Passed the CompTIA Security+

- 5 mins
study comptia security cyber security

I passed the Security+ !!

And it’s definitely been a long time coming. In 2022 we had my daughter and I found a higher paying job that mentioned that I should study and get my Security Plus certification within a year’s time. So I figured, let me study up the 601 and try to figure out how to get this certification months in advance so I don’t have to cram before some mandatory deadline.

Well, I was not prepared for being a new parent and having to roll through the punches of changing diapers or losing sleep and navigating through the ups and downs of parenting. So when I took the test, I didn’t do too well. However, I have kept my skill sharp and I’ve worked and plenty of government related environments that require strict security controls, secure enterprise applications that need to be handled with care, and other material that pertain to the certification.

Every year I reflect on what the next best thing is or what the new fun thing might be in my career and the Security Plus can open up a lot of doors for me. So it’s always in the back of my mind but never a priority until recently.

About a month ago I was handed a layoff letter because the company I worked for decided to go heavy into AI and started consolidating and shrinking their employment staff. I’m under the impression that it was to possibly offset the cost of the AI that they’ve been implementing over the past 14 months. Knowing that I’m getting laid off should have felt like a slap in the face. Most people instantly start thinking about how long they will last without reaching into their savings or with their savings. I spoke to my wife at the beginning of the year to reflect on the financial principles I put into place two years prior and was impressed with how much we had saved for emergencies and “waves” as I like to call them. That conversation with my wife at the beginning of the year had us kickstart our new journey in upgrading our house so we put our house up for sale weeks before I got hit with the devastating news. I repeated to my wife “Financial freedom is our only hope”, and now I have to pivot and see how well I practive what I preach. The news of the layoff shocked me, but didnt effect the foundational boat my wife and I have created. This wave wont hurt as mcuh as the previous ones did. It allowed to “snap out of the shock” before the video call ended. I hit the ground running, texted my wife, and started updating my resume, Dice.com, Indeed.com, and LinkedIn job profiles and portals. I reached out to different recruiters from different agencies that I worked with and the one thing I learned pretty quickly that was clear was the IT industry is in shambles right now!

Finding some kind of senior level position at my rate shouldn’t be hard, but not having the Security+ was something in the back of my mind that I thought might hinder me from just getting past HR firewalls or ATS tracking systems that review my resume. After the two weeks that felt like two months, interviewing with a few places, and doing my best to stay positive, I got a job offer. The offer letter was presented with the contingency that I obtain an IAT Level II certificate (under directive 8570/8140 for personnel managing network environment security).

With the opportunity presenting itself, I knew that I had to prove to them that I can take the test and get the certification so that they can then start the process of the background check and tests and get all that done before the expected start date within 30 days. Which means I realistically have 2 weeks to study and take this test which allows the extra two weeks to have all the other onboarding processes take place.

END RESULTS

I decided to take the test on March 14th and passed!

REFLECTIONS

The test definitely kicked my ass! Most of it was the pressure involved with passing this and the whole “job/career in limbo” but I was able to get the exact results I needed. I was definitely more equipped with understanding than I was 2 years ago because I’ve been in the field for that long so I’m able to easily understand situations and scenarios but that didn’t make it any less harder of an exam.

The 601 which expired last year is much different from the 701 that I took. The 601 is very much focused on commands that you have to memorize and specific technologies that you may not use day-to-day but you have to know for the exam. The 701 focuses more on concepts like “John Doe is a security engineer at company XYZ he notices X what is the best way to resolve or mitigate X” or “Susan is a data processor at company company. JJJ what does company JJJ expect of Susan as a data processor?”

Now that I have the exam, here are the links and the resources I used to stay sharp and stay focused and now that you’ve read this you understand that I’m not coming from ground zero.

RESOURCES

The Udemy courses by Jason Dion and the discount at diontraining.com along with the Cyberkraft PBQ’s (performance based questions) are what changed the game for me. Being able to take the practices tests in udemy helped me get into the metal “exam mode” mindset. Someone like me who has always gotten test anxiety when taking any of the certification exams I have taken, makes these test a vital part of my studies. The Cyberkraft team on youtube and the performance based questions THAT I ACTUALLY SAW ON THE EXAM helped me answer the 3 pbq’s that started my test off. Those two things were paramount to acheiving this goal. I pray that sharing this information with others helps whoever is reading this. Best of luck to you and “May the odds be ever in your favor”.

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