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CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) is an international, vendor-neutral cybersecurity certification that applies behavioral analytics to improve the overall state of IT security. CySA+ validates critical knowledge and skills that are required to prevent, detect and combat cybersecurity threats.

The CompTIA SecurityX is an advanced-level cybersecurity certification for security architects and senior security engineers charged with leading and improving an enterprise's cybersecurity readiness.

• CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+)
• CompTIA SecurityX

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+)

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) is an intermediate, vendor-neutral certification for cybersecurity professionals responsible for incident detection, prevention, and response through continuous security monitoring. It validates the hands-on skills needed to proactively defend an organization, manage vulnerabilities, and support incident response activities.

This course prepares learners for the CompTIA CySA+ CS0-004 (V4) exam. The V4 update applies behavioral analytics to combat modern threats through continuous monitoring, incident response, and vulnerability management. It introduces dedicated coverage of artificial intelligence (AI) use cases and risks, modern security architectures used in today's Security Operations Centers (SOCs), and advanced vulnerability management practices such as SBOM and EPSS-based prioritization.

The CySA+ certification is also DoD 8570/8140 approved, making this course an excellent choice for military, civilian, and contractor personnel who require compliance with Department of Defense cybersecurity workforce standards.

Course Objectives

• Explain system and network architecture concepts that support secure operations, including logging, identity, encryption, and modern frameworks (ZTNA, SASE, cloud-native).
• Detect and analyze indicators of potentially malicious activity across networks, endpoints, cloud, and identity systems.
• Use industry-standard tools and methods-SIEM, EDR/XDR, packet analyzers, and threat intelligence platforms-to determine malicious activity.
• Apply threat intelligence and threat-hunting concepts to proactively identify and investigate threats.
• Run a vulnerability management program: scanning, analysis, prioritization (CVSS and EPSS), and risk-based remediation.
• Execute the incident response lifecycle from detection through containment, eradication, recovery, and post-incident activities.
• Summarize AI use cases, security risks, and governance considerations within security operations.
• Produce clear vulnerability and incident response reporting that drives stakeholder decisions.

Who Should Attend?

This course is ideal for IT cybersecurity professionals with three to four years of hands-on information security or related experience, including:

• Security analysts and SOC (Security Operations Center) analysts
• Vulnerability analysts and threat intelligence analysts
• Security engineers and security operations staff
• Incident responders and incident response analysts
• Application security analysts and compliance/risk analysts

Course Prerequisites

Approximately three to four years of hands-on information security or related experience. CompTIA Security+ (or equivalent knowledge and experience) is recommended prior to attending.

Course Outline

Module 1 - System and Network Architecture Concepts

• Logging concepts: ingestion, configuration, integrity and security, time synchronization, and retention
• Operating system concepts, hardening, file structures, and critical processes
• Infrastructure concepts: cloud-native, virtualization, containerization, and APIs
• Network architecture: Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), SASE, and hybrid cloud
• Identity and access management: PAM, authentication/authorization methods, and secrets management
• Encryption, data protection, and OT/ICS/SCADA fundamentals
• Security control types (physical, technical, administrative) and control functions

Module 2 - Analyzing Indicators of Potentially Malicious Activity

• Network-based indicators: rogue devices, enumeration, and unexpected ports/traffic
• Host-based indicators: resource spikes, unauthorized software, LOLBins, and file changes
• Application- and cloud-based anomalies
• Identity-based indicators: impossible travel and unauthorized access
• Social engineering and Business Email Compromise (BEC)

Module 3 - Tools and Methods to Determine Malicious Activity

• Packet capture and analysis (Wireshark, tcpdump) and IDS/IPS engines (Snort, Suricata, Zeek)
• SIEM, EDR/XDR, and threat intelligence platforms (TIPs)
• File and reputation analysis; common log and file formats (JSON, XML, YAML, EVTX)
• Scripting for analysis with Python, PowerShell, and shell

Module 4 - Threat Intelligence and Threat Hunting

• Threat actors, motivations, and TTPs; MITRE ATT&CK and the pyramid of pain
• Indicators of compromise: collection, analysis, and application (atomic vs. behavioral)
• Threat modeling (STRIDE), threat mapping, and cyber deception

Module 5 - Efficiency and Process Improvement

• Standardized playbooks and runbooks; SOAR and automation/orchestration
• Data enrichment, alert and rule tuning, and dashboards
• Tool integration via APIs, webhooks, and plug-ins

Module 6 - Artificial Intelligence in Security Operations (New in V4)

• AI use cases in the SOC: log analysis, event correlation, documentation, investigations, and automation
• AI security risks: hallucinations, data exposure, model poisoning, and malicious prompts (prompt injection)
• AI governance and oversight: usage policies and legal/regulatory considerations

Module 7 - Vulnerability Scanning Methods and Concepts

• Asset discovery and inventory; scan planning for scope, sensitivity, segmentation, and regulatory needs
• Internal vs. external, agent vs. agentless, credentialed vs. non-credentialed, active vs. passive scanning
• Baseline and compliance scanning (PCI DSS, CIS, ISO 27000)

Module 8 - Analyzing and Prioritizing Vulnerabilities

• Interpreting scanner output; validating, consolidating, and deduplicating findings
• Risk scoring with CVSS plus context; prioritization using the Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)
• Handling false positives and tracking exceptions
• Software supply chain security and Software Bill of Materials (SBOM)

Module 9 - Vulnerability Response, Handling, and Mitigation

• Controls to mitigate: patching, configuration changes, and compensating controls
• Change windows, rollback planning, retesting, and remediation validation
• Risk-based remediation planning and inhibitors to remediation

Module 10 - Attack Methodology Frameworks

• Cyber kill chain, MITRE ATT&CK, and the Diamond Model of Intrusion Analysis
• Testing guides and methodologies (OSSTMM, OWASP) for context

Module 11 - Performing Incident Response

• Lifecycle: detection, analysis, containment, eradication, and recovery
• Evidence acquisition and digital forensics fundamentals
• Root-cause analysis

Module 12 - Preparedness and Post-Incident Activities

• Incident response plans, tooling, and playbooks
• Tabletop exercises and training; business continuity and disaster recovery alignment
• Post-incident review and lessons learned

Module 13 - Vulnerability Management Reporting and Communication

• Compliance reporting, action plans, and inhibitors to remediation
• Metrics and KPIs; communicating risk to stakeholders

Module 14 - Incident Response Reporting and Communication

• Incident declaration, escalation, and stakeholder identification
• Incident reporting, root-cause summaries, and lessons-learned communication

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CompTIA SecurityX

The CompTIA SecurityX (CAS-005) is an advanced-level cybersecurity certification for security architects and senior security engineers charged with leading and improving an enterprise's cybersecurity readiness.

What Skills Will You Gain?

Security Architecture Analyze security requirements in hybrid networks to work toward an enterprise-wide, zero trust security architecture with advanced secure cloud and virtualization solutions.

Security Operations Address advanced threat management, vulnerability management, risk mitigation, incident response tactics and digital forensics analysis.

Governance, Risk, and Compliance Prove an organization's overall cybersecurity resiliency metric and compliance to regulations, such as CMMC, PCI-DSS, SOX, HIPAA, GDPR, FISMA, NIST and CCPA.

Security Engineering and Cryptography Configurations for endpoint security controls, enterprise mobility, cloud/hybrid environments, and enterprise-wide PKI and cryptographic solutions.

Jobs that use CompTIA SecurityX

• Security Architect
• Senior Security Engineer
• SOC Manager
• Cyber Risk Analyst
• Chief Information Security Officer

Course Content

1.0 Governance, Risk, and Compliance

Given a set of organizational security requirements, implement the appropriate governance components.

• Security program documentation
• Security program management
• Governance frameworks
• Change/configuration management
• Governance risk and compliance (GRC) tools
• Data governance in staging environments

Given a set of organizational security requirements, perform risk management activities.

• Impact analysis
• Risk assessment and management
• Third-party risk management
• Availability risk considerations
• Confidentiality risk considerations
• Integrity risk considerations
• Privacy risk considerations
• Crisis management
• Breach response

Explain how compliance affects information security strategies.

• Awareness of industry-specific compliance
• Industry standards
• Security and reporting frameworks
• Audits vs. assessments vs. certifications
• Privacy regulations
• Awareness of cross-jurisdictional compliance requirements

Given a scenario, perform threat-modeling activities.

• Actor characteristics
• Attack patterns
• Frameworks
• Attack surface determination
• Methods
• Modeling applicability of threats to the organization/environment

Summarize the information security challenges associated with artificial intelligence (AI) adoption.

• Legal and privacy implications
• Threats to the model
• AI-enabled attacks
• Risks of AI usage
• AI-enabled assistants/digital workers

2.0 Security Architecture

Given a scenario, analyze requirements to design resilient systems.

• Component placement and configuration
• Availability and integrity design considerations

Given a scenario, implement security in the early stages of the systems life cycle and throughout subsequent stages.

• Security requirements definition
• Software assurance
• Continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD)
• Supply chain risk management
• Hardware assurance
• End-of-life (EOL) considerations

Given a scenario, integrate appropriate controls in the design of a secure architecture.

• Attack surface management and reduction
• Detection and threat-hunting enablers
• Information and data security design
• DLP
• Hybrid infrastructures
• Third-party integrations
• Control effectiveness

Given a scenario, apply security concepts to the design of access, authentication, and authorization systems.

• Provisioning/deprovisioning
• Federation
• Single sign-on (SSO)
• Conditional access
• Identity provider
• Service provider
• Attestations
• Policy decision and enforcement points
• Access control models
• Logging and auditing
• Public key infrastructure (PKI) architecture
• Access control systems

Given a scenario, securely implement cloud capabilities in an enterprise environment.

• Cloud access security broker (CASB)
• Shadow IT detection
• Shared responsibility model
• CI/CD pipeline
• Terraform
• Ansible
• Package monitoring
• Container security
• Container orchestration
• Serverless
• API security
• Cloud vs. customer-managed
• Cloud data security considerations
• Cloud control strategies
• Customer-to-cloud connectivity
• Cloud service integration
• Cloud service adoption

Given a scenario, integrate Zero Trust concepts into system architecture design.

• Continuous authorization
• Context-based reauthentication
• Network architecture
• API integration and validation
• Asset identification, management, and attestation
• Security boundaries
• Deperimeterization
• Defining subject-object relationships

3.0 Security Engineering

Given a scenario, troubleshoot common issues with identity and access management (IAM) components in an enterprise environment.

• Subject access control
• Biometrics
• Secrets management
• Conditional access
• Attestation
• Cloud IAM access and trust policies
• Logging and monitoring
• Privilege identity management
• Authentication and authorization

Given a scenario, analyze requirements to enhance the security of endpoints and servers.

• Application control
• Endpoint detection response (EDR)
• Event logging and monitoring
• Endpoint privilege management
• Attack surface monitoring and reduction
• Host-based intrusion protection system/ host-based detection system (HIPS/ HIDS)
• Anti-malware
• SELinux
• Host-based firewall
• Browser isolation
• Configuration management
• Mobile device management (MDM) technologies
• Threat-actor tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs)

Given a scenario, troubleshoot complex network infrastructure security issues.

• Network misconfigurations
• IPS/IDS issues
• Observability
• Domain Name System (DNS) security
• Email security
• Transport Layer Security (TLS) errors
• Cipher mismatch
• PKI issues
• Issues with cryptographic implementations
• DoS/distributed denial of service (DDoS)
• Resource exhaustion
• Network access control list (ACL) issues

Given a scenario, implement hardware security technologies and techniques.

• Roots of trust
• Security coprocessors
• Virtual hardware
• Host-based encryption
• Self-encrypting drive (SED)
• Secure Boot
• Measured boot
• Self-healing hardware
• Tamper detection and countermeasures
• Threat-actor TTPs

Given a set of requirements, secure specialized and legacy systems against threats.

• Operational technology (OT)
• Internet of Things (IoT)
• System-on-chip (SoC)
• Embedded systems
• Wireless technologies/radio frequency (RF)
• Security and privacy considerations
• Industry-specific challenges
• Characteristics of specialized/legacy systems

Given a scenario, use automation to secure the enterprise.

• Scripting
• Cron/scheduled tasks
• Event-based triggers
• Infrastructure as code (IaC)
• Configuration files
• Cloud APIs/software development kits (SDKs)
• Generative AI
• Containerization
• Automated patching
• Auto-containment
• Security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR)
• Vulnerability scanning and reporting
• Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP)
• Workflow automation

Explain the importance of advanced cryptographic concepts.

• Post-quantum cryptography (PQC)
• Key stretching
• Key splitting
• Homomorphic encryption
• Forward secrecy
• Hardware acceleration
• Envelope encryption
• Performance vs. security
• Secure multiparty computation
• Authenticated encryption with associated data (AEAD)
• Mutual authentication

Given a scenario, apply the appropriate cryptographic use case and/or technique.

• Use cases
• Techniques

4.0 Security Operations

Given a scenario, analyze data to enable monitoring and response activities.

• Security information event management (SIEM)
• Aggregate data analysis
• Behavior baselines and analytics
• Incorporating diverse data sources
• Alerting
• Reporting and metrics

Given a scenario, analyze vulnerabilities and attacks, and recommend solutions to reduce the attack surface.

• Vulnerabilities and attacks
• Mitigations

Given a scenario, apply threat-hunting and threat intelligence concepts.

• Internal intelligence sources
• External intelligence sources
• Counterintelligence and operational security
• Threat intelligence platforms (TIPs)
• Indicator of compromise (IoC) sharing
• Rule-based languages
• Indicators of attack

Given a scenario, analyze data and artifacts in support of incident response activities.

• Malware analysis
• Reverse engineering
• Volatile/non-volatile storage analysis
• Network analysis
• Host analysis
• Metadata analysis
• Hardware analysis
• Data recovery and extraction
• Threat response
• Preparedness exercises
• Timeline reconstruction
• Root cause analysis
• Cloud workload protection platform (CWPP)
• Insider threat

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