There are many different certification changes in 2015. Some you might know about, but others might be a surprise.
Here’s a summary of some of the changes:
Network+ – Certification Changes in 2015
While not announced officially yet, the N10-006 exam is on the horizon. It might be available in February or March of this year and it will replace the current N10-005 exam.
Update. The new Network+ exam (N10-006) is scheduled to go live on February 28, 2015.
The N10-005 exam will retire on August 31, 2015.
However, you can expect an overlap of six months or more. As an example, the current Security+ exam (SY0-401) went live on May 1, 2014, but the previous version (SY0-301) was still available until December 31, 2014.
Answer. No. Unless you want to delay your career.
Hiring managers don’t care which version of a cert you have. They only care if you have it.
Also, there are many resources available for the current exam, but few resources available for the new exam. You’ll have a better chance at finding reliable study materials by studying for the current exam than the next one.
Some of the key changes are:
- Troubleshooting – the introduction of a new dedicated troubleshooting section to help validate a networking professional’s practical knowledge in identifying and solving networking problems
- Security – the inclusion of the most recent security knowledge, including physical security controls and updated forensics concepts
- Cloud – updates that reflect the ubiquity of cloud computing and the increasing complexity of networking topologies
- Emphasis on management – while installation remains a topic, industry focus has shifted to ensuring efficient operation of foundational and advanced technologies
CASP+ – Certification Changes in 2015
The next version of the CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP) exam (CAS-002) launched on January 20th. You can view the new objectives on CompTIAs site.
It replaces the current version (CAS-001) which retires on June 20, 2015.
The CAS-002 exam now has five domains instead of four.
| Domain | CAS-001 | CAS-002 |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 Enterprise Security | 40% | 30% |
| 2.0 Risk Management and Incident Response | 24% Note 1 | 20% |
| 3.0 Research and Analysis | 14% | 18% |
| 4.0 Integration of Computing, Communications and Business Disciplines | 22% | 16% |
| 5.0 Technical Integration of Enterprise Components | N/A | 16% |
Note 1. Domain 2.0 was called Risk Mgmt, Policy/Procedure and Legal in the CAS-001 objectives.
Some of the key changes are:
- Scenario based objectives to evaluate technical troubleshooting and creative thinking
- Cryptographic concepts and methods
- Increased emphasis on secure storage, specifically on encryption and cloud security risks
- New cloud coverage (i.e., working in software-defined networking environments)
- Enhanced discussion of intelligence gathering tools
- Current tracking technologies in asset management, including categorizing of systems
- The technical side of secure integration across the enterprise was extracted from domain 1.0 and expanded into a new 5.0 domain:
- Increased coverage of standards in integration of enterprise components
- Issues of interoperability (legacy systems; internally vs. externally developed software and technical deployments; cloud and hosting options)
CISSP+ – Certification Changes in 2015
(ISC)2 has been doing surveys and other activities indicating that they are updating these objectives. Unfortunately, they have not released the objectives to the public. It’s not clear if they are purposely keeping them private so that they can develop their own study guides ahead of other publishers, or if they just aren’t done yet.
For comparison, the current version of the objectives went live in January 2012 and (ISC)2 released the objectives to the public in July 2011.
The official (ISC)2 CISSP study guide has been periodically advertised on Amazon but the date keeps changing. Most recently, I saw a release date of March 3rd, 2015.
Update. Objectives were released in January and go live on April 15th. Check out this post for details.
SSCP+ – Certification Changes in 2015
Just as (ISC)2 has been updating CISSP objectives, they have also been working no updating the SSCP objectives. Similarly, they have not released any objectives to the public though.
For comparison, the current version of the objectives went live in February 2012 but were released to the public in July, 2011.
Both the (ISC)2 CISSP and SSCP certifications are accredited by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) under ANSI/ISO 17024.
To remain eligible for this accreditation, the certifications must be updated regularly. Organizations typically update the certs every three years to ensure they remain compliant with ANSI/ISO 17024 requirements.
Update. Objectives were released in January and go live on April 15th. Check out this post for details.
Security+ – Certification Changes in 2015
You probably know about this one. The SY0-301 exam (or JK0-018) expired on December 31, 2014 and is no longer available. However, the SY0-401 exam (or JK0-022) launched on May 1, 2014 and you can still take it to get the Security+ certification. You can read more about the SY0-401 exam here.
I’ve been studying your book and I’m ready to test. There are two versions of the test:
JK0-022
SY0-401
What’s the difference in the two?
Nothing really. From the test taker’s perspective, they are the same. One code is used in academic institutions while the other (SY0-401) is used by everyone else. If you’re buying a voucher, buy one for SY0-401.
I’m just getting started studying for the Network+ exam. Given N10-006 was released in Feb. and N10-005 will retire in August, which test should I prepare for. Do I have enough time to prepare for N10-005, if not do you have any study materials for N10-006 yet? T hank you!
Hi Danielle,
You have over three months to prepare. That’s plenty of time for most people, but I don’t know your experience or knowledge level. I don’t currently have any N10-006 materials available, but I expect to before the N10-005 version expires.
Good luck.