Pass CompTIA Security+ SY0-501 Exam Fast

SY0-501 Exam Has Been Retired

This exam has been replaced by CompTIA with new exam.

CompTIA SY0-501 Exam Details

Exam SY0-501 earns you the CompTIA Security+ certificate, which is among the core certifications that validate foundational IT skills and technical knowledge. This certificate is the globally accepted benchmark for IT best practices, specifically on operational security and computer network.

Where Does Security+ Lie on Professional CompTIA Certification Ladder?

In terms of cybersecurity certificates, this is the first certification that you should obtain to become a cybersecurity specialist. But if you squint hard enough, you will realize the new Security+ training is more than just an entry-level certificate, because it also qualifies learners for intermediate-level jobs in IT. Therefore, the CompTIA Security+ is among the most popular certificates that the vendor has to offer today. So, to earn it, you must pass only one exam - SY0-501 exam.

Who Does It Target? 

The main target audience for this test is those individuals who have the skills and knowledge required to configure and install systems to protect applications, devices, or networks. They should have the CompTIA Network+ certification and at least 2 years of experience in IT administration.

What’s CompTIA SY0-501 Exam Outline?

The CompTIA SY0-501 exam content covers the following topics:

• Cryptography together with PKI (12%);
• Risk Management (14%);
• Access Management and Identity (16%);
• Architecture & Design (15%);
• Tools as well as Technologies (22%);
• Vulnerabilities, Threats, and Attacks (21%).

The CompTIA SY0-501 test consists of up to 90 questions and the students will have exactly 90 minutes to clear all of them. However, doing so may be a challenge even for an expert as the questions will be in multiple-choice and performance-based formats. The minimum passing score is 750 points (100-900). This exam can be taken in Simplified Chinese, Portuguese, Japanese, or English and costs $349 for US residents. Also, note that there is a newer version of this test available for taking, which has the same exam format and features but covers the advanced and updated content. It is coded, SY0-601, and starting November 12, 2020, will be launched to qualify students for the already mentioned CompTIA Security+ certification. For more information about this new exam and the entire Security+ learning path, you can visit the CompTIA website.

Which Skills Will You Obtain from CompTIA Security+ Certification?

You will earn 5 core skills from the Security+ certification including the following:

• Attacks, threats, and vulnerabilities;
• Architecture and design;
• Implementation;
• Operations and incident response;
• Governance, risk, and compliance.

What Should You Know about SY0-501 Test Objectives?

The test details for every objective are highlighted below:

Cryptography and PKI

This topic will confirm if you can compare and contrast the most basic concepts of cryptography. Besides, it also covers the algorithms of cryptography and their features, the installation and configuration of wireless security settings, and the implementation of public key infrastructure. In particular, you will learn to deal with Hashing, Salt, IV, symmetric algorithms, cipher modes, wireless security settings, and Objects Identifiers (OID).

Risk Management

Risk management involves a wide range of issues related to plans, procedures, and policies of organizational security. It also addresses the concepts of business analysis, risk management, incident response procedures, control types, disaster recovery, and data privacy and security issues. Within this domain, you will get to know more about agreement types, SLA, ISA, NDA, mission-essential functions, and threat assessment.

Access & Identity Management

To excel in SY0-501 exam, you must understand the concepts of identity and access management, the implementation of access and identity management controls, the practices of account management, and the configuration and installation of access and identity servers. Plus, you need to be aware of LDAP, Kerberos, tokens, account types, and multifactor authentication. Besides these, candidates will also have to master such concepts as database security, password history, and guest accounts if to name a few.

Architecture as well as Design

This objective will determine if you understand the role of IT frameworks, secure configuration guides, and best practices. Besides, it will also emphasize the skills listed below:

• The implementation of reliable concepts of network architecture;
• Utilizing reliable systems design;
• The significance of secure concepts of staging deployment;
• Summary of the cloud and virtualization techniques;
• The pros of using automation and resiliency methods;
• Significance of physical security controls;
• Security implications associated with embedded systems.

Tools and Technologies

‘Tools and technologies’ is a comprehensive topic that establishes the knowledge of network components, both hardware and software solutions, software tools, and troubleshooting of security issues. It also proves your mastery of security technologies, secure mobile devices, and secure protocols. Thus, you must be knowledgeable about firewall, VPN concentrator, protocol analyzer, event anomalies, DLP, honeynets, SCADA/ICS, and lock types.

Threats, attacks, and vulnerabilities

This objective is built around the following skills:

• Comparing and contrasting types of security attacks;
• Analyzing the indicators of a compromised system and determining the type of malware;
• Explaining the types of threat actors and their features;
• Understanding the concepts of penetration testing;
• Covering the concepts of vulnerability scanning;
• Dealing with the effects associated with different types of vulnerabilities.

Your Job Prospects?

The CompTIA Security+ is an essential must-have if you want to start a career in cybersecurity. This certificate will place you among the top performers at the entry-level by validating foundational IT skills spanning across a wide range of IT concepts such as operational security and computer network. According to PayScale.com, a typical IT specialist with the Security+ certificate earns a mean annual salary of $75,398. Some of the best intermediate-level jobs that require the CompTIA Security+ certification include the following:

• Security Administrator;
• Systems Administrator;
• Helpdesk Manager/Analyst;
• Security Engineer/Analyst;
• IT Auditors;
• Network/Cloud Engineer;
• DevOps/Software Developer;
• IT Project Manager.

What Next? Your Career Paths after Passing CompTIA SY0-501 Exam

Of course, your career journey doesn’t stop after passing SY0-501 test. Which only begs the question, what should be the next step? Well, after acing the CompTIA Security+ exam, many students choose to stick with the CompTIA career path by gaining more skills and experience along the same track. To achieve this, the most suitable option is always the CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) certification. The CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner or just CASP+ as it's commonly called comes next. If you choose to focus on a different path, one of the best cybersecurity alternatives to the mentioned certificates is the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). Based on your preferences, you may want to work in a Cisco environment by going after the new CCNA or CCNP certificates but just be sure the selected path aligns with your career ambitions, interest, and income goals.