CompTIA Security+ is more than just another IT certification. It is a vehicle for helping IT pros fulfill their dreams and live their best lives. For Emily D’Agostino, that looks like carrying on her family’s legacy of cybersecurity and having the time of her life doing so.
Emily, Cybersecurity Consultant at Coalfire, is just starting her information security career. But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t already made a mark on the industry. She has effectively practiced cybersecurity from all over Europe as a remote worker (or a “digital nomad,” as she describes herself) and just returned from a trip to Scotland. She also recently passed her CompTIA Security+ certification the first time around. Add to that her unique upbringing in a cybersecurity household and you have a highly motivated individual who is excited about her future in IT.
Cybersecurity has always been Emily’s calling, but she admitted that she resisted it at first.
“When I was younger, cybersecurity was preached as something I should pursue, and I didn’t want to do what I was told because it sounded lame,” she explained lightheartedly.
Emily attended the University of Georgia, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in management information systems and computer science. For her senior capstone, she had the choice of focusing on data science, database management or cybersecurity. She opted to give cybersecurity a try to see how she liked it.
“I loved the class,” Emily said. “We talked about all this cutting-edge technology, and it was group-project based. I am still friends with the people from my class, and we all pursued careers in cybersecurity.”
Later, during her internship at U.S. Bank in Atlanta, it became clear that cybersecurity was the path for her. She quickly began networking and got connected with a cybersecurity pro her father knew. That individual introduced her to the cybersecurity team at U.S. Bank, and the rest is history.
“I went to their team meetings on my off time to learn about cybersecurity,” she recalled. “I would bring them fresh fruit every morning - it got me into their meetings! I also asked for meetings with different cybersecurity team members, and I got them.”
Through networking, she was able to learn about cybersecurity at a deeper level and begin to make key connections in the industry.
The Woes and Wonders of Growing Up in a Cybersecurity Household
Emily isn’t the only one in her family practicing cybersecurity. Her father, John D’Agostino, Security Solutions Architect at Lumen Technologies, has been in cybersecurity since the ‘80s. His impressive set of tech skills, experience and education paved the way for him to work for some well-known organizations, such as NASA and IBM. He has a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
John, who Emily calls an amazing mentor and one of her best friends, designs security solutions for customers.
“Every enterprise with a security program, at any level, has milestones and dependencies that I discuss with customers,” John explained. “I figure out where they are at, what they need to accomplish, and their near-term and future business requirements.”
From there, John helps customers map out what they need to do to reach their goals. His background in information security and auditing helps as he overlays these topics into his discussions with customers.
Needless to say, growing up in a cybersecurity household was a little different from growing up in a typical household.
“Looking back, I now realize dad would try to explain concepts such as encryption to me at a young age,” she said. “That’s just how my childhood was. Dad traveled a lot for his job and went to cool places like Bermuda, Egypt and Brazil. He went to lots of security conferences, like DEFCON. I knew he was a computer guy and could fix any computer issue.”
Emily remembers her techy dad putting anti-virus software on the family computers and making a plywood cart that had 2 to 25 towers in their basement - not the typical teen experience. “It was a server, I think. Also, if we got grounded, dad would blacklist our IP,” Emily laughed.
How Cybersecurity Strengthened a Father-Daughter Bond
Luckily, being raised by a “cybersecurity dad” briefed Emily for today’s data privacy environment and fueled her passion for cybersecurity. It also gave her a special bond with her father. Over the years, John has become her career mentor. They have shared a plethora of knowledge-sharing moments.
“Dad knows a lot about certain aspects of cybersecurity as he is a Principal Security Architect. But there are things I was taught, like cloud computing, that I actually know more than him now. Cloud security is part of my everyday work, and it’s something I can teach my dad about.”
Likewise, her dad teaches her about his areas of expertise, even though he thinks she can get along just fine on her own.
“Emily is pretty smart and most of the time doesn't need much help from me in understanding information security topics,” John said. “However, when she was in college, I did tell her that there is and will always be a considerable demand for information security professionals. I was right.”
Throughout Emily’s college years, John remembers having several discussions on networking, protocols and how they fold into security (like IP spoofing), ARP poisoning, segmentation, what a buffer overflow does, etc.
While she benefitted from dedicated coaching from a high-level IT pro, she made her own way in cybersecurity. Her work ethic and personability helped establish herself as a competent cybersecurity professional.
“Emily is awesome to work with,” John boasts. “She catches on fast.”
Even now, post-college, John discusses situations with Emily that he ran into when he was a PCI auditor. This provides her with perspective and advice and helps her grow her knowledge base.
Additionally, being in the same industry has provided a commonality that keeps Emily and her father close.
“So far, it's been a great experience for both of us,” John said. Emily also acknowledged cybersecurity as a point of bonding between herself and her dad.
“Even now during our dinnertime conversations, he teaches me about legacy systems, old-school coding and other systems that contemporary technology was built from,” she said. “And now, I can also teach him about cloud computing and cutting-edge technology that I'm more familiar with.”
Stay Competitive With IT Certifications
Another piece of career advice John provided Emily with was to get IT certifications, specifically CompTIA Security+. Emily had heard of CompTIA Security+ for a long time before pursuing it. During her internship, it was mentioned often. At the same time, her father sang its praises.
“Dad told me to get Security+ as a baseline certification,” Emily explained. “He was like, ‘Oh you don’t have this foundational certification yet?’ That made me want to get it. I can’t let him win – I need to get more certifications than him now!” she joked.
As a cybersecurity professional, Emily is a proponent of earning relevant IT certifications, such as CompTIA Security+. She explains that certifications are an important part of staying at the top of your field as new technology comes out daily. To be a competitive job candidate and a competent IT pro, cybersecurity specialists must stay fluent in their area of expertise.
“Certifications can actually improve your learning as an IT pro because they are scoped and outlined,” Emily said. “In studying for CompTIA Security+, I learned so much about the cybersecurity topics that I now talk about daily. The certification goes in-depth on relevant cybersecurity issues, such as vulnerabilities, encryption of data, networking and more. This is extremely helpful. I now have a working knowledge of all the topics covered by CompTIA Security+.”
Emily is currently pursuing CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) to add to her list of certifications.
According to Emily, CompTIA Security+ is essential for cybersecurity professionals. Coalfire made it clear to her that having this certification would raise the profile of the organization, as well as the certification holders.
“Organizational leaders at Coalfire have told me: ‘If you want to get promoted, get CompTIA Security+,’” she said.
John agrees that CompTIA Security+ is a boon to cybersecurity professionals.
“I think that any vendor-neutral certification like CompTIA Security+ demonstrates an absolute interest in information security, which is a plus when vying for a job,” he explained. “If I'm interviewing someone and see Security+ on their resume, that would tell me that the candidate knows about risk, security issues, detecting threats and what is usually involved in mitigating or managing those threats.”
As someone with experience in IT hiring, John stresses the importance of candidates having a desire to learn. Earning IT certifications like CompTIA Security+ proves that desire.
How Difficult is the CompTIA Security+ Exam?
Peruse online forums like Reddit and you’ll see how concerned IT pros and prospective IT workers are about passing the CompTIA Security+ exam. “How hard is Security+?” is a common query. According to Emily, it's fairly challenging.
“In my experience, CompTIA Security+ is not a walk in the park,” she said. “On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being easy and 10 being super challenging, the exam was a 7 for me. That’s why I spent about 70 hours studying.”
Seventy hours may sound intimidating, but broken down it is very doable. Emily recommends that learners use a variety of resources for studying for the certification exam, such as YouTube videos that cover lab questions and test strategies. “I also used the CompTIA Security+ Study Guide,” she says. She encourages learners to make good use of free virtual outlines, as well.
“There is a CompTIA web community where people share tips and tricks for test-taking,” she said. “They offer much-needed support. So, a lack of technical skills really shouldn’t hold people back as there are so many learning resources.”
Additionally, CompTIA offers an entire suite of CompTIA Security+ certification training tools to help you learn the technical and professional skills you need to pass your exams. They include eLearning, virtual labs, exam prep, study guides and instructor-led training.
- CertMaster Learn: Learn at your pace with interactive lessons and videos
- CompTIA Labs: Get hands-on practice using real software applications
- CertMaster Practice: Test your knowledge and find out if you’re ready for the exam
- The Official CompTIA Study Guide: Learn and review exam objectives with our comprehensive textbook
- CompTIA Live Online Training: CompTIA Live Online Training brings the classroom experience to you – wherever you may be. Receive guided learning, hands-on training and real-time support from one of CompTIA’s industry-leading instructors from the comfort of your home.
3 Pro Tips for Acing the CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam
If the idea of taking the CompTIA Security+ certification exam has you spooked, a little encouragement goes a long way. Here are three of Emily’s best tips for acing your CompTIA Security+ exam:
1. Replace stressing with studying: It’s easy to stress over passing the CompTIA Security+ exam. Yes, there is a lot of content, but it is well outlined. Take a deep breath and make a list of all you need to learn. Make use of free and paid study resources and take as much time as you need to thoroughly study for the exam.
2) Combine study with self-care: Studying doesn’t have to be stressful. For Emily, it was cathartic. “My best advice for learners is to get cozy and study,” she said. “Take notes, read and watch videos while you work, game or knit (or whatever you like to do). Just get the information in your head whenever and however you can.” Emily made studying into a fun self-care activity, and it served her well.
3) Don’t delay, take the test: Putting your certification exam off until you are fully prepared isn’t a good idea as most people will never be 100% ready for the exam. Emily urged learners to bite the bullet and take the test. “Not passing it isn’t the end of the world,” she said. “You can always take it again.”
Emily also stressed that CompTIA Security+ is important for all IT pros to get, not just those in cybersecurity. Most people are working remotely at least part-time due to the pandemic, and this has opened the floodgates to cyber risks. Everyone who works in IT must be prepared to deal with cybersecurity incidents – and CompTIA Security+ can help.
Continuing the Family Cybersecurity Legacy
Wondering what’s next for Emily? She plans to follow in her dad’s footsteps and stay in cybersecurity. “I’m 24 and just starting my career in cybersecurity, and dad is a few decades older and wrapping his up,” she said. “I'm very excited to continue the legacy.”
Emily plans to move into a managerial role in cybersecurity consultancy in the future. “I’d love to establish cybersecurity standards,” she explained. Based on her track record, she will accomplish anything she sets her mind to.
Interested in earning CompTIA Security+ and getting on the fast track to a career in cybersecurity? Here’s everything you need to know about CompTIA Security+ exam prep.
Follow Emily D’Agostino on LinkedIn to join her network. John D’Agostino is another great connection, so be sure to visit his LinkedIn profile as well.
