Which Network Certification or Security+, do you think you should earn first? Should you pursue certification in both areas? Or is it OK to have just one? The response is going to be “it depends.”
It just so happens that this is one of those situations in which there is no one right solution. Everyone begins with a unique set of skills and understands information in their environment in a unique way. Everyone learns in their unique style, and everyone has various aspirations for their professional lives. Because of these variances, it is difficult to provide you with a definitive response regarding the order in which you should achieve the Network Certification and the Security+ certification.
Today, we are going to talk about some of the most important reasons why you might want to earn one CompTIA certification over another. In particular, we are going to highlight some of the reasons why you might want to earn the Network+ certification before the Security+ certification or vice versa.
Are You Prepared to Obtain Your CompTIA Certification?
Certifications offer by CompTIA are vendor-neutral, which means they are not unique to any one particular vendor. Instead, they serve to authenticate fundamental information and skills that may be utilize in a variety of settings that are prevalent in the real world. As a consequence of this, CompTIA is an excellent starting place not just for individuals who are new to the field of information technology but also for IT professionals who need to master new skills such as cloud computing.
CBT Nuggets provides training that can help students prepare for a variety of CompTIA certifications, including Network+, Security+, and others. If you feel that you are ready to advance beyond the CompTIA credentials, you should also look into the CCNA certification. The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification is widely recognize in the information technology sector and is regarded as the most important networking credential.
Should I Get My Network+ Certification First, Or My Security+?
We need to talk about your professional aspirations before we can decide whether you should earn the Security+ certification first or the Network+ certification first. That is a very important point to consider. I’ll explain why.
The Network+ certification examines candidates’ mastery of fundamental networking concepts and skills. The topics that will be cover for the Network+ certification include networking theory, networking architecture, best practices, and other related topics.
The Security+ certification, on the other hand, emphasizes cybersecurity. Consider the Security+ certification to be a narrower and more specific variant of the Network+ certification. Comparatively, studying the nuances of ADHD is more like taking an introductory-level course in psychology. Understanding ADHD requires a foundational understanding of psychology, but a broad education in the field of psychology covers a variety of topics in addition to ADHD.
The Security+ certification, meanwhile, emphasizes information security. Consider the Security+ certification to be a narrower and more specific variant of the Network+ certification. Comparatively, studying the nuances of ADHD is more like taking an introductory-level course in psychology. Understanding ADHD requires a foundational understanding of psychology, but a broad education in the field of psychology covers a variety of topics in addition to ADHD.
The Route to Certification with CompTIA
Even though the majority of CompTIA certifications do not require any prerequisites, the organization CompTIA has a recommended certification route for their credentials. If you want to get certifications following the CompTIA protocol, the Network+ certification comes first, follow by the Security+ certification. I’ll explain why.
In the previous paragraph, we said that the Security+ certification is dependent on a significant amount of the material that is test for in the Network+ certification. It makes sense. Even though the field of cybersecurity encompasses a wide variety of educational tracks other than networking, the latter remains an essential part of information security. After all, except attacks that are carried out through social engineering, the most common attack vectors are networks. When they break the law, cybercriminals would rather not be in the same physical location as the victim.