Everything You Need to Know About CompTIA CySA+ Certification

The CompTIA CySA+ Certification training is ideal for those It Professionals who want to add more skills to their resume. The complexity of cybercrime increases with each passing day, which increases the demand for highly skilled security analysts who specialize in information security. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for information security analysts is expected to grow by 28% between 2016 and 2026. This is considered to be one of the fastest growth rate for all occupations. The Cybersecurity Analyst CySA+ certification has been newly added to the CompTIA certification portfolio, which was previously referred to as CSA+. This credential has been specially designed for meeting the increasing requirement for qualified and experienced information security analysts. While the exams and study material remains the same, the company decided to change the acronym for the credential.

A candidate having CySA+ credential has knowledge of the system threat detection tools and their optimal use, along with the use of behavioral analytics and other data for securing the systems and applications from threats, risks, and other vulnerabilities. Through this certification, IT Professionals are able to analyze the results after monitoring network behavior and develop solutions for improved protection against APTs (Advanced persistent threats), malware, intrusion, and the like. This is also considered to be a bridge certification between the CASP (advanced security practitioner certification) – a master level certification which requires at least 10 years of experience, and the Security+ credential. In order to earn this credential, the candidate undertakes a performance based exam, which he or she should clear before advancing to the next level.

Now that you are done with the basic information, let’s look at the CySA+ Certification in greater detail. The course is designed to provide knowledge to the students regarding different aspects of cybersecurity. Upon completion of this credential, a candidate would have learned;

• Application of the environmental reconnaissance techniques such as e-mail harvesting, social media profiling via Netstat, Nmap, or Syslog, and OS Fingerprinting.
• The proper method of analyzing the outcome of network reconnaissance, and thus, recommend countermeasures, as well as deploy them.
• The process of scanning for vulnerabilities for securing a corporate environment
• The process of responding to cyber incidents with a forensics toolkit, assessing the severity of the incident, and maintaining the chain of custody.

There are multiple domains which are covered under this certification. The major topics which make up the course content include threat management, cyber incident response, vulnerability management, and security architecture and tool sets

Potential Earnings

For an IT Professional, having obtained the CySA+ Certification by CompTIA, the opportunities for career progression increase immensely. Not only that, the earning potential per year is lucrative as well. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for an Information Security Analyst is $95,000/- or more per year. The employment and demand for professionals having a CySA+ certification and aiming to be Information Security Analysts is 28%, which is much faster as compare to the Industry average. This demand is expected to grow in the coming years as well.

Eligibility

Who can enroll in this certification in order to obtain it, you ask? Well, anybody who is interested in furthering their career in Cybersecurity and wish to work in a related position after improving and upgrading their skill set. The CompTIA CySA+ Certification Training is designed to prepare students for the CySA+ Certification exam. This credential makes use of behavioral analytics and their application to devices and networks for detecting, preventing, and combating any security threats. It is an intermediate level cybersecurity certification which offers performance based questions during the exam, which covers topics related to intrusion detection, security analytics, and their response.  As security procedures have evolved, so have the attackers ability to evade traditional signature based solutions, like firewalls, which has given a rise to an analytics based approach for preventing any malware attacks. Thus, the need for cybersecurity analysts has increased.

While there is no pre-requisite to this certification, it is strongly recommended to have CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ Certifications, and if not these, then equivalent certification. Candidates should also have a minimum 3-4 years of experience in information security.

Preparing for the Exam

Throughout the course, the candidate receives information which enhances his or her knowledge regarding Cybersecurity and the threats associated with it. While preparing for the exam, candidates will learn;

• The process of performing data analytics, understanding the trends, and interpreting the outcomes for identifying vulnerabilities in the system, as well as risks and threats to the organization
• How to configure and utilize threat detection tools
• The process of securing and protecting the systems and applications within the organization.

The exam consists of 85 multiple choice and performance based questions, which needs to be completed within 165 minutes or 2.75 hours.

Recognition

The CompTIA CySA+ Certification has been given ISO 17024, and has also been approved by the US DoD (Department of Defense). Additionally, it is also compliant with the government regulations as advised under FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act, and has also received an accreditation from ANSI (American National Standards Institute). After obtaining this certification, candidates can choose to work as It Security Analyst, Threat Intelligence Analyst, Vulnerability Analyst, or a Cybersecurity Analyst.

This CySA+ certification by CompTIA is designed to give IT Professionals the career boost they in order to reach the pinnacle of success. Holding this certification brands you as an expert in cybersecurity and shows that you are capable of managing high end security concerns of the company. It will gain you recognition within the industry, and since most organizations look for CySA+ certification in the candidates they wish to hire for the aforementioned positions, it greatly increases your chances of landing the job.

With the world moving towards a digital era, it is expected that the need for cybersecurity analysts will grow, and with it the need to have qualifications which set them apart from the rest. CySA+ is just that!