Entry-level cybersecurity certifications compared: CC vs Security+

The two contenders, introduced fairly

ISC2’s Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) is the newer credential, created by the body behind the CISSP to give complete beginners a first rung on its ladder. It is deliberately foundational: five domains covering security principles, business continuity and incident response concepts, access control, network security and security operations, tested through 100 multiple-choice questions in two hours at Pearson VUE, passed at 700 out of 1000. It requires no experience, and its fee — about $199 at the time of writing, though check ISC2’s site for current pricing and any free-training or exam offers — sits at the affordable end of security certification.

CompTIA’s Security+ is the long-established incumbent — for many hiring processes, “entry-level security certification” simply means Security+. It is broader and goes deeper than the CC, spanning threats and vulnerabilities, architecture, operations, and governance and risk, and its exam includes performance-based questions — interactive tasks, not just multiple choice — alongside the standard format. It is widely recognised, including in some government and defence-adjacent contexts where it satisfies formal hiring baselines. It carries a higher fee than a typical entry exam; CompTIA’s pricing varies by region and bundle, so check CompTIA’s site rather than trusting any quoted figure.

How they compare, point by point

The practical differences, laid side by side:

• Level — both are entry-level, but the CC assumes genuinely zero background, while Security+ is pitched slightly higher and rewards some IT experience underneath.
• Format — the CC is entirely multiple-choice; Security+ adds performance-based questions that simulate hands-on tasks, making it a more demanding sit.
• Breadth and depth — Security+ covers more ground in more detail; the CC is a tighter foundational syllabus you can prepare for faster.
• Cost — the CC sits in a lower price tier; Security+ costs meaningfully more. Check ISC2 and CompTIA respectively for current figures, as both change.
• Recognition — Security+ has the longer track record and appears more often by name in job adverts, including some government-adjacent hiring baselines; the CC carries ISC2’s pedigree and is gaining ground.
• Maintenance — both are valid for three years and maintained through continuing education: ISC2 via an annual maintenance fee plus CPE credits, CompTIA via its continuing-education programme. Neither is a one-off purchase.

Who the CC suits

The CC is the better fit when you are earliest in the journey: a student, a career changer testing whether security genuinely interests you, or someone who wants a credible credential quickly and cheaply before committing to deeper study. Its multiple-choice format and tighter syllabus mean weeks rather than months of preparation for most candidates, and the ISC2 name means the badge is taken seriously despite its accessibility. It also makes sense if you are drawn to ISC2’s pathway specifically — the CC starts a relationship with the body whose CISSP many security careers eventually aim at.

Its limits are the mirror of its strengths. Because it is lighter, it proves less; a hiring manager reads it as “engaged seriously with the fundamentals”, not “ready to work a queue of incidents”. Candidates who already hold IT experience sometimes skip it and go straight to Security+, and that is a reasonable call. Our full guide to the ISC2 CC covers the credential in depth.

Who Security+ suits

Security+ is the better fit when you want the stronger single signal and are willing to pay for it in study time and fee. Its breadth means preparing for it teaches you a genuinely useful survey of the field, its performance-based questions add credibility with technically minded interviewers, and its long history means the widest set of employers recognises it on sight — including some government and defence-adjacent contexts where it meets formal certification baselines, which for candidates targeting those employers can settle the question by itself.

The commitment is real, though: most candidates need substantially more preparation than the CC demands, and the exam experience is tougher. If you have some IT background — support, networking, sysadmin — Security+ builds naturally on it. If you are starting from absolute zero, consider whether the CC first, or IT fundamentals first, would make the Security+ investment land better later.

Neither one makes you a security professional

The caveat both marketing departments underplay: an entry-level certification — either of them — is a signal of commitment and baseline knowledge, not a qualification to practise. Employers hiring for real security roles look for systems fundamentals (networking, operating systems, identity) and hands-on evidence — labs, capture-the-flag work, documented projects — alongside any badge. A candidate with the CC plus a home lab and clear write-ups beats a candidate with Security+ and nothing behind it. Our roadmap on how to start a career in cybersecurity covers what to build around whichever exam you choose.

It is also worth knowing the adjacent options without going deep on them: Google’s Cybersecurity Certificate offers a structured beginner programme rather than a professional certification, and the cloud providers have their own security credentials — AWS’s Security – Specialty being the notable advanced one — for the growing cloud-security overlap. None of these replaces the CC-or-Security+ decision for a first vendor-neutral credential; they are complements at different stages.

How to choose

Three questions settle it. Budget and timeline: if you want a credible credential this quarter at the lowest cost, the CC wins. Target employers: read live job adverts for the roles you actually want — if Security+ is named repeatedly, or you are aiming at government-adjacent hiring, that is your answer; certification requirements in adverts are the only recognition data worth trusting. Depth appetite: if you want your first certification to double as a thorough survey of the field, Security+’s breadth is the better teacher.

And remember the choice is not exclusive. A common and sensible sequence is CC first — cheap, fast, confidence-building — then Security+ once some IT experience makes its depth land, then specialisation from there. Whichever you pick, spend at least as much energy on fundamentals and hands-on evidence as on the exam itself; that ratio, more than the badge, is what moves a security career.