Blue Team Level 1 is the BEST CYBER CERT! 

Hey Malik, longtime thinking about presenting this cert and running a cohort with BGH interested in your input DM how can I contact you?

@@Perneir Good morning. This will be a great cert for BGH members. As an instructor myself, students will find much value from this training. Let us talk about this more through my personal email below: malikgirondin@gmail.com Best Regards, Malik Girondin

I appreciate it, Carval! You inspired me to do this video! Much thanks!

@@malikgirondin Just completed the demo, and next step is purchasing this course! Feel it's going to be way more hands-on than CYSA or Sec.+! My goal is a jr. analyst position. Tired of living paycheck to paycheck. Thanks for this!

This comment made my day! That is exactly what I want to hear from people changing their lives! First, congrats on completing the demo courses! Not many people attempt or are aware of that. This purchase will be a huge investment into your career towards being an junior analyst. CySa+ nor Sec+ can’t compete with the training nor exam experience BTL1 offers. I consider it disappointing to even compare the two. Ones is multiple choice and the other is a real life scenario that can be used as experience or a topic on interviews. A better comparison with be CCD. To be honest with you man, this cert has truly changed my life. When I was a NOC Technician studying for this exam, I was making $13 an hour. This is in 2022! I felt like I could barely afford stuff. I was frugal with my money but I was also a college student and paying my own tuition. I am telling you this, I managed to 3x that number and make some cash on the side with the help of that cert. I am grateful for the support SBT offered me! This certification is a blessing. Take advantage of it and use it to increase your value within your career!

@@malikgirondin Oh my gosh that was an inspiring story! (Being a good story teller of your Journey is also a great interview skill), and feel I'll defintiely have one similar once I finally land that life changing position thinking back on conversations like this. I currently drive a box truck for amazon, and have decided with my goals to skip help desk and shoot straight for what I want, even if it's harder, it's worth it. Be well, man

Hey Adam! I am glad the information was useful in your walk. Appreciate the kind words and feedback. I try my best to share what I learn with others - not on that gatekeeping wave to be honest. There is room at the table but the knights are trying to block access. This information is that shortcut. Enough of my analogies, I want to see you and others win too. The Paul Jerimy Chart comes in clutch every time I teach my students in class. Good luck, man! Let me know if you have any questions.

Hello, Adam! I hope all is well! Yes, complete your research and make the best decision for your career! Looking forward to seeing you BTL1 certified! Keep me posted!

@@malikgirondin yep, so basically i decided to go ahead and get sec+ which is for next month, then after my net+ i am going to do this. thanks man, i am actually using your sec+ sources for my exam.

@@trippleCS I am so happy for you! Good luck! It is great to build upon your security and networking knowledge before taking the BTL1. Please, keep me posted!

@@malikgirondin pretty much. im a student so i get 40-50%off the exam vouchers. 2 for one pretty much. on top of this im using industry tools. goal is to be employed during around june-july

@@trippleCS I like that goal! By June through July you are looking to be in the IT (Security) field. Stay fresh with those industry tools and save money with those CompTIA exam vouchers. I will definitely look forward to your career developing this year.

Good morning, Byte! I hope all is well! Thanks for watching. I was a NOC Technicians (for roughly 1 month) when I started the training. I then finished the training/certification during my second month as a NOC Technician. That explains my tech knowledge. Regarding Cyber knowledge, I did have my Sec+ and Net+ as foundational knowledge. Despite all that, BTL1 is beginner friendly and it explains Network and Security basics in the beginning. In summary, anyone can pick up this training and become certified and competence if they put the hours, practice, and notes in. I hope this response answered your question.

@@malikgirondin WOW! Answers more than I expected brother. Best wishes.

Hello, Fresh! I hope all is well! Appreciate the feedback! Congrats on being in the IT field and researching the next steps for your career. A SOC Analyst is a great starting point in the cybersecurity field. BTL1 will give you basic training for junior roles. The GCIH (GIAC Certified Incident Handler) is a fantastic cert for two reasons. It comes with top-tier training from SANS Instructors and it ranks higher than CySa+ and BTL1 on the Paul Jerimy chart. If you can afford the training/exam or have your employer pay for it then go ahead. If the budget is super tight, go for CySa+. I assume these are certs planned after the BTL1. I hope this response was helpful! Thank you!

Good morning! I would advise taking BTL1 over CySA+ for many reasons: - It is practical, meaning it comes installed with a technical training course and exam. - It offers industry skills and tools needed for the SOC Analyst field-stuff like analyzing email headers, examining memory, digital forensics, and Splunk analysis. - The training comes with optional projects you can add to your CV, stuff like MISP, Honeypots, RSS Feeds, and others. It is very wide in content. Yes, you can finish the course in under 3 months-especially with basic Sec+ knowledge. Join our Discord for more information and testimonial proof!

Good morning, Morris & April! I hope all is well. I personally never tried the Google SC course since this was created years after BTL1. Looking at the curriculum, it seems like a decent course to up-skill you on cybersecurity concepts if you are complete new to the field. To be completely honest, I believe the BTL1 introduction courses will be a better options to prepare you for the BTL1 training. If you want extra knowledge, go for the Google SC. The BTL1 introductory courses can be found in the description above. Thank you!

Hello, Christian! I hope all is well. I assume you are referring to eLearnSecurity and not SBT eLearning Platform. BTL1 will cover IR but BTL2 will cover malware analysis. I don’t have much experience with eLearnSecurity but the BTL1 training course with cover the necessary training for a SOC Analyst role. Malware analysis is a pretty advance role / skill for juniors. If you have time, take a look at SANS Top 20 Coolest Cyber Careers. It will show you the general roles in cybersecurity and it’s required training. I hoped this helped! Thanks!

Hello, Jay! I hope all is well! Thank you for the kind words! I enjoy videos that bring light to new training opportunities like BTL1. That is a great question you asked. For starters, the BTL1 can be taken with no previous experience in IT. If you want practical skills and full assurance of being job-ready on day 1, I will take the BTL1 first. If you want a job and/or a higher chance of landing the position of SOC Analyst, the CompTIA Trifecta will help with that since it is more known in this present-day market. I would say that the A+, Sec+, and Net+ will give you a piece of more foundational knowledge in IT assuming you are not currently in the field. This will help you broaden your understanding in general. In summary, it comes down to your personal outcome, do you want a job or do you want skills? If possible, you can do both if time and money permit as I have done, subtracting the A+. I hope this response was helpful! Good luck!

Thank you for the reply. Do you think it would be possible to get into a SOC analyst role with only BTL1? I am currently on my final year of an unrelated degree and would like to pursue a job as soon as possible after finishing.

Hello, Jay! Good evening! It is highly unlikely to land a mid-level role like SOC Analyst with just the BTL1. If you try looking up ‘BTL1’ in the search engine of job boards, you will get little to zero results. This is not a slight at the certification but it does not have visibility in the U.S. as it does in the UK. There is so much that has to be done to get your first role in cybersecurity. I will link a LinkedIn post by Jay Jay (SOC Manager) that explains that process. Congrats on being on the final year on your degree. Personally, I did not have a degree when I landed my SOC Analyst role(s). Since you are technically a student, you can look for internships so you can get a taste of the field outside of homelabs. Jay Jay Cyber Career Guide: www.linkedin.com/pulse/breaking-cybersecurity-cheatsheet-jay-jay-davey

Good morning, Favicon! I hope all is well. Nice transition from business consulting to cybersecurity! I heard great things about the google certifications these past few months. The curriculum looks very solid for beginners to grasp. So the decision between Sec+ and BTL1 depends on your goals. I would say pursue Sec+ if you want better visibility in this market place since it is one of the most popular certs in cybersecurity. You will notice when you start applying for jobs that it is almost on every posting so it is very HR friendly and affordable. Aside from those facts, I will go with BTL1 all the way. You are learning hands-on skills and developing that security mindset the moment you start the 4-month training course. Yes, Sec+ will get you noticed but BTL1 will help you perform well on the job skill-wise. That is due to the amazing training taught by dozens of cybersecurity professionals and the rigorous 24-hour exam. I am also outside the UK and when I took the test, it was not protored. You got to be in a focus mind when your do the final exam. It really puts your skills to the test. Many people failed that exam due to it's difficulty so I believe if you can pass it, you are generally ready for a Junior SOC Analyst Position. Not only did you learn a bunch from this video, you will learn a lot from the course. Good luck and keep me posted!

@@malikgirondin Does it have to take 4 months? Or can it be learned and the exam taken in a shorter amount of time?

@@Joshcoshbagosh Hey! It can be learned quickly, and the exam can be taken earlier. The training is available for 4 months and the exam is available for 12 months.

Hey, Thanks for enrolling in the BTL1 course. I agree, the content is really engaging. I have not experienced any two-factor authentication issues login into eLearning-where BTL1 is hosted. I would contact our support team below via email: studentsupport@securityblue.team

Hello, Monsieur! I hope all is well! Great question! At this moment I am pursuing red team certifications and training. BTL2 is designed for more experienced folks with an interest in Malware Analysis. I know TCM Security dropped the PJMR which deals with that field as well. If I every want to pick up a new skill or enter that field then yes. Probably PJMR before BTL2 due to the significant price. It is a thought in mind but I don’t have it planned in my 2023 goals to answer your question. Thank you for commenting!

Hey, I went after it after I got my Sec+ and Net+. I wanted to increase my foundation before I tackled this cert-which did help in my understanding of the concepts and better passing the exam. If you are currently looking for a job, I would recommend Sec+ due to its insane popularity. If learning and technical training are your main focuses, I would look into this cert: the BTL1. A combination of both gave me a good standing in the market, but most importantly, an understanding of cybersecurity. I will be honest, I work with dozens of students who got their BTL1; they have yet to regret that choice. Sec+ and Net+ are not HARD prerequisites for BTL1, but I am sharing what I did, and what worked for me. Good luck with either decision!

Hey, Try Hard! Hope all is well. Appreciate the feedback. Yes, I purchased the course (July 2022) and I had access to the labs and materials for 4 months (Dec 2022). After that, I ran out of course time (since it still runs despite passing the exam in August 2022). You will still have access to the home page but everything is locked except for the store and exam attempt (you have exam access for up to 12 months. This means you can lose course material access but still take the exam after the 4 months but within the 12 months). As mentioned, there is a store within the homepage of BTL1 (eLearning). You can purchase more time, lab hours, and exam attempts). Keep in mind, that you can only purchase 1 of each. So if I ran out of time, I can purchase a course extension of 30 days or 60 days once. I hope this clears up a few things. Thanks for the question.

Crystal clear, thank you for your reply man. Im gonna give this a try soon

Good evening, Sada! I hope all is well. I won't be able to share my notes due to it violating the NDA. I heavily advise you to craft your own personal notes so you can get personal with it - being that the exam is open book. We do have a discord as well where students link their write-ups and experience with the exam. Their insights can be beneficial. Thank you!

Hey, mate! Thank you for the kind words. It is possible to get a SOC Analyst job without a degree, but it will be difficult. As you mentioned, you are outside the USA. Your job market with be different, so take my advice sparingly. In general, make sure you have a good portfolio, some certs, projects, a good network, and great interview skills. I don't to use myself as an example, but I managed to get two SOC jobs without a degree. It will be hard work. I suggest you get an IT job first and then creep into an InfoSec job. Good luck!

Hello LT! Nice to meet you! I was in the NOC from June 2022 to August 2022. That company was GLS (Global Linking Solutions). I left that company to become a SOC Analyst at BlackHawk Data. I was not really skilled in cyber before taking the exam. The exam/course taught me everything I needed to know for the SOC role. I did it in 25 days studying 8-10 hours a day. If you are able to take notes and retain the information, I surely believe you can do it as well. Sec+ has more notoriety than BTL1 when it comes to HR and InfoSec. You will learn more in BTL1 because it is practical and it is a training course whereas Sec+ is a multiple-choice exam. You can definitely get hired without it by showcasing other accomplishments and achievements. Sec+ is just icing on the cake when it comes to job hunting but BTL1 will properly prepare you for that SOC role you are looking for. Hopefully, that was informative. Let me know if I can help you further! Take care, LT!

@@malikgirondin appreciate you bro. I’m pushing 29yrs old and making a career pivot from sales / Ed tech, so it’s interesting having to re-learn everything and be the newbie. You cool with connecting on LinkedIn or directing me towards any connected people you may have, for future opportunities?

Good morning, LT! Yeah, let’s connect on LinkedIn! I have many resources to share with you to assist you on your career journey. I also have a network of cybersecurity professionals I would like to introduce your too. We will speak more on LinkedIn for the details! Thanks man! www.linkedin.com/in/malikgirondin

@@malikgirondin Awesome man, connecting with you now! Appreciate it, seriously!

Thank you for the comment. I will have to look more into that cert!

Hey Creative! I hope all is well! Congrats on Sec+ and CySa+. Since your company is switching from Splunk to Elastic-Siem, I recommend CCD for that reason only. They go over that concept in detail with their respective labs. BTL1 covers Splunk in much detail so that probably would not help in your situation. Aside from the reason, I will probably start with BTL1 for more of an introductory into SOC Analyst training, assuming you are a junior. If not and you want a harder challenge, go for CCD. I hope my response was insightful. I just want to make sure you have chose the right decision that is best for your career. Good luck!

I recommend getting CCD or else you will get buyer's remorse with BTL1, BTL1 was like child's play and didnt learn anything from it except how to copy and paste, worst $500 I spent in a training. I finished CCD content, passed its exam months ago and it actually helped me a ton during work, they also keep adding more to the course and labs every while including new lessons about Splunk and its lab that get me visiting CCD back again. Its easily the winner here especially when it teaches both SIEMs and alot more

Thank you guys!

Congrats man! Great investment to take for your cybersecurity career. Remember to take good notes and practice the theory material within their respective labs. If you need more practice, look into BTLO or THM. Don't forget, we have a Discord if you want to be among fellow students. Thanks!

@@malikgirondinhey brother, what’s your discord? I’m on Sec blue team discord but there isn’t much there. 😢

Hey John! Good morning! Great questions, all the tools listed in the course can be found on the BTL1 home page. The tools that you “need” on the exam are completely different and less than the ones in the whole course. Different being use cases and less meaning specific tools when being struck mentioned before you take the exam. There is a final section titled BTL1 Exam Preparation. That section is golden. Everything you need to know about tools is there. I am not sure about Suricata or Wazuh but I know for sure that Wireshark and Splunk are on the exam. The training will make you competent. I hope this helped! Good luck!

Hey Drum! I hope all is well. Congrats on making that transition to BTL1. This is a great, hands-on course for aspiring SOC analysts. This course/cert will help you in your job search in many ways. First, the knowledge from the course will translate into your technical interviews quite well. You will be able to explain security concepts and tools in depth without issue. Second, the certification is picking up much steam in the InfoSec space. Companies like Microsoft and Brideswell are adding this certification to their job postings. Third, this is a community. Yes, once you enroll in the course or become an alumni, you have access to Discord. You can join without the course but it is great to have fellow classmates along your journey. Great choice for pursuing higher education - especially with WGU. Your Bachelor is so powerful and it will pay dividends in your job search. You will be eligible for more roles, internships, and early grad talent programs. Keep up the good work. Knock out the course and complete your degree. Never stop learning. Your will be a beast in the field. Glad I could help!

@@malikgirondin thank you for the reply. Do you think it’s possible to find a SOC role without the degree incase I don’t have it in time of finishing BTL1 since that will be my main focus over a degree?

@@drumman5431 It is possible to find a SOC Role without a degree but it we be difficult since you lack one of the main requirements, outside experience, which Employers are looking for. If you want to compete in this market and stand out, complement your portfolio with certs, projects, conferences, skills, and more. There are many things that go into getting a SOC job that people don't consider. Check out this article below, it might help you. Also being in school alone made me eligible for a cybersecurity internship last year. If you are going to the cert route, you will be competing for full-time roles with no experience or degrees to your name. Ask yourself how you will compete with others who do. You are not the only applicant applying bit.ly/MalikCyberTips

Hey Ernest. Hope all is well. If you would like to pay for the course, click on this link here: elearning.securityblue.team/. If you would like to contact the team at SBT, utilize this email: "contact@securityblue.team" I hope this helps!

Hi Ari! I hope all is well! It is very minimal, to be honest. I completed the exam and course on my MacBook Air 2020 (8GB Ram) with no problems. My PC has 500 GB but the course/exam is cloud-based. Storage should not be an issue unless your PC is at maximum capacity. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks!

Good morning, Der! Hope all is well. I personally would not consider the eCTHP a Blue Team Cert. It goes more into threat hunter and I am not sure that's an entry-level role within cybersecurity. Threat hunters are usually the next path after SOC Analyst aside from Security engineering and Penetration testing. Assuming you are new to the field, check out the BTL1. If you want a promotion or a role switch from being a Security Analyst, check out the Paul Jerimy Chart (Google It) and look at the Red or higher blue certs. I hoped that help!

@@malikgirondin Thank you. I recently am doing the ejptv2 but since i got the chance to work as l2 soc analyst in approx. 6 month i wanted to do btl 1 next. I was just askin because my employer always wants to know 1-2 certifications in advance which we favour to do and I want to provide alternatives in case btl2 is too expensive.

Hey Der! I see now, I misread your question. Being that BTL2 deals with threat hunting, I see why eCTHP is a better alternative for you given the price. Being 6 months into the field, I see why BTL1 can slightly help you since it is targeted towards career changers and Junior SOC Analyst. If you want something more challenging that also has has Threat Hunting included for the same price as BTL1, check out the CCD by CyberDefenders. I will link it below. I think this is the cert you are looking for after BTL1. Here is my introductory review on it. CCD: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IYkW0uF0Pfs.html

Hey Hamilton! At the time of that recording, it was OneNote. I have now transitioned to Notion. The UI/UX is amazing and it syncs well across my PC and Phone. Look into it! Here is my video on it below: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vhOdhHB9mT0.html

No, that is not possible. The exam is bundled with the training. Also, training is needed for the exam to guarantee a high pass rate.

Hello, Feed! I hope all is well! I recommend jumping right into BTL1. If I am not mistaken, the junior courses only consist of 5% of the BTL1 training. Also, the BTL1 training will cover the material anyways. If you are unsure of the big purchase and commitment, I recommend the junior courses. I hope this helped!

@@malikgirondin Thank you for such a quick response friend. I am just a humble person trying to learn the art of ethical hacking I understand learning the fundamentals of cyber security especially is a crucial step into my pursuit of acquiring the skill of ethical hacking I have heard of the blue team 1 before and ran across your video on my feed by chance thank you for the quick response again I have built a relatively strong base in linux, networking, and understanding the inner workings of the computer operating sytem but i dont like to skip steps and want to make sure i get every piece of information and soak up all the fundamentals while on my quest to acquire the skill of ethical hacking Basically im just really cautious as not to miss out on information that might be helpful into acquiring mastery of ethical hacking And thanks to your advice i will save alot of time and go ahead and skip ahead and take the btl1 Thank you very much friend and God speed to you and and all your endeavors

This is a very great question, Secret! I personally took it after having my Sec+ and Net+ with some IT experience. Albeit, the course provided me with all the training I needed to pass the exam - having that prerequisite of cyber knowledge really helped me fly through the course material. If you have 0, there are two options you can do. First, the course starts off with the basics of networking and security. This could be a refresher for some but it is not too deep to put a junior on the game if you know what I mean. The second option is to enroll in cybersecurity training. Getting the CompTIA trifecta (A+, N+, Sec+) can give you the basic foundations of IT/cyber. If you are not interested in those certs, you can look into Google’s Cybersecurity course or ISC2 CC course - both are free at this moment. In summary, the latter option with give you a stronger foundation before enrolling in the BTL1 training. The former will put you in a riskier situation assuming you have 0 experience. I hope this was clear!

@@malikgirondin thank you!! Gonna go with the google certificate first and slowly work my way to blt1!

Hello, Firdaus! I hope all is well. Congratulations on completing your Bachelor's degree. Your are among the 28% of this country. The Google Cybersecurity Certificate is not an official prerequisite for BTL1 but it will serve as a great ramp for the actual training. I saw lessons like Linux and Python included in the Coursera program that will make you a well-rounded SOC Analyst. If you pair that training up with BTL1, you will be incredibly skillful in many areas. Also, the Google cert is free as well as BTL1 introductory courses. Pick your liking and see which one interests you and then go for BTL1 if you are ok with the cost and it is within your career path.

Hello, The certification (BTL1) does not expire. Great question!

Hey! Thanks for reaching out. Here is a guide from a recent graduate that will answer your question. We also endorse this at SBT: medium.com/@berardinellidaniele/how-to-prepare-for-the-btl-1-exam-561213e150e7

Thanks Malik. Thanks for the information.

Hey Rott! I hope all is well. If you are complete new to IT, BTL1 does provide a crash course in the first few sections to get you up to date. If you are looking for a more formal IT backbone, look into getting the CompTIA trifecta (A+, Net+, and Sec+). I believe the course is the best introduction to Blue Team Concepts and Training. Now, I wanted to save a key statement you said for last. That is great that you want to get in the field of cybersecurity. Don't let what I am about to say deter you from your path but I want you to at least know this going in. Cybersecurity is a mid-level field, it is expected to have some prior experience from feeder roles (other IT jobs) before entering in. A famous line goes as this, "How can you secure something you don't know?" The IT market for junior is completely horrible right now. Don't let the fact that companies are not replying to your applications or people are ghosting you. It is horrible! Aside from that, you can succeed if you work hard, smart, and become extremely exceptional. You don't rise to the top doing mediocre stuff. If you really want to advance fast, become "obsess" with studying and level up for a period of time. You are competing against students with many certs, degrees, experience, and the willingness to sacrifice it all. In summary, I believe the BTL1 is great for beginners but please don't have the notion that it is enough to land you a job. It is unrealistic and naive to have that mindset. Keep up the good work, study, ask questions, and find a mentor.

Hey Frank, Yes, you can take this without prior experience in cybersecurity or IT. Albeit, those things will help you understand the course material faster, it is not a prerequisite. In general, I suggest you familiarize yourself with IT/Cyber concepts prior purchase, just to make sure this it the correct field for you.

Good morning, Lazy! I hope all is well. Congratulations on attaining your Sec+ and Net+. Skills are more valuable than certs. It is more important that you understand the tools, methodology, and process of investigating. The reason why I recommended BTL1 is due to the training course that comes with the certification. The certification itself has no "clout" among HR. If BTL1 is tight financially, I do recommend their junior course (which is currently free and linked below in the description) and/or TryHackMe SOC Analyst path for $10 dollars a month. I will also link my website below showing you many Blue Team training platforms that are affordable and can increase your competence and skillsets. I hoped this helped! www.itswriterly.com/cybersecurity-resources

@@malikgirondin It did help thanks a lot

The problem with this one is that incident management is not liked because its a pain also it's probably the first thing that is going to be replaced by AI in the next years. You learn a lot for sure but it's a job that people just don't want to deal with anymore. If you have Sec+ your next step should be CySA+ which also very technical also before this one I would recommend linux+ and a microsoft server cert like azure administrator. Good luck.

Hello, Yannai! Great question! The level of Splunk is easy to moderate. Within the course material, you will find dedicated sections to Splunk. Each lesson comes with their respective lab to practice what you learned. Please, take good notes on this section because it can be the deciding factor if you pass or not. If you don't feel confident in Splunk, utilize THM and/or BTLO. I hope this helped.

Just to clarify I was going to do A+ Net + and Sec+. I was also going to do Linux Essentials with LPI but I was thinking of doing Blue Team Level 1 first then LPI. What's ur thoughts ?

Hello, Fuad! I hope all is well! Great question. No, prior Linux is needed. BTL1 will give you a brief understanding of some Linux knowledge that will prepare you for the exam. I actually learned more Linux commands from their free introductory course "Digital Forensics." Whatever path you choose, you will be set. Also, are you pursuing CompTIA certifications as well? I dropped a video on how to pass the Security+ last week. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any more questions! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Um1NuoX54sk.html

@@malikgirondin yes I do plan on it. Thanks so much !

Hello! You do not need a VPN for BTLO Labs. Thanks!

Hey! Thanks for reaching out. WGU + CompTIA certs are a great combo for credentials. It has personally worked for me in my career. Fun fact: I got my BTL1 during my WGU tenure last year. There were only upsides, to be honest. Yes, I landed internships, and jobs, and increased my technical prowess. No cert in the WGU Cyber Degree compared to this one. BTL1 is hands-on, lively, interactive, and intimidating. I would add this certification to your portfolio during or after the program. It will only help you in the long run.

@@malikgirondin I only have 3 months experience due to internship before COVID. Would it look like I am a cert chaser?

@@Derpinurface I would not worry about that this early in your career. You are inevitably going to collect over a dozen certs over your WGU tenure. The cert thing becomes a problem when you are just enrolling in a random, fruitless collection. For example, if I have BTL1, why do I need CC? Why am I going backward in knowledge? I honestly don't see BTL1 as "another cert". It is a 4-month training course with a realistic exam scenario. Looking at the stats currently, we have over 10+ passing a day, and these are college students. When I got BTL1, I had zero infosec experience. You need to build that portfolio with certs and projects so you can get the attention of companies. Do you understand?

@@malikgirondin ya I get it, I'm just concerned cause I wanna get career started ASAP and I'm trying to skip help desk if possible cause of the qualifications I'm gonna be getting

@@malikgirondin what exactly is a cert chaser anyway

Hello, Christian! I hope all is well! It is funny you mentioned that. I was looking into the CCD last night. The material and labs looks amazing. I am impressed with the content they are providing for that price. I am very tempted to purchase it at this moment. It reminds me when I first saw BTL1. The only problem at this moment is that is lacks visibility (I am not only speaking from a HR perspective). It is difficult, at this moment, to locate write-ups or video reviews about the experience. I look forward to this certification gaining traction. I am also pursuing training for another cert so it would not be wise for me to put this on my plate since they are both in different regions within the same field.

@@malikgirondin and it is so expensive IMO

Yes, it is! But this is where sacrifice comes into play. You might have to stack up your bread so you can afford it (assuming you are serious). Check this out, you have students going into debt (5-digits) for goofy colleges degrees. I guarantee you can learn the same thing for free on the internet or for a cheaper price. How bad are you willing to invest into your career. Fun fact, is is around the same price as BTL1 at the time of this writing. Without the current discount, I would definitely not make the purchase until I see more data and stats on this cert/training.

The course is 95% test-based training, with some instances of videos.

Yes, Leonard. You can join our discord here, feel free to introduce yourself: discord.gg/NYtzEYcJ My username is SBT Malik

Hello, Justin! I hope all is well! Yes, you can take this training/certification without any SOC Analyst experience. This beginner certification with give you the training to be competent and effective in your first SOC job. When it comes to landing a SOC job, many factors are included. Resume format, your personal network, effective job boards, projects, degrees, etc. I recommend looking up Jay Jay’s SOC Analyst guide on RU-vid to get a better understanding of it. I hope this helped. Thank you!

@@malikgirondin Thank you Malik, sad thing I have taken already the EcCouncil CSA. Then I saw the BTL1 certification from my linkedin network and got interested. I have done the BTJA path this month and finished it, you are correct the course is very practical and I learned a lot. I will take this BTL1 as my next project. BTW, I subscribed and like.

Good morning, Justin! Congrats on completing the BTJA path! That is no small feat! I am glad you enjoyed those courses! Good luck on the BTL1 seeing that is your next project! I can’t wait to see you get trained and certified. Thank you for the like and subscription! I appreciate the huge support! Your future is bright! Keep up the good work!

@@malikgirondin hi Malik, I have one question, is there a platform like bugcrowd that is designed for SOC, instead of bughunting, a SOC do triage on a company's logs or data. Of course there is a non disclosure agreement. Since there are aspiring SOC out there like me who wants to get this job. What are your thoughts on this as well?

Hi Justin! I hope all is well! Great question! The closest and most realistic platform I can think of is BTLO. It is made but the same people who created BTL1. It requires a subscription but the content is challenging and worth it. There are no guides or write for non-retired machines so you know it or don't. If you are caught cheating, you will be banned. It stimulated real life scenarios like analyzing company logs, checking malware, triaging alerts, and much more. This is great for aspiring SOC Anal

Hello, Recon! I hope all is well. I was first introduced to this site last year by a buddy of mine. I did a couple of labs and determined that it was not for me. The layout and payment structure was confusing when I tried it out last year. I assume the website is updated by now. I hear great things about it on Reddit. I am pursuing a different path on this cybersecurity journey that involves different tools and methods that Lets Defend can't provide to me right now. For example, if I want to become something more than a SOC Analyst, why would I pursue the SOC Analyst Pathway? The platform is doing a great job upskilling people to get in cyber. Congrats on that! I am in a different stage where I need more training for my desired path.

@@malikgirondin thx all is well Ty for asking and I c Ty for the feedback yea it seems pretty updated as of now 😁😄 I’ll prob head over to blue team 1 afterwards

Hey mate, If you are a beginner in this space (i.e., limited experience and understanding), please look at the BTL1. If you are looking for an intermediate-level cert, check out the CCD. I trust that you will make the best decision for your career.

@@malikgirondin I am into Ti for last 5 year but looking for DFIR now which will be best for beginner level to understand the entire IR process

I assume the "Ti" is for Threat intelligence. If that is the case, please go for the CCD. It is tailored for DFIRs.

@@malikgirondin thanks for the confirmation what I know is during nov sale there is discount in CCD course it is not sponsored by my company but blue team labs are.. should I wait for black Friday sale ?

@@TRISHAMALLICK-ft9wo November is roughly 6 months from now. I am unsure if postponing a potential career trajectory over a small discount is wise. If you choose to wait, you will have to fill in the 6-month void with other training material. Me, personally, if I am serious about something and have my mind made up, I try not to waste time. Also, a BF discount may not be guaranteed; you might change your interest, or etc. Make the best decision for yourself.

Hey Daya! Nice to meet you. I got the Silver Coin with a score of 70%.

Oh thanks. I was really squinting my eyes there😂. I'll be starting the course this month I really hope I pass as well

Ha, no problem! Great investment choice seeing that this cert is picking up popularity and appearing on job postings as big as Microsoft. I am rooting for you! Please join the official SBT Discord so you can get support and be among other students! You will find me there a lot! Thank you, Daya discord.gg/VnYJfGRc

Hello, Pierre! Great question! Both are great but BTL1 takes the cake with proving your competency through the final exam. It is not only a training program but a very as well. THM SOC 1 is very affordable and fun for beginners. The knowledge and tools I learned in BTL1 were priceless. Tools like DeepBlue CLI, CyberChef, VirusTotal, and much more. I don’t want to start a THM vs SBT war but they are good in there own way. SBT has there own version of THM called BTLO which will be a better comparison. I find the labs more difficult and challenge since there are no write ups and the scenarios are fairly realistic (often involving live malware). Try both out and see which one you like! Thanks for commenting!

@@malikgirondin ok, I will try the blue team and see how does that go. Thanks for the quick reply and great video by the way👍🏾.

Hello, John! I hope all is well. More material is found on their website below. Thanks for watching! securityblue.team

@@malikgirondin yes I saw it and really liked it, I think sec+ is not necessary thank you 🙏

Hello, Gigi! I hope all is well. I mentioned in the video that it took me 25 with 8 hours of studying daily. Obvisouly if you have employment, responsibilities, and an active social life, it can take you much longer. The purchase comes with 4 month training access with room for extension so take your time. If you are a junior, it could take to the full 4 months. If you have experience in the field, around a month and a half. I hope this helped.

@@malikgirondin Thank you.

Hello, Road! I hope all is well! Yes, if that help desk technician puts the time and effort to understand the material. When I took this exam, I was only two months into my IT career. This is someone who has been in customer service for 5 years previously. You must dedicate time in your schedule to read, practice, and take notes. If you can do that, then anyone can pass this exam! I hope this response helped, Road!

@@malikgirondin i truly appreciate time and quickness of your response. Just have one more question if you don't mind. Are there any rolls out there for SOC Analysts that are remote (work for home) or that's something an unusual like during covid pandemic. ?

Good evening, Roads! I hope all is well! I am here to help! Majority of the SOC jobs on the market are mostly remote (or can be done remotely). For example, I worked two SOC jobs in the past and they were both remote. Covid really helped pushed the WFH (work from home) era but IT jobs were remote friendly before that. I personally had 5 remote jobs from 08/2021 to 03/2023. I use job platforms like SimplyHired or LinkedIn and edit the filter to “remote” only. Albeit, we are currently in a rough economic time in America so the market is quite unstable. Don’t let that deter you from being the best version of yourself.

@@malikgirondin Brilliant. I gonna sign up for this course and see where it takes me. I'll post here as i progress. (Hopefully)

This is a global certification, UK residency is not required to be certified.

tHANK YOU FOR REACTING. NOW SECOND QUESTION : IS THIS CERTIF BLUE TEAM LEVEL1 BETTER THAN SECURITT + CERTIF ? @@malikgirondin

SO PLEASE TELL ME Malik, about these two certifications : which one is better ? I completed Security+ course, but I am reviewing to go for the cert exam ! @@malikgirondin

Hey, You can reach me via LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/malikgirondin