Sec+

[Job314]

I see  a lot of references to Microsoft, is the Sec+ you are referring to the same as the Comptia Security+?

If so, how would you compare it to the CEHv6?

My intention was to take the CEHv6 and then shortly after take Security+ while everything from the prior was still fresh in my mind.  Do you think this tactic would work, or are there a lot of differences?

[UNIX]

When writing Sec+ or S+ we mean Security+ by CompTIA, yes.

I would recommend to go the other way round, first Security+ and then CEH.

[Job314]

Ok thanks for clearing up the terminology.  What about my main question?

[UNIX]

Well, Security+ is a cert which covers mostly basics. Although CEH is said to be an entry cert as well, I would say it is more advanced than S+ and therefore I would recommend first S+ and thenafter CEH.

Which topics on each cert will be covered can be read on their websites. Shortly said, S+ covers many fundamentals and concepts and CEH is very tool-based.

[Job314]

Entry level cert??  Wow I hope it's not dismissed that easily by employers, I was really counting on this being respected at least a little bit.

What would you say is more advanced than CEH then?

Also in your opinion, if I were to take the CEH official training course, but not a Sec+ course, would I stand a chance at passing Sec+?

[Ketchup]

Sec+ and CEH cover slightly different concepts.  Both of these certs are fairly respected by employers, though I doubt they will be enough to land you a job.  I would concentrate on picking up knowledge and experience and then go for certifications.   

[Job314]

I won't be relying on CEH certification alone to get a job, although for the next few years it's all I will have.  I'm 20 and have several more years of college left before I can say I have a degree in anything, so I would hope that showing the employer that I've got CEH would be a temporary fix.

[Laz3r]

Kind of on the same note as ketchup... Don't focus on the cert itself, focus on learning.  The cert is just a slight bonus.  If you don't have any work experience in the field, it doesn't matter what certs you have, they're still gonna stick you in an entry level position (or close to it).  So instead of getting extra paper, get the knowledge to prove yourself once you get that position.

I'm not saying don't get any certs, cause they can help you get through the door.  But make absolutely sure you know what to do when you get there.  If you search around the forums, there are plenty of stories about "paper tigers".  People who have a ton of certs, yet still don't know what they're doing.  Nobody wants to be on of those guys.

All in all, study for the cert that you will learn most from.  Since you're still in school, I would look to take advantage of an internship.  It's a great way to get work experience.  On top of that, there's always a decent chance to get hired at the end of the internship.

[Job314]

No no that's far from what I want.  That is why I chose to actually take the official EC-Council training path rather than just do the test and get the paper.

On the sec+ side, if it is something very different I would do training as well, but I was just wondering if maybe the CEH would encompass everything that the sec+ covers, and I could go pick up an extra cert off the knowledge I gained from my EC Council training.  After all, the training isn't cheap, so two certs would help make it worth the cost.

I am trying to get an internship somewhere, but I'm doing college through online correspondence and they seem like they only have internships in the state the school is in.  Any suggestions for finding internships?

[Ketchup]

I would say that Sec+ is a perfect candidate for self-study.   I would also say that it's a closer stepping stone to CISSP and not CEH.   If you have time, pick up a few books and go for it.   It covers a fairly broad range of concepts that will help you down the road.

[Job314]

Closer to CISSP than CEH?  Is the CISSP not as hard as I have heard it is then?  I was told it was 10x harder than CEH, but I never really looked into it because of their 5 year experience requirement.

[Ketchup]

Sorry, I meant in terms of what the covered concepts and not degree of difficulty (which is relative).  CISSP covers a wide area of conceptual knowledge and requires quite a bit of experience.  CEH deals primarily with ethical hacking, pen testing, and vulnerability assessment concepts.   Security+ also covers a fairly wide range of conceptual topics, although not as wide as CISSP.   

I wouldn't worry about degree of difficulty so much.  It's all relative and you have to start somewhere. 

[Job314]

Sounds great thanks for the info!

[UNIX]

Job314,
I didn't mean something bad with entry level certs or wanted to lower their value - I will start soon myself with CEH as I think it is worth the efforts.

As already stated, CEH and S+ cover some different areas, so I don't think that a CEH course would teach you enough to pass both exams without extra study materials. Especially for S+ you should be able to find some books and online resources, which should help with self-studying and actually getting the S+ cert.