Cybersecurity certifications span several vendors, but they follow a recognisable progression: vendor-neutral entry exams to prove the fundamentals, practitioner certifications for hands-on roles, and advanced or management credentials for senior roles. This path blends the most widely recognised security certifications - CompTIA, (ISC)2, ISACA, EC-Council - with Microsoft security exams, with free practice for every one.
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Foundational
Start here - build the fundamentals.- (ISC)² Certified in Cybersecurity (CC)(ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity: free entry-level certification covering core security principles.View CC practice exam →
- CompTIA Security+ SY0-701CompTIA Security+: the baseline vendor-neutral security certification, widely required for junior roles.View Security+ practice exam →
- SC-900Security, Compliance, and Identity FundamentalsMicrosoft SC-900: security, compliance, and identity fundamentals across the Microsoft stack.View SC-900 practice exam →
Practitioner
Hands-on security roles.- CompTIA CySA+ (CS0-004)CompTIA CySA+: behavioural analytics, threat detection, and incident response. For SOC analysts.View CySA+ practice exam →
- (ISC)² SSCP (Systems Security Certified Practitioner)(ISC)2 SSCP: hands-on operational security for administrators and engineers.View SSCP practice exam →
- SC-200Microsoft Security Operations AnalystMicrosoft SC-200: security operations with Defender XDR and Microsoft Sentinel.View SC-200 practice exam →
- SC-300Microsoft Identity and Access AdministratorMicrosoft SC-300: identity and access administration with Microsoft Entra.View SC-300 practice exam →
- EC-Council CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker)EC-Council CEH: ethical hacking tools and techniques for offensive security roles.View CEH practice exam →
Advanced & Expert
Senior, architect, and management roles.- (ISC)² CISSP(ISC)2 CISSP: the flagship senior security certification spanning eight security domains.View CISSP practice exam →
- ISACA CISMISACA CISM: security management and governance for security leaders.View CISM practice exam →
- CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-003)CompTIA PenTest+: hands-on penetration testing and vulnerability management.View PenTest+ practice exam →
- CompTIA SecurityX (CAS-005, formerly CASP+)CompTIA SecurityX (formerly CASP+): advanced, hands-on enterprise security engineering.View SecurityX practice exam →
- SC-100Microsoft Cybersecurity ArchitectMicrosoft SC-100: designing an organisation-wide cybersecurity architecture and Zero Trust strategy.View SC-100 practice exam →
- (ISC)² CCSP(ISC)2 CCSP: advanced cloud security architecture and operations.View CCSP practice exam →
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How CertGrid helps you pass
Every exam in this path has a full CertGrid practice bank: hundreds of exam-style questions, an explanation for every answer (including why each wrong option is wrong), and timed mock exams that score like the real thing. Start free and upgrade to Pro for unlimited practice across the whole path.
Frequently asked questions
Which security certification should I start with?
(ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) and CompTIA Security+ are the two most common entry points. CC is free to certify through (ISC)2, and Security+ is widely required for junior security roles.
What is the best-known senior security certification?
(ISC)2 CISSP is the most widely recognised senior/advanced security certification, valued for architecture, management, and leadership roles.
Are these certifications vendor-specific?
Most (Security+, CC, CISSP, CISM, CEH) are vendor-neutral. This path also includes Microsoft security exams (SC-series) because they are widely pursued alongside the vendor-neutral certifications.
Do I need experience for CISSP?
CISSP requires five years of cumulative paid work experience across its domains to become fully certified, though you can pass the exam first and become an Associate of (ISC)2 while you gain it.