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CompTIA Security+ Exam Guide
Co-written by two of the leading IT security academics, this exam guide offers complete coverage of the latest release of CompTIA's fastest-growing certification, CompTIA Security+, and includes two electronic practice exams.
- GenresNonfiction
564 pages, Hardcover
First published July 6, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 10, 2017
Helped prep for the Security+ certification
August 28, 2016
I'm a software engineer with 27 years of experience, and to qualify for certain government contracts, I suddenly found myself having to become Information Assurance Level II certified to comply with DoD Directive 8570. The easiest test to pass to accomplish that is the CompTIA Seucurity+. Sadly it's mosty irrelevant to a software engineer—I am never going to be in charge of designing a secure facility, so knowledge of fences, security cameras, and proximity cards is useless to me, yet all part of this test. But such is the nature of the government. So off I went looking for prep materials, and this book was the cornerstone of my arsenal.
I wish I could say this was a real page-turner, and that it alone got me through the test. Neither is true. It's a snooze, because the subject matter is boring. But it's well-presented and coherent and organized well. And I did pass the test on the first try, but I don't owe it all to this book—I also used CompTIA's CertMaster quizzing tool, and an iPhone/iPad flashcard app that cost $7.99. I also didn't read this entire book—maybe only 50% of it in full. Mostly I concentrated on the sections that were most involved, like the discussions on wireless access security, and different cryptographic algorithms. Then, the flash cards helped me memorize the numerous TLAs and port numbers one needs to know (I'm sure I will forever be thankful to recall by heart that port 3389 is used by RDP); and the CertMaster helped with the nature of the questions as they are worded on the test.
The book isn't far off from the test subject matter, and the chapter-end questions are relevant. Careful reading of the chapters of the more precise subject matter (note: that would not be the sections on "shoulder surfing") will get you through those questions; and lighter reading of the rest will familiarize you with what subject matter is on it. In my case I did a great deal of reading over the course of three months, and then crammed with the flash cards and CertMaster in the final weeks before the test.
Point is, this is a good book. It probably won't get you through the test all by itself, but it will definitely provide the foundation needed, that you can build on with additional learning methods.
And remember, you only have to pass. Passing is 750/900. I got a 795 on my first try. That's an 88% I guess, or a B+ in college. However you need an 83% to pass, so I barely made it. But the grade isn't recorded, just the pass/fail; thus how well you do is irrelevant. Keep that in mind if you are a perfectionist thinking you must master this material as you would in a college course.
I wish I could say this was a real page-turner, and that it alone got me through the test. Neither is true. It's a snooze, because the subject matter is boring. But it's well-presented and coherent and organized well. And I did pass the test on the first try, but I don't owe it all to this book—I also used CompTIA's CertMaster quizzing tool, and an iPhone/iPad flashcard app that cost $7.99. I also didn't read this entire book—maybe only 50% of it in full. Mostly I concentrated on the sections that were most involved, like the discussions on wireless access security, and different cryptographic algorithms. Then, the flash cards helped me memorize the numerous TLAs and port numbers one needs to know (I'm sure I will forever be thankful to recall by heart that port 3389 is used by RDP); and the CertMaster helped with the nature of the questions as they are worded on the test.
The book isn't far off from the test subject matter, and the chapter-end questions are relevant. Careful reading of the chapters of the more precise subject matter (note: that would not be the sections on "shoulder surfing") will get you through those questions; and lighter reading of the rest will familiarize you with what subject matter is on it. In my case I did a great deal of reading over the course of three months, and then crammed with the flash cards and CertMaster in the final weeks before the test.
Point is, this is a good book. It probably won't get you through the test all by itself, but it will definitely provide the foundation needed, that you can build on with additional learning methods.
And remember, you only have to pass. Passing is 750/900. I got a 795 on my first try. That's an 88% I guess, or a B+ in college. However you need an 83% to pass, so I barely made it. But the grade isn't recorded, just the pass/fail; thus how well you do is irrelevant. Keep that in mind if you are a perfectionist thinking you must master this material as you would in a college course.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews