CompTIA, the leading provider of vendor-neutral skills certifications for the world’s information technology (IT) workforce, today introduced a new version of its CompTIA Security+ exam.
The new exam (SY0-401) is available immediately worldwide in an English language version. German and Japanese language exams will be introduced in the coming months.
"This update reflects the changes and challenges IT professionals face in the realm of cybersecurity,” said Terry Erdle, executive vice president, skills certification and learning, CompTIA.
Notable updates in the exam include:
Expansion of common protocols and services.
More content devoted to risk, including risk due to systems integration with third parties and how to plan for it.
New emphasis on mobile security and BYOD.
Risk mitigation in static environments including SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) and Android/iOS.
Expanded and elevated (scenario based) authentication, authorization and access control, including federation.
The new exam also includes more scenario-based objectives, which are often used for performance based questions in CompTIA exams. The complete list of CompTIA Security+ objectives is available on the CompTIA Certification website.
Certification candidates currently preparing for the prior version of the CompTIA Security+ exam (SY0-301) are encouraged to continue with their preparation and to take the SY0-301 exam. This exam will be available in its English language version through Dec. 31, 2014. Exams in other languages will retire April 30, 2015.
Demand for IT Security Workers
The demand for skilled and certified IT security professionals shows no signs of abating. In one job category alone – information security analysts – the number of job postings climbed 32 percent from Q4 2013 to Q1 2014, according to Burning Glass Technologies Labor Insights.
CompTIA Security+ is widely recognized throughout the IT industry and around the world as a certification that designates knowledgeable professionals in the field of cybersecurity. More than 284,000 individuals have earned CompTIA Security+ certification.
CompTIA Security+ is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to show compliance with the ISO 17024:2012 standard. The certification is also approved by the U.S. Department of Defense to meet information assurance technical and management certification requirements.
Training Materials Available
The CompTIA Security+ Study Guide from CompTIA Authorized Partner Wiley is available now through the CompTIA Store.
Additionally, CompTIA Authorized Partner McGraw-Hill has their training materials approved through the CompTIA Approved Quality Content program. These materials will be available on the CompTIA Store shortly.
Content from other authorized partners is expected to be available on the CompTIA Marketplace soon.
