{"id":424,"date":"2026-10-17T16:41:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T16:41:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/cyse200tethan\/?page_id=424"},"modified":"2026-10-17T19:53:51","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T19:53:51","slug":"earning-my-security-certification","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/cyse200tethan\/earning-my-security-certification\/","title":{"rendered":"Earning My Security+ Certification"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Earning My Security+ Certification<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earning CompTIA Security+ was one of my goals as I moved from my bachelor\u2019s degree into the master\u2019s program at ODU. I wanted to strengthen my cybersecurity knowledge and have a certification to go along with my education. I passed the SY0-701 exam in September 2026 while taking CYSE 600 and working full time in IT.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Security+ Official Badge<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

How I Prepared<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I used the Security+ study guide by Joe Shelley and Darril Gibson. I also studied with Professor Messer and Burning Ice Tech videos. Having more than one resource gave me different explanations of the same topic. If a section of the book was hard to follow, I could watch a video and return to the reading afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had to fit studying around work and graduate classes. There was a lot of material to cover. Knowing a definition was helpful, but I also needed to understand how the concept would apply to a situation. That meant going back over topics instead of assuming I understood them because the terms looked familiar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My work experience gave me a starting point. At IPConfigure, I built and configured servers. In my current role at Triton Stone Group, I help manage devices and support employee onboarding and offboarding. I have worked with Entra ID, Intune, and Workspace ONE. That experience helped me connect some of the study material to tasks I had already seen at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connections to CYSE 600<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CYSE 600 covered many of the same subjects I was studying for Security+. Password security was one example. In the Windows password management lab, the tasks covered password requirements and account lockout settings. Studying those controls helped explain their purpose. The lab showed where they could be configured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Network security was another connection. My Security+ preparation covered protocols and the importance of encrypted communication. The Wireshark lab took that further by examining captured traffic. Its FTP exercise showed how usernames and passwords could be exposed when the connection was not encrypted. A strong password would not solve that problem by itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The encryption lab also connected with my exam preparation. The encryption lab covered EFS and BitLocker. It also covered recovering encrypted files and sending files securely. The recovery part showed me why keeping the keys safe matters. Without the right key, even the person who owns a file could lose access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I completed some labs after passing Security+. Those gave me more practice with topics I had studied for the exam. I still needed to learn how to use the tools myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What the Experience Taught Me<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studying for Security+ was hard while working full time and taking graduate classes. There was a lot to remember. Sometimes I recognized a term but had trouble explaining how it worked. I had to spend more time on those topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was stressed before the exam. I had put a lot of effort into preparing, and I wanted to pass. Getting through it was a big accomplishment for me. It also showed me which subjects I want to keep practicing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The labs helped because I could work through examples. Reading about account lockout is different from changing the settings in Windows. The same was true for encryption. I could study what it does, but the lab showed what happens when a user loses access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How I Am Using It<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Security+ has helped me understand security risks in my current job at Triton Stone Group. I work with employee devices and help with onboarding and offboarding. I have a better understanding of why account access needs to be checked and why old access should be removed when someone leaves. These tasks affect the company\u2019s security even when they seem like routine IT work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also recently accepted an IT help desk role with ePlus. I have not started yet, but I expect to use what I learned when helping users with account and device problems. I want to solve the issue without creating another problem by giving someone unnecessary access or changing a security setting without checking it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know there will be things I need help with in the new role. Passing Security+ does not mean im just going to know the answer to every ticket. But it will give me the background knowledge to work from and helps me understand why certain procedures matter. I am mostly looking forward to getting a lot more experience and becoming more comfortable using what I studied.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Earning My Security+ Certification Earning CompTIA Security+ was one of my goals as I moved from my bachelor\u2019s degree into the master\u2019s program at ODU. I wanted to strengthen my cybersecurity knowledge and have a certification to go along with my education. I passed the SY0-701 exam in September 2026 while taking CYSE 600 and… <\/p>\n

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