>> CASP+ overview. In this lesson,
we're going to define who
the CASP+ certification is for,
we're going to describe the level of
knowledge necessary for this certification,
we're going to explain the exam questions and scoring,
and finally, we will go over the CASP+ mindset.
Let's get started. The CASP+ level of
knowledge described by CompTIA is
a minimum of 10 years of general hands-on experience,
with at least five years of
broad hands-on security experience.
That covers quite a wide range
of things that you might need to know about.
For example, it'd be
a good idea to have a solid understanding
of the OSI model,
TCP/IP, and then common ports such as RDP,
SMB, DHCP, DNS, that type of thing.
You might see port numbers with services on the test.
You also need to be pretty good at
designing and maintaining corporate networks.
For example, switches, routers,
firewalls, and setting up servers and workstations.
You also need to have at least some experience or
understanding of disaster recovery and backup systems.
Also, having a knowledge of
firewalls is a very good start.
While the test doesn't go very
specifically into the configuration of firewalls,
having an understanding of their purpose,
at least at the basic level,
will give you a really good leg up
when you're going studying for the exam.
Finally, basic cybersecurity concepts.
While the whole exam is focused
on a wide range of cybersecurity concepts,
at least understanding the basics is a good start.
Who is the CASP+ actually for?
According to CompTIA,
it is for security architects,
security engineers, application security engineers,
SOC managers, or SOC analysts.
But a key point to remember is the CASP+ is the proof or
the US Department of Defense directive 8140/
8570.01-M for the technical and management tracks.
What salary can you expect by obtaining the CASP+?
According to payscale.com, the average base salary for
those with a CASP+ certification is $92,000 per year.
Some positions had salaries up to $155,000
while others were as low as $68, 000.
Getting the certification is a good way
to help you improve
your current salary conditions or perhaps move to
another position at another company
where you could get a higher salary.
Let's go over the exam.
The exam has a maximum of 90 questions.
The questions are both multiple-choice
and performance-based.
If you're not familiar with the performance-based,
they're usually a drag-and-drop type scenario.
This is where the port questions might come in.
You may have to match the service that runs on the port.
There is no grading, so you will
not see your score at the end,
like you may with other CompTIA test,
it's either a pass or fail.
The current version is CAS-004,
and this was released in October, 2021.
The exam can be taken online in
a controlled situation or in testing centers.
The CASP mindset.
The key point to remember is that
the CASP+ certification is
a hands-on app for IT technicians and not managers.
This is one thing that might
differentiate it a little bit from the CISSP.
The CISSP is more targeted
towards managers or dealing with
C-level executives on cybersecurity issues.
The CASP+ exam is more focused on those that will
be doing the actual cybersecurity work.
From the CompTIA website,
it says CASP+ is
the only hands-on performance-based certification
for advanced practitioners,
not managers at
the advanced skill level of cybersecurity.
You are expected to be able to assess a network,
design, and then implement
appropriate cybersecurity solutions.
This is a technical exam
and it deals with technical concepts.
If you focus on that and try not to
let your mind wander about what
is the question really asking me?
This sounds like it might be
management-related, it's probably not.
It's almost always going to be of a technical nature,
so find the best technical answer to give.
Think of each question in terms of what
is the best technical solution and what is
best for your customer or company. Let's summarize.
We reviewed the exam structure,
we also went over the level of
knowledge that you will need before taking the exam,
and then we reviewed the CASP+ mindset.
Hope this lesson was helpful for
you, and I'll see you in the next one.