CompTIA has released an updated version of its Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) certification exam, the industry’s most up-to-date security analyst credential.

“The skills needed for modern cybersecurity analysts to protect organizations have evolved over the past few years,” says Thomas Reilly, chief product officer at CompTIA. “The CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) is an intermediate certification that has been updated to validate the skills necessary to help security professionals monitor, detect and respond to threats and manage risk on the job.”

The new CompTIA CySA+ exam applies behavioral analytics to networks and devices to prevent, detect and combat cybersecurity threats through continuous security monitoring. The new exam also places expanded emphasis on cloud and mobile computing, and zero trust indicators of compromise.

First introduced in 2017, CompTIA CySA+ is the only intermediate high-stakes cybersecurity analyst certification exam that includes both hands-on, performance-based questions and multiple-choice questions focused on the ability to proactively capture, monitor, and respond to network traffic findings.

The certification is relevant to a variety of job roles, including cybersecurity analyst and engineer, vulnerability management analyst, security operations center (SOC) analyst, threat hunter and incident response analyst.

IT professionals who become CompTIA CySA+ certified have demonstrated they have the knowledge and skills to:

* Detect and analyse indicators of malicious activity;

* Understand threat hunting and threat intelligence concepts;

* Use appropriate tools and methods to manage, prioritise and respond to attacks and vulnerabilities;

* Perform incident response processes; and

* Understand reporting and communication concepts related to vulnerability management and incident response activities.

Along with the updated exam, new Official CompTIA Content educational resources are available for students and instructors, including:

* Integrated CertMaster Learn + Labs for self-study, a comprehensive eLearning course that prepares learners for their certification exam;

* Integrated CertMaster Learn + Labs for instructor-led training (ILT), designed for both the virtual and in-person classroom environment to help instructors to be more effective and students to achieve course content mastery and improve exam performance;

* CertMaster Labs, a browser-based virtual lab environment that enables hands-on practice in actual software applications;

* CertMaster Practice, an online knowledge assessment and certification exam practice and preparation companion tool; and

* Instructor and Student Guides, self-paced study guides in eBooks and print.