Security+ Certification All-In-One Exam Guide [Hardcover]

This book fits the billing!

It was clear, concise and easy to understand. It prepared me to take the Security+ exam well, and explains concepts thoroughly without assuming that the reader is an idiot. The book deals with all the infomation that will be on the test, following the Domains in their order, but it still also flows in a forward direction, building on one concept with another. That is a challenge nowdays in the tech world were every concept is intertwined with others.

That said, don't expect to come to this book with no knowledge of computers at all. I have found that this book serves more as a reminder of "Oh Yeah, I knew that," than as a device to impart new knowledge into my skull. I learned some new things from this book, but the most beneficial part of this book was bringing all the things I know about computers back to the forefront of my mind so that they are fresh while taking the test.

It is also good for building up strength in the "security as a whole" areas. It's good to know how to lock down a system, but the test also wants to know if you understand what constitutes good information security as a concept, not a password.

The book, despite its thickness (~600 pages) is actually a relatively quick read. I got through it in about a month, reading it in my off time and as a nightcap. It took me about two days of direct study to review the majority of the stuff for the test after having read it.

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Final Thoughts:
There is a time and a place for everything. If you want to learn more about computer security, there are other books out there that will help teach you more about how to lock down a system and disable protocols. If you want to take what you already know and refresh it, as well as supplement it with a little bit of new information, this is the book for you.

I love this book the author does a great a job discussing all the topics beyond the scope of the test. However,the book does not cover good bit of the tough questions on the test. I do not blame the author as the test goes out of it's way to obscure the questions. I have 10yrs of IT experience, my MCSE, CCNA, CNA, A+ certs and have read [4] books on computer security. The Security+ exam has questions that do not exist in any of the books I have read.

I have read three books for this exam: Shon Harris CISSP, this book, and the ultimate Security+ exam cram book. I also sampled a large deal of books at barnes and Noble...

As far as Security+ books go this is hands down the best one. Everything is explained in great detail in a clear and concise fashion. I liked the format of the book too. Initially most topics are touched upon, then in later chapters they are expanded upon. For those not familiar with education techniques, this is one of the best ways to help the reader retain the information. You first introduce the basic concepts, and how they fit into a larger picture, and then later on go further into detail. This is better than tackling each subject in order, and really accelerates the learning process.

It also repeats important concepts several times, and constantly refreshes you on the topic. Many things in security are interconnected... If you learn about Kerberos, or single sign on early in the book then you might forget exactly what it does when you reach the later chapters. This book is good in refreshing you on details so you never get lost in the jargon. Every time a crucial process is reintroduced for a different subject area, it is re-explained and shown how it fits into the current topic. This saves you from a lot of frustration and is done in a where you actually need it (so it doesn't seem overly repetitive).

As others have mentioned, NOT EVERYTHING is covered. Still, the book does a very good job of covering core concepts. I do reccommend Shon Harris' CISSP book to fill in the holes. While the CISSP book covers more material than is covered in the Security+, it overlaps a great deal. You can just skip over the parts you don't need to know in detail and read the parts also included on the Security+ exam. They compliment each other very well. Between the two, there are practically no holes. The two books also presented each other very differently and I wasn't bored, nor did I feel like I was reading the same stuff over and over again.

The only other con is that yes, the end of the chapter questions are WEAK. They don't assess your knoweledge very well at all. In fact, you can skim a chapter and still do fine on the questions. You'd probably be well off using commercial testing solutions if you want to evaluate your knoweledge of the subject..

Overall the book does its job. It is a solid primary source of information. I really encourage people to buy and read this book first before studying anything else for the Security+. If you read this book and still want to know more, the CISSP book by Shon Harris is extremely good supplementary reading. Read those two books, understand their topics, and you WILL pass the Security+ easily. While this may be a lot of reading, it will cover just about EVERYTHING you need to know.

ABOUT THE TEST:

While people say that Security+ is an "entry level" security certification, people need to realize this isn't an entry level category. Security+ requires users to have a great deal of experience/knoweledge in the IT field, otherwise you probably will fail. I was very suprised when I started studying for this test. It covers a large spectrum of technology and applications and also goes enough into detail that you have to actually know and understand the technology and procedures involved. I have used this test as a steping stone for the CISSP (there is a LOT of overlapping), and I think it is well worth the effort.

Who needs to take this test? Well I'd reccommend it before taking the MCSE (it gives you credit towards a MCSE/MCSA requirement. It is also a great way to prepare towards a CISSP, the most accepted security certification. Really, it is like a more reasonable form of the CISSP being that it is widely available at testing centers and costs far less to take the test. I think this certification is dragged down because of the "easy" reputation of A+ and Network+, which truly are "entry level" tests. Anyone who wants to show security competence should take this test..

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