CompTIA Security+ Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-501 Study Guide

by Darril Gibson

Pass the First Time.
The CompTIA Security+ Get Certified Get Ahead SY0-501 Study Guide is an update to the top-selling SY0-201, SY0-301, and SY0-401 study guides, which have helped thousands of readers pass the exam the first time they took it. It covers all of the SY0-501 objectives and includes the same elements readers raved about in the previous two versions. Each of the eleven chapters presents topics in an easy to understand manner and includes real-world examples of security principles in action. The author uses many of the same analogies and explanations he’s honed in the classroom that have helped hundreds of students master the Security+ content. You’ll understand the important and relevant security topics for the Security+ exam, without being overloaded with unnecessary details. Additionally, each chapter includes a comprehensive review section to help you focus on what’s important. Over 300 realistic practice test questions with in-depth explanations will help you test your comprehension and readiness for the exam. The book includes a 75 question pre-test, a 75 question post-test, and practice test questions at the end of every chapter. Each practice test question includes a detailed explanation to help you understand the content and the reasoning behind the question. You'll also have access to free online resources including labs and additional practice test questions. Using all of these resources, you’ll be ready to take and pass the exam the first time you take it. If you plan to pursue any of the advanced security certifications, this guide will also help you lay a solid foundation of security knowledge. Learn this material, and you’ll be a step ahead for other exams. This SY0-501 study guide is for any IT or security professional interested in advancing in their field, and a must read for anyone striving to master the basics of IT systems security. The author supplements the book with blog posts This page provides a full listing of mobile device apps from the

Genres: Nonfiction, Technology, Technical, College, Textbooks, Computer Science

608 pages, Paperback

Published October 12, 2017

Reviews

[Shelly]

Test on Monday - I will be so glad to get this done and get my life back.

7/23 Update: I PASSED THIS BLASTED TEST THIS MORNING.

822 our of 900. Needed 750 to pass.

I'm burning this book tonight, along with my notes and flash cards.

[Jeff]

This is the third time I've passed the Security+ exam and the third time I've used Darril Gibson's book as my main study guide. I have several other IT certifications and work in the industry so over the years I've read a number of texts for certification preparation and can tell you firsthand that some of them make the Sahara desert look verdant. This is not one of those. Gibson manages to present the material in a way that is concise and easy to understand while still providing enough depth and background to the concepts.

As far as supplementary material goes, his website offers additional practice questions and practical labs, some of which are free and some require purchasing various packages. The app, which features all the questions from the book plus extras, is worth the 9.99 if only to keep from doing the questions on paper each time you want to review them.

If there's any criticism of the book I can offer it's that 1. There weren't enough examples of interpreting code and logs (which the actual test requires you to do for a number of questions) and 2. the chapter review questions are a bit too easy compared to the actual test material. All in all I'd highly recommend the book if you're looking to complete this certification. I supplemented my studies with Professor Messer's free video course on youtube and by downloading the exam objectives from comptia's site and adding notes, definitions, etc to the pages.

[Colin]

Gives a really solid understanding of core concepts of cyber security. I'll come back and give it a more accurate review after I complete my certification!

[Julie]

I don't have much previous experience with computers but I used this book + Professor Messer videos and passed the 501. Whew. Now I am interested in cryptography!

[Chip]

Read, re-read, read again ... this book haunts me. My life will never be the same again. I passed...after many failed tries. DONE. SO DONE. Enjoy.

[Arunas]

Good preparation for the exam, but lacks examples of actual code which you may encounter during the exam. Should be supplemented with Professor Messer's videos and labs from the get certified get ahead website. Furthermore, additional questions listed in the get certified get ahead website are a better representation of the exam than the review questions in the book.

[Thomas]

I read the book and used the study questions as well as the online extras. Purchased the accompanying audio study and listened repeatedly. Did not do any additional study work. Passed the exam on my first try.

[John]

Good study material for the Security+ exam. Unlike other books, which present the material in the order of the CompTIA objectives, this book puts relevant topics together, making it easier to read.

This books includes a pre-test which you take prior to reading the book and a post-test after you have read the book, both 75 questions each, as well as 15 questions after each of the 11 chapters. The post-test is more difficult than the pre-test (at least in my experience) so don't be discouraged if your score on the post-test isn't that much higher than what you got on the pre-test. If you take the pre-test a second time you will notice a marked improvement over your first attempt.

My only gripe is that this book (like most) doesn't include any example performance-based questions. As these make up a decent chunk of one's score on the actual test, I think it is paramount for more study resources to start including example PBQs.

[Cameron]

Pair this with the Author's app and you're golden

I spent about 3 weeks really studying for the exam, all self study. Much of that time was spent digging through this book from start to finish, and when I was done with that I purchased the Android app from the same author to do practice questions and flashcard review. It really paid off and I was able to pass the exam first try. The book covers everything you'll need for the test while also giving you some tips and tricks for taking it. I recommend the Kindle version if you are on a budget as you can take it with you anywhere to get some review in during lunch breaks and it costs significantly less than the physical copy.

[Lance]

This was my only study material that was specific to this exam. I'm very new to IT but this guide taught me a lot when it comes to implementing and maintaining secure computer systems. The only thing that's missing (understandably) are actual systems that you can interact with to practice diagnosing security issues, reviewing logs, setting up correct configurations, etc.


This study guide allowed me to pass on my first try, but there's no substitute for real life experience. If something looks interesting or confusing: download what you need to experiment, poke around, and really get acquainted with the tools and methods mentioned in this guide.

[Eliotgriggs]

Phenomenal study guide.

Thorough in the content it covers for the exam, and it also provides a decent overview of networking topics that you will need to succeed during the exam.

The questions contained in the end of chapter quizzes and three practice exams have a similar structure to actual exam questions.

While this was not my only study material I used for my exam prep, it was the primary source that I kept turning back to for reference.

This should be in on anyone’s bookshelf/ebook reader if you want to maximize your chances of passing Security+!

[Nicolette]

Helped me study and pass my Security+ certification exam, so, it can only be a "plus." Great, straightforward textbooks with helpful practice questions and clear explanations. This author is best at creating metaphors to connect it a simpler concept that is unrelated to IT and Cybersecurity, which is helpful for those, like me, who don't come from a deep background in those areas.

[Matthew Frazao]

Read cover to cover, this was my primary study guide for the Security plus certification. Thought this book was excellent and felt prepared for the exam. The review questions were great prep, I would also recommend the labs. I'm happy to say I passed exam first attempt. I highly recommend this book to anyone studying for Comptia Security+.

[Antonnie]

Just because it’s a technical book I gave it three stars. Not quite the reading material that keeps you wanting to read more, if you know what I’m saying. Anyway, out of all the security plus books out there I would recommend this one. Definitely helps make the info easy to understand. Highly recommend!

[Ryan]

I really liked Darril's explanations and deep dives into topics. I felt this book hit all the top level concepts that were approached on the actual 501 test. I would also highly recommend Professor Messer as an add-0n, but if youre looking to knock out the Security+ cert, this has all the info you would need.

[Rawan]

Test in 4 days fingers crossed 🤞🏻
This book really helped me understand and cover all objectives of the security+ certification exam
Still got some practice tests to do & some rivision
Even if i dont pass the test i’m glad i read the book! while i already am familiar with some cyber security concepts, with help of this book I understand every concept, terminology even better now
Also see the bigger picture.

Update:
I passed the exam!
If i’m gonna give any advice, is that
You need to review the book/ read it again
Or take notes of important concepts & terminologies to review them later “like flashcards”
Reading it once is not enough at least for me
Reviews at the end of each chapter are useful too

Also do a lot of practice tests like a lot

Good luck folks

[Nick Kontos]

I used this book to study for the Security+, and it was really my only resource. I passed the test but that's not to say you shouldn't use other resources as well. Still, this book covers a broad range of Security topics, and it has practice exams to check your knowledge. It also gives a link to log into an app, which had flash cards, quizzes, etc.

[Maria]

The book explains the elementary security concepts with great examples and easy language to understand. I read the book during the preparation of my SY0-501 security+ certificate and I passed the test from the first time.

[Josh]

Great overview of all the subject matter that will appear in Comptia's Security + examination. I used this book in conjunction with Jason Dion's practice tests on Udemy.com to pass the test in January.

[Izik]

One way to SEC+ Certification

Very detailed, well organized, and easy comprehensive information. One sure way to CompTIA security+ certification success, and security fundamental. Highly recommended!

[Shaun Jenkins]

Great book!

Helped me a lot to gain a better understanding of security principles and prepare for the security + 501 exam.

[Shoukri Azmeh]

I hope this book helps me to pass the exam security 501

Ok

[Jonathan Rogers]

Read the whole book. Its very great resource! I will take exam this Friday.

[Nita]

Lots of material to cover but well organized. I passed the test on first try.

[Fredy Guzman]

I wish he wrote a network + one !!!! Darril Gibson way of writing and online content are definitely touch notch. There is no question why he's an industry leader.

[Neel Patsel]

Great study aid

Passed the test and I don't gI would have without this book. Geeze have to write eight more words. One more word

[Brent McGregor]

Passed. one of several resources used. Beware, the test isn't what you've been pretesting for.

[Binoy Chacko]

very succinct, to the point.

[Fekadu Haile]

Great book. Easy to read and understand. I used it to study for Security+.

[Spencer]

I passed after reading this guide. I used other training resources but this guide was invaluable.