CompTIA / Foundational / SY0-701
Security+
Recognise the threat, choose the right control and explain the response without confusing similar security terms.
This guide targets V7/SY0-701. CompTIA lists V8 for around 17 November 2026 and English V7 retirement on 11 June 2027; match notes and practice to the version you book.
THE REVISION PATH
Your topics, in order.
Read. Recall. Explain the alternative.
Security Principles and Controls
Protect the right property with the right kind of control.
Threats, Attacks and Indicators
Actor explains intent; evidence identifies the technique.
Cryptography, Certificates and Keys
Encrypt for secrecy; sign for origin; hash for comparison.
Secure Architecture and Network Defences
Reduce exposure; separate trust; inspect the right layer.
Hardening and Vulnerability Management
Inventory, prioritize, fix, verify.
Identity, Authentication and Privileged Access
Who are you, what may you do, and for how long?
Incident Response and Evidence
Contain harm while preserving what explains it.
Monitoring, Automation and Investigation
Correlate signals; constrain automated actions.
Governance, Risk and Assurance
Business owns risk; controls reduce it; evidence checks it.
Data Lifecycle, Privacy and Recovery
Know the owner, keep only what you need, test restoration.
How this guide is organised
Original revision notes arranged around practical decisions. The linked official objectives define the mapped scope; primary documentation supports the explanations. Read each topic, answer without looking, then explain why another option would fail.
- Official exam guide ↗ Scope authority
- CompTIA CertMaster learning approach ↗ Vendor learning reference
Revision material supports preparation; it does not guarantee every possible exam question. Check the exam version and official objectives before booking.