CCSP and Security+

[wmheid]

I am just curious, has anyone pursued both CCSP and Security+?  If so, your thoughts on the pro's and con's please.  Is there any benefit in getting both?

[emb021]

Despite what CompTIA feels, I would not compare their CASP+ to the CISSP.  

I see the CASP+ as a half way to CISSP, between Sec+ and CISSP.

I agree on your point regarding CC vs Sec+.  They should be equal, but the CC doesn't yet have awareness in the marketplace, thus companies aren't yet asking for it.  That will come.

This is a great visual resource on where certs are:
https://pauljerimy.com/security-certification-roadmap/ 

He shows CASP+ below CISSP.

[wmheid]

Thank you for that awesome visual resource!

[Early_Adopter]

CASP+ is the most CISSP like of CompTIA’s certifications. Albeit more technical/hands on and not as well regarded, but it doesn’t require any experience component - and like most of CompTIA’s offering has a practical skills based training and testing, it’s demonstrably comparable it some areas:

https://public.cyber.mil/wid/dod8140/dod-approved-8570-baseline-certifications/

CISSP is arguably much better known, and you’d surely choose it over CASP+, but it’s in the ballpark.

ISC2”’s CC isn’t anything like as useful an entry level certification as CompTIA Security+ nor is it likely to be inside the next 2-3 years. It doesn’t have any hands on training material, what is offered for free amounts to 14 hours of content, and well, it’s a loss leader for a reason.

That’s not to say it’s bad to have , it’s just if you could choose between CC and Security+ - well you switch organisations and go with Security+ - CC will only really be in the same ballpark when it’s as effective at securing roles.

As an aside I was looking at the ISC2/ IBM and Google/CompTIA routes on Coursera- and applied for ‘financial assistance’ telling them I didn’t want to pay any dollars at all, I also disclosed I could afford it but was doing some research:

“ Congratulations! You've been approved to enroll in Introduction to Cybersecurity Careers at 75% off the regular price with 6 months of course access. This discount is time sensitive, so be sure to enroll by Jun 07, 2024. The discount will be automatically applied when you check out.

In addition to financial aid, Coursera offers over 2,800 free courses. You'll get access to all of the course material, but you won't receive a certificate of completion.”

So basically you can do both IBM and google for 12 USD and month for six months then round off with CC for 50 USD AMF a year and Security+ at a third off plus whatever their dues are(mine are all very old and evergreen).

If you’re trying to break into Cybersecurity then anything you don’t spend you save and if I see a CV with Google, IBM, ISC2 and CompTIA on it it would catch my eye.

The Google course also gets you a discount on CompTIA Security+ exam post, it looks like hunting is required:

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/grant-godfrey-35b261100_note-if-you-complete-the-8-part-certificate-a...

[ericgeater]

2,100 openings that had CISSP as a requirement and 3,498 for Security+

Those requiring CISSP likely have very different job descriptions than those requiring Security+, because...

With the amount of overlap in the two certs

"Overwhelm" is probably a better term than "overlap" for this comparison.  Security+ is a good cert, but it's like looking at a rainbow and seeing only orange and violet.  CISSP sees colors, feels heat, and detects gamma rays.

[jameswil]

Security+ is a great cert if you're just getting into cybersecurity. It covers a broad range of topics like network security, threat management, cryptography, etc. For me it was a solid foundation and helped me understand the core concepts that you need in almost any cybersecurity role.

As for getting both Security+ and CCSP it depends on your goals. Security+ is more general while CCSP is cloud-specific. I’d say Security+ is perfect if you're newer to the field or need to fill in some knowledge gaps. CCSP is better if you're working with cloud technologies or aiming for a cloud-focused role.

For more detailed comparisons, especially if you're trying to align these with your long-term career goals, I recommend checking out this blog post. It highlights key differences between certifications and might help you decide which combination is most useful for your path.