I. Introduction

CompTIA Security+ is a certification that covers the practical skills needed to secure systems and networks: understanding common threats, applying security controls, improving architecture, responding to incidents, and managing security programs.

II. Exam Breakdown

Important: Security+ is earned by passing one exam from the current version. The current version is V7. Exam series code: SY0-701.

  • SY0-701 domains (V7)
    • General Security Concepts (12%)
    • Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations (22%)
    • Security Architecture (18%)
    • Security Operations (28%)
    • Security Program Management and Oversight (20%)

III. Exam Details

  • Number of questions: Maximum of 90
  • Duration: 90 minutes
  • Question styles: Multiple-choice + performance-based questions (PBQs)
  • Passing score: 750 (on a scale of 100–900)
  • Retirement: CompTIA estimates exams usually retire about 3 years after launch (SY0-701 launched Nov 7, 2023; estimated retirement around 2026)

IV. Free Study Resources

V. Hands-On Labs

  • Core labs
    • Home lab setup: 1 Windows VM + 1 Linux VM. Practice snapshots and rollback.
    • Network security basics: configure host firewalls, allow/deny rules, test ports locally, document what changed and why.
    • Threat simulation (defensive): generate safe “events” and learn where logs appear and how to interpret them.
    • Basic cryptography practice: file encryption vs full-disk encryption, hashing for integrity checks, certificate concepts (root/intermediate/self-signed).
    • Incident response tabletop: write a simple IR checklist and run a mock scenario.
  • Troubleshooting / operations labs (Security Operations is the biggest domain)
    • Practice reading and correlating logs (Windows Event Viewer + basic Linux logs)
    • Build a “ticket note” habit. Symptom, to evidence, to root cause, to fix, to prevention.

VI. Renewal

CompTIA Security+ is in the Continuing Education (CE) program: it typically renews on a three-year cycle. CompTIA lists CE fees for Security+ as $150 total for the three-year renewal period.

VII. What to Do After Security+

  • Common next steps after Security+:
    • COMPTIA CySA+ (defensive / blue-team)
    • COMPTIA PenTest+ (offensive / pentesting fundamentals)
    • Vendor paths: Microsoft security, AWS/Azure security specialties