CompTIA Cybersecurity

Analyst (CySA+)
Certification Exam
Objectives
EXAM NUMBER: CS0-003
About the Exam
The CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) certification exam will certify the successful candidate
has the knowledge and skills required to:

• Detect and analyze indicators of malicious activity

• Understand threat hunting and threat intelligence concepts
• Use appropriate tools and methods to manage, prioritize, and respond to attacks and vulnerabilities
• Perform incident response processes
• Understand reporting and communication concepts related to vulnerability management and incident
response activities

EXAM DEVELOPMENT
CompTIA exams result from subject matter expert workshops and industry-wide survey results
regarding the skills and knowledge required of an IT professional.

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PLEASE NOTE
The lists of examples provided in bulleted format are not exhaustive lists. Other examples of
technologies, processes, or tasks pertaining to each objective may also be included on the exam,
although not listed or covered in this objectives document. CompTIA is constantly reviewing the
content of our exams and updating test questions to be sure our exams are current, and the security
of the questions is protected. When necessary, we will publish updated exams based on existing
exam objectives. Please know that all related exam preparation materials will still be valid.

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) CS0-003 Certification Exam: Exam Objectives Version 1.0
TEST DETAILS
Required exam CS0-003
Number of questions
Types of questions Multiple-choice and performance-based
Length of test
Recommended experience 4 years of hands-on experience as an
incident response analyst or security
operations center (SOC) analyst

EXAM OBJECTIVES (DOMAINS)

The table below lists the domains measured by this examination
and the extent to which they are represented.

DOMAIN PERCENTAGE OF EXAMINATION

1.0 Security Operations 33%

2.0 Vulnerability Management 30%
3.0 Incident Response Management 20%
4.0 Reporting and Communication 17%
Total 100%

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) CS0-003 Certification Exam: Exam Objectives Version 1.0
 1.0 Security Operations
1.1 Explain the importance of system and network architecture
concepts in security operations.
• Log ingestion • Network architecture - Privileged access management
- Time synchronization - On-premises (PAM)
- Logging levels - Cloud - Passwordless
• Operating system (OS) concepts - Hybrid - Cloud access security broker
- Windows Registry - Network segmentation (CASB)
- System hardening - Zero trust • Encryption
- File structure - Secure access secure edge - Public key infrastructure (PKI)
o
Configuration file locations (SASE) - Secure sockets layer (SSL)
- System processes - Software-defined networking inspection
- Hardware architecture (SDN) • Sensitive data protection
• Infrastructure concepts • Identity and access management - Data loss prevention (DLP)
- Serverless - Multifactor authentication (MFA) - Personally identifiable
- Virtualization - Single sign-on (SSO) information (PII)
- Containerization - Federation - Cardholder data (CHD)

1.2 Given a scenario, analyze indicators of potentially malicious activity.

• Network-related - Unauthorized software - Unexpected output
- Bandwidth consumption - Malicious processes - Unexpected outbound
- Beaconing - Unauthorized changes communication
- Irregular peer-to-peer - Unauthorized privileges - Service interruption
communication - Data exfiltration - Application logs
- Rogue devices on the network - Abnormal OS process behavior • Other
- Scans/sweeps - File system changes or - Social engineering attacks
- Unusual traffic spikes anomalies - Obfuscated links
- Activity on unexpected ports - Registry changes or anomalies
• Host-related - Unauthorized scheduled tasks
- Processor consumption • Application-related
- Memory consumption - Anomalous activity
- Drive capacity consumption - Introduction of new accounts

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) CS0-003 Certification Exam: Exam Objectives Version 1.0
 1.0 | Security Operations

1.3 Given a scenario, use appropriate tools or techniques to

determine malicious activity.
• Tools o
Strings o
Sender Policy Framework
- Packet capture o
VirusTotal (SPF)
o
Wireshark - Sandboxing o
Embedded links
o
tcpdump o
Joe Sandbox - File analysis
- Log analysis/correlation o
Cuckoo Sandbox o
Hashing
o
Security information and • Common techniques - User behavior analysis
event management (SIEM) - Pattern recognition o
Abnormal account activity
o
Security orchestration, o
Command and control o
Impossible travel
automation, and response - Interpreting suspicious • Programming languages/scripting
(SOAR) commands - JavaScript Object Notation
- Endpoint security - Email analysis (JSON)
o
Endpoint detection and o
Header - Extensible Markup Language
response (EDR) o
Impersonation (XML)
- Domain name service (DNS) and o
DomainKeys Identified Mail - Python
Internet Protocol (IP) reputation (DKIM) - PowerShell
o
WHOIS o
Domain-based Message - Shell script
o
AbuseIPDB Authentication, Reporting, - Regular expressions
- File analysis and Conformance (DMARC)

1.4 Compare and contrast threat-intelligence and threat-hunting

concepts.
• Threat actors • Collection methods and sources - Vulnerability management
- Advanced persistent threat - Open source - Risk management
(APT) o
Social media - Security engineering
- Hacktivists o
Blogs/forums - Detection and monitoring
- Organized crime o
Government bulletins • Threat hunting
- Nation-state o
Computer emergency - Indicators of compromise (IoC)
- Script kiddie response team (CERT) o
Collection
- Insider threat o
Cybersecurity incident o
Analysis
o
Intentional response team (CSIRT) o
Application
o
Unintentional o
Deep/dark web - Focus areas
- Supply chain - Closed source o
Configurations/
• Tactics, techniques, and o
Paid feeds misconfigurations
procedures (TTP) o
Information sharing o
Isolated networks
• Confidence levels organizations o
Business-critical assets
- Timeliness o
Internal sources and processes
- Relevancy • Threat intelligence sharing - Active defense
- Accuracy - Incident response - Honeypot

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) CS0-003 Certification Exam: Exam Objectives Version 1.0
 1.0 | Security Operations

1.5 Explain the importance of efficiency and process improvement

in security operations.
• Standardize processes
- Identification of tasks suitable for automation
o
Repeatable/do not require human interaction
- Team coordination to manage and facilitate automation
• Streamline operations
- Automation and orchestration
o
Security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR)
- Orchestrating threat intelligence data
o
Data enrichment
o
Threat feed combination
- Minimize human engagement
• Technology and tool integration
- Application programming interface (API)
- Webhooks
- Plugins
• Single pane of glass

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) CS0-003 Certification Exam: Exam Objectives Version 1.0
 2.0 Vulnerability Management
2.1 Given a scenario, implement vulnerability scanning methods
and concepts.
• Asset discovery • Credentialed vs. non-credentialed - Payment Card Industry Data
- Map scans • Passive vs. active Security Standard (PCI DSS)
- Device fingerprinting • Static vs. dynamic - Center for Internet Security
• Special considerations - Reverse engineering (CIS) benchmarks
- Scheduling - Fuzzing - Open Web Application Security
- Operations • Critical infrastructure Project (OWASP)
- Performance - Operational technology (OT) - International Organization for
- Sensitivity levels - Industrial control systems (ICS) Standardization (ISO) 27000
- Segmentation - Supervisory control and data series
- Regulatory requirements acquisition (SCADA)
• Internal vs. external scanning • Security baseline scanning
• Agent vs. agentless • Industry frameworks

2.2 Given a scenario, analyze output from vulnerability assessment tools.

• Tools - Debuggers
- Network scanning and mapping o
Immunity debugger
o
Angry IP Scanner o
GNU debugger (GDB)
o
Maltego - Multipurpose
- Web application scanners o
Nmap
o
Burp Suite o
Metasploit framework (MSF)
o
Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP) o
Recon-ng
o
Arachni - Cloud infrastructure assessment
o
Nikto tools
- Vulnerability scanners o
Scout Suite
o
Nessus o
Prowler
o
OpenVAS o
Pacu

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) CS0-003 Certification Exam: Exam Objectives Version 1.0
 2.0 | Vulnerability Management

2.3 Given a scenario, analyze data to prioritize vulnerabilities.

• Common Vulnerability Scoring - Impact • Context awareness
System (CVSS) interpretation o
Confidentiality - Internal
- Attack vectors o
Integrity - External
- Attack complexity o
Availability - Isolated
- Privileges required • Validation • Exploitability/weaponization
- User interaction - True/false positives • Asset value
- Scope - True/false negatives • Zero-day

2.4 Given a scenario, recommend controls to mitigate attacks and

software vulnerabilities.
• Cross-site scripting • Broken access control • Identification and authentication
- Reflected • Cryptographic failures failures
- Persistent • Injection flaws • Server-side request forgery
• Overflow vulnerabilities • Cross-site request forgery • Remote code execution
- Buffer • Directory traversal • Privilege escalation
- Integer • Insecure design • Local file inclusion (LFI)/remote
- Heap • Security misconfiguration file inclusion (RFI)
- Stack • End-of-life or outdated
• Data poisoning components

2.5 Explain concepts related to vulnerability response, handling,

and management.
• Compensating control • Exceptions - Attack surface reduction
• Control types • Risk management principles • Secure coding best practices
- Managerial - Accept - Input validation
- Operational - Transfer - Output encoding
- Technical - Avoid - Session management
- Preventative - Mitigate - Authentication
- Detective • Policies, governance, and service- - Data protection
- Responsive level objectives (SLOs) - Parameterized queries
- Corrective • Prioritization and escalation • Secure software development
• Patching and configuration • Attack surface management life cycle (SDLC)
management - Edge discovery • Threat modeling
- Testing - Passive discovery
- Implementation - Security controls testing
- Rollback - Penetration testing and
- Validation adversary emulation
• Maintenance windows - Bug bounty

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) CS0-003 Certification Exam: Exam Objectives Version 1.0
 3.0 Incident Response and
Management
3.1 Explain concepts related to attack methodology frameworks.
• Cyber kill chain - Command and Control (C2) - Infrastructure
- Reconnaissance - Actions and objectives - Capability
- Weaponization • Diamond Model of Intrusion • MITRE ATT&CK
- Delivery Analysis • Open Source Security Testing
- Exploitation - Adversary Methodology Manual (OSS TMM)
- Installation - Victim • OWASP Testing Guide

3.2 Given a scenario, perform incident response activities .

• Detection and analysis • Containment, eradication,
- IoC and recovery
- Evidence acquisitions - Scope
o
Chain of custody - Impact
o
Validating data integrity - Isolation
o
Preservation - Remediation
o
Legal hold - Re-imaging
- Data and log analysis - Compensating controls

3.3 Explain the preparation and post-incident activity phases of

the incident management life cycle.
• Preparation - Tabletop • Post-incident activity
- Incident response plan - Training - Forensic analysis
- Tools - Business continuity (BC)/ - Root cause analysis
- Playbooks disaster recovery (DR) - Lessons learned

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) CS0-003 Certification Exam: Exam Objectives Version 1.0
 4.0 Reporting and Communication
4.1 Explain the importance of vulnerability management reporting
and communication.
• Vulnerability management - Compensating controls - Proprietary systems
reporting - Awareness, education, and • Metrics and key performance
- Vulnerabilities training indicators (KPIs)
- Affected hosts - Changing business requirements - Trends
- Risk score • Inhibitors to remediation - Top 10
- Mitigation - Memorandum of understanding - Critical vulnerabilities and
- Recurrence (MOU) zero-days
- Prioritization - Service-level agreement (SLA) - SLOs
• Compliance reports - Organizational governance • Stakeholder identification
• Action plans - Business process interruption and communication
- Configuration management - Degrading functionality
- Patching - Legacy systems

4.2 Explain the importance of incident response reporting and

communication.
• Stakeholder identification - Impact • Root cause analysis
and communication - Scope • Lessons learned
• Incident declaration and - Evidence • Metrics and KPIs
escalation • Communications - Mean time to detect
• Incident response reporting - Legal - Mean time to respond
- Executive summary - Public relations - Mean time to remediate
- Who, what, when, where, o
Customer communication - Alert volume
and why o
Media
- Recommendations - Regulatory reporting
- Timeline - Law enforcement

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) CS0-003 Certification Exam: Exam Objectives Version 1.0
CompTIA CySA+ CS0-003 Acronym List
The following is a list of acronyms that appears on the CompTIA CySA+
CS0-003 exam. Candidates are encouraged to review the complete
list and attain a working knowledge of all listed acronyms as part of a
comprehensive exam preparation program.
Acronym Spelled Out Acronym Spelled Out
API Application Programming Interface OT Operational Technology
APT Advanced Persistent Threat OWASP Open Web Application Security Project
BC Business Continuity PAM Privileged Access Management
C2 Command and Control PCI DSS Payment Card Industry Data Security
CASB Cloud Access Security Broker Standard
CERT Computer Emergency Response Team PII Personally Identifiable Information
CHD Cardholder Data PKI Public Key Infrastructure
CIS Center for Internet Security RFI Remote File Inclusion
CSIRT Cybersecurity Incident Response Team SASE Secure Access Secure Edge
CVSS Common Vulnerability Scoring System SCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
DKIM Domain Keys Identified Mail SDLC Software Development Life Cycle
DLP Data Loss Prevention SDN Software-Defined Networking
DMARC Domain-based Message Authentication, SIEM Security Information and Event Management
Reporting, and Conformance SLA Service-Level Agreement
DNS Domain Name Service SLO Service-Level Objective
DR Disaster Recovery SOAR Security Orchestration, Automation, and
EDR Endpoint Detection and Response Response
GDB GNU Debugger SPF Sender Policy Framework
ICS Industrial Control Systems SSL Secure Sockets Layer
IoC Indicators of Compromise SSO Single Sign-On
IP Internet Protocol TCP Transmission Control Protocol
ISO International Organization for TTP Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures
Standardization XDR Extended Detection Response
JSON JavaScript Object Notation XML Extensible Markup Language
KPI Key Performance Indicator ZAP Zed Attack Proxy
LFI Local File Inclusion
MFA Multifactor Authentication
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MSF Metasploit Framework
OpenVAS Open Vulnerability Assessment Scanner
OS Operating System
OSSTMM Open Source Security Testing
Methodology Manual
CompTIA CySA+ CS0-003 Hardware and
Software List
CompTIA has included this sample list of hardware and software to assist
candidates as they prepare for the CySA+ CS0-003 certification exam.
This list may also be helpful for training companies that wish to create a
lab component for their training offering. The bulleted lists below each
topic are sample lists and are not exhaustive.

Equipment
• Workstations (or laptop) with ability to run VM
• Firewall
• IDS/IPS
• Servers

Software
• Windows operating systems
- Commando VM
• Linux operating systems
- Kali
• Open-source UTM appliance
• Metasploitable
• SIEM
- Greylog
- ELK
- Splunk
• TCPDump
• Wireshark
• Vulnerability scanner (i.e., OpenVAS)
• Nessus
• Access to cloud instances
- Azure
- AWS
- GCP

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