Launch Your IT Career With the Right First Certification

Choosing between CompTIA Network+ and Security+ as your first certification is a big decision, especially if you are just breaking into IT. Both certifications are well-known and respected, but they set you up for slightly different early roles and learning paths. If you are not sure which one to tackle first, you are not alone.

Your first certification affects more than just what goes on your resume. It shapes the kind of problems you learn to solve, the way you think about technology, and the confidence you bring into interviews and your first IT job. Starting on the right foot can make your next certifications, promotions, and specializations feel much more achievable.

At Applied Technology Academy, we provide instructor-led IT and cybersecurity training focused on real-world, career-building skills. We see learners wrestle with the Network+ vs. Security+ question all the time, and in this article, we will break down what each certification teaches, who each one fits best, and how to plan a smart long-term path, not just pass an exam.

What CompTIA Network+ Actually Teaches You

CompTIA Network+ is all about how computers talk to each other. It gives you the vocabulary and concepts that sit underneath almost every IT and cybersecurity role. Instead of focusing on attackers and defenses first, it focuses on how data moves, where it moves, and what can go wrong along the way.

Core Network+ skills usually include topics like these:

• Networking fundamentals such as LANs, WANs, and common network topologies  
• IP addressing, subnetting, and how devices find each other across networks  
• Routing and switching concepts, including how traffic is directed and segmented  
• Wireless networking basics, including standards, channels, and interference  
• Network troubleshooting steps and tools, so you can find and fix connectivity problems  

If you picture a typical entry-level IT job, you are often supporting users, answering help desk tickets, setting up hardware, or checking on connectivity issues. Network+ prepares you for roles such as help desk technician, junior network technician, or IT support specialist. Even if your long-term goal is cybersecurity, those early roles are where many people learn how real networks behave outside of a textbook.

Understanding how data flows through routers, switches, access points, and servers is a huge advantage when you eventually study security. When you know how networks are supposed to work, it is much easier to understand what it means to secure them. You can look at a firewall rule and instantly see how it affects traffic, or evaluate a security alert and connect it to a specific protocol, port, or subnet.

For many of our students, Network+ becomes the mental framework they use later when they encounter security tools, logs, and incident reports. Instead of memorizing terms, they can picture the path data is taking and where something might be going wrong.

What CompTIA Security+ Actually Teaches You

CompTIA Security+ shifts the focus from connectivity to protection. It assumes that basic IT and networking concepts are already familiar and builds on that foundation to show you how to defend systems and data. The exam covers a wide range of security topics that you will see across many real-world environments.

Security+ often includes concepts like:

• Security fundamentals, including confidentiality, integrity, and availability  
• Common threats and vulnerabilities, such as malware, phishing, and misconfigurations  
• Secure network architecture, including segmentation, DMZs, and secure protocols  
• Access control and identity concepts, like authentication, authorization, and accounting  
• Risk management, security policies, and governance basics  
• Incident response processes, from detection to recovery and reporting  

Job roles that align with Security+ tend to be focused on monitoring, hardening, and responding. These can include a security analyst, a SOC analyst, and a systems administrator with security responsibilities. In these roles, you might review alerts, adjust security controls, respond to suspicious activity, and help enforce policies.

However, Security+ is not usually written for total beginners. The exam content assumes that you already understand fundamental networking ideas such as ports and protocols, basic IP addressing, and what devices like switches, routers, and firewalls do. If those pieces are missing, studying for Security+ can feel like learning a new language and a new alphabet at the same time.

Many learners who skip Network+ find that they spend a lot of extra time backtracking to fill in networking gaps. That does not mean you must have Network+ to take Security+, but it does mean that some path to basic networking knowledge is very helpful.

Network+ vs. Security+: Which Is Easier to Take First?

So, which certification is easier to start with, Network+ or Security+? The answer depends on what you already know and what kind of experience you have.

If you are a true beginner or making a career change into IT, Network+ usually feels more approachable. You start with the building blocks of networking and work your way up. Security+ can feel overwhelming if basic terms like VLAN, subnet, or port 443 are completely new.

On the other hand, if you have been working in a help desk or desktop support role and you already spend time troubleshooting connectivity or working with networked devices, starting with Security+ can make more sense. Your existing hands-on experience may cover much of what Network+ teaches, even if you have never taken a formal networking course.

Network+ also creates a natural learning progression into Security+ topics, including:

• Common ports and protocols that later show up as secure and insecure options  
• Wireless networking concepts that connect directly to wireless security settings  
• Network design ideas that help you understand segmentation and secure architectures  
• Troubleshooting skills that carry over into analyzing security incidents  

To simplify the decision, it can help to think in terms of profiles:

• Start with Network+ if you are a beginner, a career changer, or mostly self-taught without deep networking knowledge.  
• Consider starting with Security+ if you already work with networks regularly or have strong networking knowledge from school, the military, or hands-on roles.  

At Applied Technology Academy, we often talk through a student’s background and goals to recommend a path that fits their starting rather than offering a one-size-fits-all answer.

Planning a Career Path in IT and Cybersecurity

Certifications are more powerful when they fit into a bigger plan. Network+ and Security+ are not competing choices as much as they are stepping stones that work well together.

Many learners follow a path like:

• Network+ to build a solid base for help desk, IT support, or junior network roles  
• Security+ next, once they are comfortable with day-to-day IT and networking tasks  
• More advanced or specialized security certifications after gaining some experience  

Another common path is starting as an IT generalist, then moving into a security-focused position. Network+ gives you the context of how systems connect, and Security+ helps you specialize by showing you how to protect those systems and respond when something is wrong.

From an employer’s perspective, both certifications show commitment and knowledge. Having Network+ first can make you stand out for security roles because it signals that you understand the plumbing underneath the security tools. When you join a security team, that means you can work more smoothly with network engineers and operations staff instead of talking past each other.

Through our instructor-led courses, hands-on labs, and exam-focused training, we help learners move from foundational networking into security with a clear plan. The goal is not just to pass tests, but to feel ready for real responsibilities, whether that is supporting users, monitoring alerts, or contributing to a larger security program.

Why Starting with Network+ Sets You up for Security+ Success

For most entry-level learners trying to decide between Network+ and Security+, starting with Network+ is the smarter first step. It gives you time to get comfortable with IT concepts, teaches you how networks actually function, and makes the leap into Security+ far less stressful.

Network+ provides the mental roadmap you will keep using as you learn about firewalls, intrusion detection, secure protocols, and incident response. Instead of memorizing isolated terms, you can connect new Security+ concepts to a network design and troubleshooting process you already understand.

If you know that cybersecurity is your long-term goal, a practical roadmap might look like this in simple terms: build your networking foundation, gain some hands-on IT experience, then add Security+ to move into security-focused responsibilities. This kind of progression tends to produce professionals who are confident, adaptable, and ready for ongoing growth in the field.

At Applied Technology Academy, we see how powerful that order can be for real people getting started in IT and cybersecurity, and we design our training paths to support that kind of steady, structured progress.

Take The Next Step Toward Your IT Certification

If you are still deciding between Network+ vs. Security+, our expert instructors at Applied Technology Academy can help you choose the certification that aligns with your goals. We provide focused, hands-on training that prepares you for real-world roles and recognized industry exams. Reach out to our team to discuss your background, timeline, and career objectives so we can recommend the best path. If you are ready to move forward, you can contact us to get started with your training plan.