Main image of article CompTIA Updates Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) Exam

CompTIA has updated its Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) exam. CySA+ is an intermediate certification for cybersecurity professionals that covers a broad range of topics, including (but not limited to) threat analysis and response.

The CySA+ exam includes a mix of multiple-choice and performance-based questions. The test costs $392, takes 165 minutes to complete, and requires a minimum of four years of hands-on experience as an incident response analyst, security operations center (SOC) analyst, “or equivalent experience,” according to CompTIA’s own breakdown.

Many organizations looking for a specialist to defend their tech stacks will cite cybersecurity certifications as a job requirement. However, even cybersecurity professionals without certifications have their pick of opportunities, especially given organizations’ intense demand for workers who can discover and neutralize internal and external threats. In many cases, possessing certifications can help job candidates stand out in a crowded field.

Among those who choose to pursue certifications, security-centric ones are intensely popular. The most recent Dice Tech Salary Report breaks down how CompTIA Security+ is one of the most common certifications, possessed by 15 percent of respondents (putting it just behind CompTIA A+ and just ahead of Microsoft Certified Professional). Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) also made that list. (It’s also worth noting that, among those tech professionals who didn’t have certifications, 52 percent said they weren’t needed for their role.)

For those interested in a cybersecurity career, those with the right skills can find a lot of interesting roles out there. According to the latest data from CyberSeek, a joint initiative of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Nice program, Lightcast and CompTIA, there are currently 69 cybersecurity professionals for every 100 job openings. On top of that, employers posted some 663,434 open cybersecurity positions over the past 12 months; this isn’t an industry that’s slowing down anytime soon. Whether you’re interested in becoming a cybersecurity consultant, IT auditor, penetration tester, or any other security-centric role, you can likely find what you need.