Jobs You Can Land with CompTIA PenTest+

The updated CompTIA PenTest+ training and certification exam is here. By covering the latest in penetration testing and cybersecurity protocols, you can take the next step toward a rewarding, specialized cybersecurity career.

As a global leader in technical skills education and certification, finding the right certification path can help you achieve your goal of becoming a skilled tech professional. The updated PenTest+ exam is the next stepping stone for professionals already in the field and those who want to develop specialized skills to take on offensive cybersecurity roles like penetration testing. 

Today, we're taking a closer look at what this updated exam offers and how it can be a critical stepping stone toward your career goals.

Develop these skills with CompTIA PenTest+   

As organizations continue to invest in their cybersecurity infrastructure, their efforts rely on seeking out highly skilled tech professionals. These tech pros understand all aspects of securing systems, carrying out attacks, and knowing what to look for when threat actors try to employ different tactics to gain access to sensitive information like user data or personal identifying information.

You can fill the talent gap by bringing relevant, specialized, and strategic skills to the table. With the CompTIA PenTest+ training and certification exam, you'll be able to do the following: 

• Carry out a penetration test by planning, scoping, and performing information gathering. 

• Understand the phases of a penetration test and how to modify the tools, techniques, tactics, and procedures used within each phase.

• Perform attacks while still maintaining legal and compliance requirements.

• Analyze the results of each phase of a penetration test to develop a written report.

• Effectively communicate findings to stakeholders and provide practical recommendations.

Whether you're looking to advance in your career as a cybersecurity professional, move into a hands-on cybersecurity role like penetration testing, or simply bolster your professional reputation, CompTIA PenTest+ can help. 

PenTest+ is one of the most comprehensive offensive cybersecurity exams on the market, equipping you with the skills you need to become a specialized professional.

CompTIA PenTest+ will prepare you for these roles  

Upon successful completion of the CompTIA PenTest+ certification exam, you'll be ready to move into both specialized and general cybersecurity roles. Let's take a closer look at these roles, job outlook, projected salaries, and much more.

Penetration tester  

Penetration testers are highly skilled cybersecurity professionals who take an offensive approach when helping secure an organization's networks and data. Also known as ethical hacking, penetration testing allows you to get into the mind of a hacker so that you can strategize what approaches they might take when trying to infiltrate a system.  

As a penetration tester, you'll help an organization stay ahead of hackers by acting as one. You'll be an active participant in the front lines of helping keep an organization's digital infrastructure secure. Some job duties you'll engage in on a day-to-day basis as a penetration tester might include:   

• Applying appropriate tools for penetration testing. 

• Performing social engineering tests and reviewing physical security where appropriate.

• Keeping up to date with the latest testing and hacking methods. 

• Collecting data and deploying testing methodology.

• Locating, assessing, and managing vulnerabilities.  

• Making suggestions for security improvements and preparing technical responses to security questions.  

As highly skilled professionals, penetration testers are well compensated and are among the highest-paid security professionals in the industry. According to Cyberseek, the average salary for a penetration and vulnerability tester is $132,457.  

How to become a penetration tester  

Penetration testers are highly skilled and specialized tech professionals who understand what it means to think like a hacker and infiltrate systems like one. Before you can begin running code and exploiting a system's vulnerabilities, you must have the basics under your belt. 

Start with CompTIA A+, where you can gain a basic understanding of computer hardware and software. Continue developing your skills by obtaining a role as an IT support specialist or help desk professional.

Understanding how networks work is essential for penetration testers. Learn the basics of networking through CompTIA Network+.  

From there, you'll need to learn about how security protocols relate to network infrastructure. CompTIA Security+ will help you develop those skills. As you continue developing your skills, you can get into the weeds of cybersecurity solutions and offensive attack protocols through CompTIA PenTest+.  

Cybersecurity analysts  

Cybersecurity analysts are an essential part of any security team. They work alongside other tech pros, including penetration testers and other organizational stakeholders, to ensure digital systems and data remain secure.  

As a cybersecurity analyst, you'll be charged with monitoring systems, assessing levels of risk across different attack surfaces, creating reports, and applying tactics and strategies that can help strengthen systems and how users interact with those systems.  

Some of the major job duties you'll find within this role include:   

• Managing and configuring tools to monitor activity on the network. 

• Analyzing reports from those tools to identify unusual behavior on the network. 

• Proactively identifying network vulnerabilities through penetration testing, vulnerability scans, and vulnerability assessment reports.   

• Planning and recommending changes to increase the security of the network. 

• Applying security patches to protect the network.