Introduction

If you are preparing to take the Security+ exam, you will undoubtedly want to find as much information as you can concerning computer and physical security. The more information you have at your disposal and the more hands-on experience you gain, the better off you will be when attempting the exam. This study guide was written with that in mind. We have attempted to dispense as much information as we can about computer security. The key was to provide enough information so that you will be prepared for the test but not too much so that you will be overloaded. Using the CompTIA Security+ Exam Guide found on the CompTIA website, we have arranged this book into chapters that represent the exam objectives. If you need to concentrate on a particular objective, you will find everything you need within the chapter on which the objective is based.

This book presents the material at an intermediate technical level. Experience with, and understanding of security concepts, operating systems, and applications systems will help you get a full understanding of the challenges facing you as a security professional.

We've included review questions at the end of each chapter to give you a taste of what it's like to take the exam. If you're already working in the security field, we recommend that you check out these questions first to gauge your level of expertise. You can then use the book mainly to fill in the gaps in your current knowledge. You may find, as many administrators have, that working on a daily basis with security issues may not allow you to actually obtain a deep knowledge of the field. Using this study guide will help you round out your knowledge base before tackling the exam.

If you can answer 80 percent or more of the review questions correctly for a given chapter, you can probably feel safe moving on to the next chapter. If you're unable to answer that many correctly, reread the chapter and try the questions again. Your score should improve.

Warning 

Don't just study the questions and answers! The questions on the actual exam will be different from the practice ones included in this book and on the CD. The exam is designed to test your knowledge of a concept or objective, so use this book to learn the objective behind the question.

What Is the Security+ Certification?

Computer security is a field that is just now starting to come into its own. This field includes such a wide area of concern that it is difficult to get handle on all of the aspects associated with security. The spread of viruses, malicious code, intentional sabotage, and even terrorism are a part of the areas that a security professional must be concerned about. Your challenges are both to provide assistance in security efforts and to consult your organization about how to improve security.

The Security+ exam is primarily targeted at individuals with limited exposure to security concepts. The exam tests your understanding of the common technologies used in computers today, as well as your knowledge of how security impacts an organization. You can expect to see questions that affect both policy issues and technical issues. From the perspective of the exam, these two areas are so intertwined that they must both be covered. The exam does not delve deeply into the various technical standards, but it focuses on understanding how these technologies can be implemented to improve security. The exam is multiple choice, and the questions are relatively straightforward.