Security+ vs CySA+
CySA+ is the certification people take after Security+, and the gap between them is larger than the numbering suggests.
CompTIA CySA+
$425
CS0-003 retires on 22 December 2026, and is bookable until then. CS0-004 replaces it. We have not written questions for it yet.
Security+ tests whether you know the vocabulary. CySA+ tests whether you can read a log, interpret a scan and decide what to do about it. That is a different kind of exam and it catches people out.
Side by side
| Security+ | CySA+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Exam cost | $425, retake at full price. | $425, retake at full price. |
| Experience assumed | None enforced. CompTIA suggests two years in IT with a security focus. | None enforced. CompTIA suggests Security+ and four years of hands-on security work. |
| What it tests | Recognition. Name the attack, name the control. | Analysis. Read the output, decide what happened and what to do. |
| Performance-based items | Present, and answerable from knowledge. | Heavier, and closer to real analyst work. |
| Tooling expected | Conceptual familiarity is enough. | SIEM output, vulnerability scan reports, packet captures, scripting basics. |
| Study time | Six to ten weeks. | Eight to twelve weeks after Security+, longer without analyst exposure. |
| Typical roles | Security administrator, junior SOC analyst, help desk moving into security. | SOC analyst, threat hunter, incident responder, vulnerability analyst. |
| DoD 8140 | IAT Level II. | CSSP Analyst and several other roles. |
| Renewal | Three years, 50 CEUs. | Three years, 60 CEUs. CySA+ renews Security+. |
Which one to take first
Security+ first, in almost every case. CySA+ assumes you already know what a SIEM is, what a false positive costs, and why a scanner reports something that is not exploitable. Security+ is where those come from.
The exception is somebody already doing analyst work who never certified. If you spend your days in a SIEM, CySA+ is closer to your job than Security+ is, and it renews Security+ anyway if you decide you want both on paper.
Do not take them close together. CySA+ rewards months of looking at real output, and the gap between passing Security+ and being ready for CySA+ is usually a job rather than a book.
When the answer is the other one
Take CySA+ instead if you already work in a SOC
Security+ will not teach an working analyst anything new, and CySA+ renews it. Sitting the easier exam first is a formality that costs $425 and six weeks for a credential your day job already demonstrates.
Take PenTest+ instead if you want offensive work
CySA+ is defensive: detection, triage, response. If the job you want is penetration testing or red teaming, PenTest+ or eJPT is the right direction and CySA+ is a detour.
Take neither if you have no security job yet
CySA+ is hard to pass without exposure to real alerts and real scan output, and hard to use without a role to apply it in. Security+ plus a first security job beats a stack of certifications and no role to use them in.
The short version
Security+ then CySA+, with a real analyst job in between, is the sequence that works for most people.
CySA+ alone is the better spend only for somebody already doing the work who wants the credential to match.
Frequently asked questions
Is CySA+ much harder than Security+?
Yes, and in a different way rather than simply more content. Security+ asks you to recognise things. CySA+ gives you output and asks what it means, which is difficult to fake without having looked at real output.
Does CySA+ renew Security+?
Yes. It sits above Security+ in CompTIA's continuing education hierarchy, so passing it renews Security+ for the cycle.
Can I skip Security+ and take CySA+?
Nothing stops you. It is a reasonable choice if you already work as an analyst, and a poor one otherwise, because CySA+ assumes the vocabulary Security+ teaches.
Answer a few from each.
Free sample questions for both, with the full explanation on every answer. Nothing tells you which exam suits you like sitting a few of its questions.