Chapter 1: Introduction

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Overview

Welcome and congratulations! You hold in your hands the most useful Security+ certification preparation study tool available. This book exists for one primary purpose: to help you achieve your goal of becoming CompTIA Security+ certified as soon as possible with one and only one resource—this book.

What separates this book from most of the other security exam and certification study books on the market? Unlike many other certification preparation study tools, the author and contributors of this book have real-life experience implementing and maintaining security processes and procedures as well as years of experience taking and passing certification exams. In other words, we are the real deal, we are not “paper certified specialists” authoring topics implemented by professional IT specialists.

It is also very important for you to know that the author of this book was in continuous contact with CompTIA regarding the Security+ exam development and objectives. This book has been crafted upon specific CompTIA information as it pertains to the development of the Security+ domain objectives. In other words, this is the Security+ book to study if you want to get Security+ certified!

In this chapter, you will learn the importance of this coveted certification, why it was developed, and how it can affect directly your present as well as future career goals in the information technology arena. You will be led through the entire CompTIA certification process from exam registration to sitting down and taking the exam. The exam structure will be explained in detail and you will receive advice from certification experts on how to prepare yourself both mentally and physically for the exam. Finally, you will be introduced to the book’s structure and convinced of why this book should be your study tool of choice for the CompTIA Security+ examination.

This book was written as a no-nonsense, straight-to-the-point guide to prepare you to take and pass the CompTIA Security+ Exam. It is not intended as a replacement for hands-on training, nor will it prepare you to be an expert security specialist. It is not designed to fill your head with unneeded, useless information before you enter the exam site; that type of preparation is usually accompanied by failure. The Security+ exam is not filled with questions that ask you to refer to many useless pictures, charts, and graphs. For that reason, this book does not present you with many pictures or other graphics that are not exam specific. This book isolates particular topics that are most likely going to be addressed on the CompTIA Security+ exam.

If you are interested in gainful employment in the technologies industry, you should be certified. The majority of businesses today require applicants to provide proof of certification status. If you are applying for a position as a PC technician, network administrator, systems engineer, software engineer, auditor, security specialist, programmer, or developer, Security+ certification is for you.

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