CompTIA
CompTIA — the Computing Technology Industry Association — provides industry-supported, vendor-neutral certifications that test a candidate’s understanding of basic foundation skills and core competencies in a given subject area. Although deemed entry-level by many, CompTIA certifications nonetheless provide a valuable and trusted certification in any technical career path.
CompTIA exams also have the advantage — at least in the realm of vendor-neutral security certifications — of being readily available and relatively inexpensive. Security topics covered on the 100-question Security+ exam include
Systems Security
Network Infrastructure
Access Control
Assessments and Audits
Cryptography
Organizational Security