CompTIA Security+: SY0-501

The CompTIA Security+ certification is a vendor-neutral credential. The CompTIA Security+ exam is an internationally recognized validation of foundation-level security skills and knowledge, and is used by organizations and security professionals around the globe.

The CompTIA Security+ exam will certify the successful candidate has the knowledge and skills required to install and configure systems to secure applications, networks,and devices;perform threat analysis and respond with appropriate mitigation techniques;participatein risk mitigation activities;andoperate with an awareness of applicable policies, laws, and regulations. The successful candidate will perform these tasks to supportthe principles of confidentiality, integrity,and availability.

The CompTIA Security+ certification is aimed at an IT security professional who has:

A minimum of two years’experience in ITadministration with a focus on security
Day-to-day technicalinformation security experience
Broad knowledge of security concerns and implementation including the topics in the domain list below

Module 1: Threats, Attacksand Vulnerabilities

Types of malware

Viruses
Crypto-malware
Ransomware
Worm
Trojan
Rootkit
Keylogger
Adware
Spyware
Bots
Logic bomb
RAT
Backdoor

Compare and contrast types of attacks.

Social engineering
Application/service attacks
Wireless attacks
Cryptographic attacks

Threat actor types and attributes.

Types of actors
Attributes of actors
Use of open-source intelligence

Explain penetration testing concepts.

Active reconnaissance
Passive reconnaissance
Pivot
Initial exploitation
Persistence
Escalation of privilege
Black box
White box
Gray box
Pen testing vs. vulnerability scanning

Vulnerability scanning concepts.

Passively test security controls
Identify vulnerability
Identify lack of security controls
Identify common misconfigurations
Intrusive vs. non-intrusive
Credentialed vs. non-credentialed
False positive

The impactassociated with types of vulnerabilities.

Race conditions
Vulnerabilities
Improper input handling
Improper error handling
Misconfiguration/weak configuration
Default configuration
Resource exhaustion
Untrained users
Improperly configured accounts
Vulnerable business processes
Weak cipher suites and implementations
Memory/buffer vulnerability
System sprawl/undocumented assets
Architecture/design weaknesses
New threats/zero day
Improper certificate and key management

Module 2: Technologies and Tools

Use appropriate software toolsto assess the security posture of an organization

Protocol analyzer
Network scanners
Wireless scanners/cracker
Password cracker
Vulnerability scanner
Configuration compliance scanner
Exploitation frameworks
Data sanitization tools
Steganography tools
Honeypot
Backup utilities
Banner grabbing
Passive vs. active
Command line tools

Troubleshoot common security issues.

Unencrypted credentials/clear text
Logs and eventsanomalies
Permission issues
Access violations
Certificate issues
Data exfiltration
Misconfigured devices
Weak security configurations
Personnel issues
Unauthorized software
Baseline deviation
License compliance violation(availability/integrity)
Asset management
Authentication issues

Analyze and interpret output from securitytechnologies

HIDS/HIPS
Antivirus
File integrity check
Host-based firewall
Application whitelisting
Removable media control
Advanced malware tools
Patch management tools
UTM
DLP
Data execution prevention
Web application firewall

Deploy mobile devices securely.

Connection methods
Mobile device management concepts
Enforcementand monitoring
Deployment models

Implement secure protocols.

Protocols
Use cases

Module 3: Architecture and Design

Explain use cases and purpose for frameworks

Industry-standard frameworks and reference architectures
Benchmarks/secure configuration guides
Defense-in-depth/layered security

Implement secure network architecture concepts.

Zones/topologies
Segregation/segmentation/isolation
Tunneling/VPN
Security device/technology placement
SDN

Implement secure systems design.

Hardware/firmware security
Operating systems
Peripherals

Explain the importance of secure staging deployment concepts.

Sandboxing
Environment
Secure baseline
Integrity measurement

Explain the security implications of embedded systems.

SCADA/ICS
Smart devices/IoT
HVAC
SoC
RTOS
Printers/MFDs
Camera systems
Special purpose

Summarize secure application development and deployment concepts.

Development life-cycle models
Secure DevOps
Version control and change management
Provisioningand deprovisioning
Secure coding techniques
Code quality and testing
Compiled vs. runtime code

Summarize cloud and virtualization concepts

Hypervisor
VM sprawl avoidance
VM escapeprotection
Cloud storage
Cloud deployment models
On-premise vs. hosted vs. cloud
VDI/VDE
Cloud access security broker
Security as a Service

How resiliency and automation strategies reduce risk.

Automation/scripting
Templates
Master image
Non-persistence
Elasticity
Scalability
Distributive allocation
Redundancy
Fault tolerance
High availability
RAID

Explain the importance of physical security controls.

Lighting
Signs
Fencing/gate/cage
Security guards
Alarms
Safe
Secure cabinets/enclosures
Protected distribution/Protected cabling
Airgap
Mantrap
Faraday cage
Lock types
Biometrics
Barricades/bollards
Tokens/cards
Environmental controls
Cable locks
Screen filters
Cameras
Motion detection
Logs
Infrared detection
Key management

Module 4: Identity and Access Management

Compare and contrast identity and access management concepts.

Identification, authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA)
Multifactor authentication
Federation
Single sign-on
Transitive trus

Install and configure identity and access services.

LDAP
Kerberos
TACACS+
CHAP
PAP
MSCHAP
RADIUS
SAML
OpenID Connect
OAUTH
Shibboleth
Secure token
NTLM

Implement identity and access management controls.

Access control models
Physical access control
Biometricfactors
Tokens
Certificate-based authentication
File system security
Database security

Differentiatecommon account managementpractices.

Account types
General Concepts
Account policy enforcement

Module 5: Risk Management

Importance of policies.

Standard operating procedure
Agreement types
Personnel management
General security policies

Summarize business impact analysisconcepts.

RTO/RPO
MTBF
MTTR
Mission-essential functions
Identification of critical systems
Single point of failure
Impact
Privacy impact assessment
Privacy threshold assessment

Risk management processes and concepts.

Threat assessment
Risk assessment
Change management

Follow incident responseprocedures.

Incident response plan
Incident response process

Summarizebasic concepts of forensics.

Order of volatility
Chain of custody
Legal hold
Data acquisition
Preservation
Recovery
Strategicintelligence/counterintelligence gathering
Track man-hours

Disaster recoveryand continuity of operation concepts.

Recovery sites
Order of restoration
Backup concepts
Geographic considerations
Continuity of operationplanning

Compare and contrast various types of controls.

Deterrent
Preventive
Detective
Corrective
Compensating
Technical
Administrative
Physical

Carry out data security and privacypractices.

Data destruction and media sanitization
Data sensitivity labeling and handling
Data roles
Data retention
Legal and compliance

Module 6: Cryptography and PKI

Compare and contrast basic concepts of cryptography.

Symmetric algorithms
Modes of operation
Asymmetric algorithms
Hashing
Salt, IV, nonce
Elliptic curve
Weak/deprecated algorithms
Key exchange
Digital signatures
Diffusion
Confusion
Collision
Steganography
Obfuscation
Stream vs. block
Key strength
Session keys
Ephemeral key
Secret algorithm
Data-in-transit
Data-at-rest
Data-in-use
Random/pseudo-random number generation
Key stretching
Implementation vs. algorithm selection
Perfect forward secrecy
Security through obscurity
Common use cases

Cryptography algorithms and their basic characteristics.

Symmetric algorithms
Cipher modes
Asymmetric algorithms
Hashing algorithms
Key stretching algorithms
Obfuscation

Install and configure wireless security settings.

Cryptographic protocols
Authentication protocols
Methods

Implement public key infrastructure.

Components
Concepts
Types of certificates
Certificate formats

Talk to OurExpert!