After a decade in the military, I've learned a thing or two about discipline, strategy, and overcoming challenges. When I made my transition into the cybersecurity field, I faced a new mission: conquering the CompTIA Security+ exam. This certification is often considered the first major milestone for aspiring cybersecurity professionals, and for many veterans, it opens a door to many opportunities in the private and public sectors as you leave military service.
Professor Messer: Your Trusted Field Commander in Cyberspace
Professor Messer's free YouTube channel is your personal boot camp for the Security+ exam. He covers every single exam objective with the kind of clarity and conciseness that would make any military instructor proud. Trust me, binge-watching his videos is far more engaging (and informative) than any mandatory training you've ever endured. While his free resources are absolutely amazing, I can also highly recommend purchasing some of his study guides. Your first attempt score on the practice tests are a good baseline to let you know if you are ready for the real deal. Try and space these out. If you have 3 practice exams, make sure you study in-between each attempt, focusing on the domains you performed most poorly.
Unlocking the Library's Arsenal of Knowledge
As veterans, we know how to maximize resources. Your local library card is a secret weapon in your exam prep arsenal. Many libraries offer access to Gale Presents Udemy, a treasure trove of online courses. You can often find comprehensive Security+ prep courses there, saving you hundreds of dollars in tuition fees. It's like having a free, on-demand tutor at your fingertips. I really wish I had learned this one sooner, because I probably spent hundreds of dollars on Udemy courses over the years. Jason Dion offers some of the best courses in the industry for preparing for just about every CompTIA exam.
Battle-Tested Study Techniques
-
- Active Recall: Don't just passively read the material. After each section, quiz yourself on the key concepts. This forces your brain to actively retrieve the information, strengthening your memory.
-
- Spaced Repetition: Instead of cramming, spread your study sessions out over time. Review the material at increasing intervals (e.g., one day, three days, one week). This technique exploits the psychological spacing effect, making the information stick in your long-term memory.
-
- Flashcards: These old-school tools are still incredibly effective. Create flashcards for key terms, concepts, and acronyms. Review them regularly, shuffling the deck to avoid memorizing the order. There are a lot of good apps for this. I've used Quizlet and IT & Cybersecurity - Pocket Prep which offer some great paid premium versions and then there's Anki for free flash cards.
-
- Study Groups: Just like a military unit, a study group can provide camaraderie, motivation, and accountability. Discuss difficult concepts, quiz each other, and share resources.
Additional Intel for Your Arsenal
-
- Visualize the Battlefield: Sunny Learning's videos use animations and graphics to make complex topics like firewalls and encryption easier to grasp. It's like having a 3D model of the cybersecurity landscape laid out before you. Knowing the basics of networking and the pathways that data flows through a network are really important to understand at a high level.
-
- Don't Neglect Practice Exams: Jason Dion's practice exams are the closest thing you'll get to the real deal. Use them to gauge your progress, identify weaknesses, and get comfortable with the exam format.
-
- Embrace the Power of Repetition: Darril Gibson's Security+ book is your field manual. Read each chapter multiple times, focusing on the "Remember This" sections, and drill yourself on the questions. Repetition is key to embedding information into your long-term memory.
-
- Strategic Memorization Techniques: Create acronyms, rhymes, or other memory aids to help you recall important facts. For example, "CIA" can remind you of the three core principles of security: Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability.
-
- Know Your Enemy: Study common attack types like phishing, spear-phishing, and SYN floods. Understanding your adversary's tactics is crucial for effective defense.
-
- Master the Tools of the Trade: Get hands-on experience with tools like Nmap (port scanner), Wireshark (packet analyzer), and Nessus (vulnerability scanner). These are your essential gear in the cybersecurity toolkit. I recommend getting hands on with sites like tryhackme and hackthebox.
-
- Decipher the Language of Security: Learn key terms like data owner, data custodian, and data steward. Understand the differences between symmetric and asymmetric encryption.
Remember, the Security+ exam is just another mission. With the right resources, preparation, and a bit of that veteran tenacity, you'll add another victory to your record.
Add comment
Comments