CompTIA CSA+ (Cybersecurity Analyst) - TED Learning

Course Introduction

The CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CSA+) certification is a vendor-neutral credential.

The CompTIA CSA+ exam is an internationally targeted validation of intermediate-level security skills and knowledge.

While there is no required prerequisite, the CompTIA CSA+ certification is intended to follow CompTIA Security+ or equivalent experience and has a technical, “hands-on” focus on IT security analytics.

The CompTIA CSA+ examination is designed for IT security analysts, vulnerability analysts, or threat intelligence analysts.

The exam will certify that the successful candidate has the knowledge and skills required to configure and use threat detection tools, perform data analysis, and interpret the results to identify vulnerabilities, threats, and risks to an organization with the end goal of securing and protecting applications and systems within an organization.

It is recommended for CompTIA CSA+ certification candidates to have the following:

• 3-4 years of hands-on information security or related experience
• Network+, Security+, or equivalent knowledge

Course Outline

Module 1 – Threat Management

• Procedures/common tasks
• Variables
• Tools

Module 2 – Analyze the results of a network reconnaissance.

• Point-in-time data analysis
• Data correlation and analytics
• Data output
• Tools

Module 3 – implement or recommend the appropriate response and countermeasure

• Network segmentation
• Honeypot
• Endpoint security
• Group policies
• ACLs
• Hardening
• Network Access Control (NAC)

Module 4 – the purpose of practices used to secure a corporate environment

• Penetration testing
• Reverse engineering
• Training and exercises
• Risk evaluation

Module 5 – implement an information security vulnerability management process

• Identification of requirements
• Establish scanning frequency
• Configure tools to perform scans according to specification
• Execute scanning
• Generate reports
• Remediation
• Ongoing scanning and continuous monitoring

Module 6 – analyze the output resulting from a vulnerability scan

• Analyze reports from a vulnerability scan
• Validate results and correlate other data points

Module 7 : Compare and contrast common vulnerabilities found in the following targets within an organization.

• Servers
• Endpoints
• Network infrastructure
• Network appliances
• Virtual infrastructure
• Mobile devices
• Interconnected networks
• Virtual private networks (VPNs)
• Industrial Control Systems (ICSs)
• SCADA devices

Module 8 – distinguish threat data or behavior to determine the impact of an incident.

• Threat classification
• Factors contributing to incident severity and prioritization

Module 9 – prepare a toolkit and use appropriate forensics tools during an investigation

• Forensics kit
• Forensic investigation suite

Module 10 – analyze common symptoms to select the best course of action to support incident response

• Common network-related symptoms
• Common host-related symptoms
• Common application-related symptoms

Module 11 – Summarize the incident recovery and post-incident response process.

• Containment techniques
• Eradication techniques
• Validation
• Corrective actions
• Incident summary report

Module 12 – frameworks, common policies, controls, and procedures

• Regulatory compliance
• Frameworks
• Policies
• Controls
• Procedures
• Verifications and quality control

Module 13 – use data to recommend remediation of security issues related to identity and access management

• Security issues associated with context-based authentication
• Security issues associated with identities
• Security issues associated with identity repositories
• Security issues associated with federation and single sign-on
• Exploits

Module 14 – review security architecture and make recommendations to implement compensating controls

• Security data analytics
• Manual review
• Defense in depth

Module 15 – use application security best practices while participating in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

• Best practices during software development
• Secure coding best practices

Module 16 – using various cybersecurity tools and technologies

• Preventative
• Collective
• Analytical
• Exploit
• Forensics