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CertGPS
Skill

Network Security

Network Security covers protecting network infrastructure from unauthorized access, attacks, and vulnerabilities. You'll learn about firewalls, IDS/IPS, VPNs, and network segmentation.

Infrastructure

Learning path

Start with networking fundamentals, then move to security controls and monitoring.

Career relevance

Essential for network security engineers, security analysts, and SOC teams.

Practice projects

  • Segment a home lab network

    Put pfSense or OPNsense between two virtual networks in your lab, then write firewall rules that allow only the traffic each segment needs.

    What you'll have: A rule set and network diagram you can explain line by line.

  • Capture and explain normal traffic

    Record an hour of your own machine's traffic with Wireshark. Identify the DNS, DHCP and TLS exchanges and flag anything you can't explain.

    What you'll have: An annotated capture that shows you can read packets, not just collect them.

Certifications teaching Network Security

Entry2

CompTIA

Entry

CompTIA Security+

Vendor-neutral proof of core security administration skills, tested partly through performance-based tasks and mapped by CompTIA to DoD 8140 work roles

Exam
$439
Study
3-6 months

CompTIA

Entry

CompTIA Network+

Vendor-neutral proof that you can address, configure, secure and troubleshoot business networks, tested with performance-based tasks on a 90-minute exam

Exam
$399
Study
3-4 months

Intermediate1

CompTIA

Intermediate

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst+

Tests a security analyst's ability to detect threats, prioritize vulnerabilities and handle incidents using real tool output, now on the CS0-004 exam

Exam
$439
Study
3-6 months

Expert1