the weight of CASP+ vs. the CISSP in the field of IT security?

To be completely fair, CASP+ carries more weight because it allows the test-taker to acquire hands-on skills necessary to build secure infrastructure.

Conclusion

Not only CASP+ makes you eligible to qualify for any IT security related job but it will also equip with the skills and knowledge many employers seek in system engineers and system architects. To take the test you can visit CompTIA’s website, pay for the course and take the test. But, in order to clear the exam in the first go without missing any single detail from the course, we recommend you to opt for a comprehensive CompTIA training course like the one offered by QuickStart.