Guide to Become CompTIA Cyber Security Analyst (CySA+) Certified

You might be querying why you would need a certified CompTIA cybersecurity analyst on your side. But if there is a business area in operation today that has not been the subject of a computer security gap, more commonly known as a 'hack,' it's only a thing of time before the cybercriminals catch up with it. Operatives have infiltrated Supermarkets, Airlines, Consumer credit reporting agencies, even the mobile application game Pokémon Go with malicious purpose.

Usually, a malicious attack intends to withdraw information or obstruct business. To get anywhere in the industry today, you need to be connected to the internet. If you're attached, you're exposed, and you need to defend your data.

There's an adage, "If you design something to be foolproof, the universe will design an immeasurable idiot." The same logic uses to cybercriminals, only substitute 'cybersecurity savvy' in place of 'idiot proof.' As quick as firewalls and virus protection software grow, so cybercriminals get abler at evading them.

How can a business defend itself?

The best way to secure your data systems is to hire staff who are qualified in cybersecurity. How many and how qualified depends on the dimension of your business and the value of the data that is collected on your systems. CompTIA is the world's leading technology association.

Setting industry models, generating information and insight, and promoting the development of abilities, CompTIA develops, and licenses to third-party organizations to administer information technology certifications. These certifications illustrate to prospective employers that a holder of a given certificate, such as the newly inaugurated CySA+, has met a certain standard of competence in a particular range of skills and expertise.

CySA+ Certification:

The CySA+ is a high-level certification that goes into more particular with security analytics than do other certifications. It also focuses more on the defensive, 'blue team' abilities as opposed to offensive, or 'red team' abilities. It fills a gap in between the professional-level CompTIA Security+ and the mastery-level CASP certification, CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner. The areas of the CySA+ exam are:

• Vulnerability management
• Threat management
• Security architecture and toolsets
• Cyber incident response

The CySA+ allows a background of three to four years of hands-on experience in computer security. Holders of the CySA+ are qualified to play roles in cybersecurity such as security operations center (SOC), threat intelligence,  vulnerability, or security engineer.

CompTIA CySA+ Exam Details:

The CySA+ certificate does not appear out of a box of cornflakes; candidates have to clear a severe test to a high standard to qualify. The exam includes a least of 85 questions that must be completed within a 165 minute period. The passing score for the CySA+ is a terrifying 750 out of 900.

The topics featured on the exam include:

• Introduction to SYSLOG monitoring
• Threat vulnerabilities and reporting
• Digital forensics
• Social engineering
• Threat reconnaissance

The exam includes both performance-based and multiple-choice questions. The practical component takes up roughly 33% of the time the candidate has to spend completing the test.