Security+ vs Network+: Which Should You Take First?
If you are starting in IT or security, Security+ and Network+ both come up early, and it is not always obvious which to do first. The short answer: if you already understand networking, go straight to Security+. If networking is genuinely new to you, Network+ first will make Security+ easier. Here is how to decide. For the full exam picture, see the Security+ (SY0-701) guide.
What each one is for
Network+ certifies networking fundamentals: how networks are built and connected, addressing, protocols, common hardware, and basic troubleshooting. It is about how data moves.
Security+ certifies core security: threats and mitigations, secure architecture, security operations, and governance. It is about protecting what moves and where it lives. Security+ is the more career-defining of the two for anyone aiming at a security role, because it is the credential employers most often list as the security baseline, and it is a DoD 8140/8570 IAT Level II approved certification.
Is Network+ required before Security+?
No. There are no mandatory prerequisites for Security+. CompTIA recommends Network+ and about two years of IT experience, but recommends is the key word. You can sit Security+ without Network+, and many people do.
The real question is not whether it is required, but whether skipping it will slow you down. Security+ assumes a working understanding of networking. Its Security Architecture and Security Operations domains lean on concepts like segmentation, protocols, and traffic flow. If those are already comfortable, Network+ would mostly be review. If they are not, you will end up learning networking anyway, in the middle of a security exam, which is the hard way to do it.
A simple way to decide
Go straight to Security+ if you already work in IT, understand how networks and common protocols function, or have equivalent hands-on experience. For most people with some IT background, Security+ is the right first security certification, and Network+ is optional.
Take Network+ first if networking is genuinely new to you, if terms like subnet, VLAN, and DNS resolution are unfamiliar rather than rusty, or if you are coming into IT from outside the field. Building the networking foundation first makes the whole Security+ syllabus click faster, and you finish with two credentials instead of one.
Where this leads
Whichever you start with, Security+ is the foundation of the security career path. After it, most people move to CySA+ or PenTest+ at the intermediate level, and eventually SecurityX at the expert level. Network+ supports that journey but sits alongside it rather than on the security track itself.
When Security+ is your next step, everything you need is here, aligned to the current SY0-701 exam: start with CertMaster Study, add CertMaster Labs for the hands-on parts, and book with an exam voucher when you are ready. New here? The how-to-study plan lays out the whole approach.