This is the question to ask before spending money, not after. This article answers directly, even including parts that are not beneficial to selling the course.
First: what certifications can and cannot do
Security+ does not create jobs for you. It does not replace experience, it does not replace practical skills, and no employer will hire someone just because they see that certification on a resume.
What it does is get your resume past the first round. In Vietnam, many large companies and foreign companies filter resumes by keywords before a real person reads them. If there's no certification on the required list, the resume is rejected before anyone can see what you have to offer.
In other words: Security+ is a ticket to enter, not a seat.
Understanding this correctly is important, as it determines where you should invest your remaining time.
Positions that often require or prioritize Security+
SOC (Security Operations Center) Specialist — tier 1 Monitors alerts, classifies incidents, escalates when needed. This is the most common entry point into the cybersecurity industry in Vietnam, and also where Security+ is most frequently mentioned.
Information Security Specialist A general position in businesses with their own IT departments: managing policies, reviewing access rights, handling incidents, coordinating audits.
System/Network Administrator with a security component Many sysadmin job postings now include the line "prioritize security certification." This is the group where Security+ makes the clearest difference, as you already have operational experience but lack security certification.
Compliance/IT Audit Specialist Domain 5 of Security+ (governance, risk, compliance) aligns almost directly with this job.
Security Solution Deployment Engineer At system integrators and security product distributors. Vendor-neutral certifications like Security+ are often a baseline requirement, after which the company provides brand-specific training.
The groups of businesses that recruit the most
FDI businesses and outsourcing companies for the US market. This group values Security+ the most because their parent companies or clients apply standards that reference recognized certification lists. This certification is included in the US Department of Defense's DoD 8140/8570 standard, and that influences how many international organizations write job descriptions.
Banks and financial institutions. The industry with the greatest compliance pressure, budget for security personnel, and often requires certifications in recruitment standards.
Security service providers (MSSPs). Constantly need staff for SOC, and certifications help them demonstrate team competence to clients.
Large enterprises with their own IT security departments. Telecommunications, large-scale retail, multi-industry corporations.
Less interested: small startups and pure software companies — they look more at portfolios and technical tests than certifications.
Regarding salary
I will not give specific figures, because all the numbers you read online about cybersecurity salaries in Vietnam have problems: either too old, or taken from too small a sample, or mixed between domestic and foreign companies — which differ greatly.
Instead, three things are true and more useful:
Certifications rarely directly increase salary, but they increase the number of offers. And more offers mean more negotiating power. That's how certifications affect income.
The biggest gap is not in certifications but in the type of company. The same person, the same certification, working at a domestic company versus an FDI company can have a significant salary difference. If your goal is income, choosing the right type of company is more important than choosing the right certification.
The most reliable way to research is to do it yourself. Go to major job sites, filter by the keyword "Security+", look at the 20-30 most recent listings and record the advertised salary range. It takes 30 minutes and gives you real-time data, instead of a figure someone wrote two years ago.
Who is Security+ for in the Vietnamese market?
Highest value for:
- People working in IT (sysadmin, network, helpdesk) who want to switch to security. You already have experience, just lack official recognition in the security field — this is where the certification is most effective.
- People aiming for FDI companies or banks.
- Final-year students who need something on their CV besides grades.
Lower value for:
- People who have been working in security for 3-5 years. Should aim for higher-level certifications directly.
- People who want to do in-depth penetration testing. Security+ is a good foundation, but employers in this field look more at practical skills.
- People looking for jobs at small startups.
Which direction to go after Security+
Security+ is a crossroads, not a destination. Three common directions:
Defensive path (blue team): CySA+ → specialized certifications in SOC and incident response. Suitable if you like analysis, monitoring, investigation.
Offensive path (red team): PenTest+ or CEH → more hands-on practical certifications. Suitable if you like finding vulnerabilities and penetration testing.
Management path: certifications in risk management and compliance. Suitable if Domain 5 is the part you find interesting, not just something you tolerate.
It's important to note: a higher-level certification will automatically renew your Security+. So continuing your education not only enhances your capabilities but also fulfills the maintenance requirement for your old certification.
What to do in parallel with studying
Certifications get you past the initial filter. What helps you pass the interview round are other things:
- A self-built lab environment. Virtual machines, configure, break, fix. Being able to tell this story in an interview is much more valuable than just repeating certification names.
- English comprehension for technical documents. Almost all worthwhile security documents are in English. This is a real barrier for many Vietnamese in the industry.
- Understand the business operations of your target industry. Banking security is different from factory security. Knowing a little about the business operations helps you stand out much more than someone who only knows technical skills.
See more: What is CompTIA Security+? · 90-day self-study roadmap for Security+ · Renewing Security+ after 3 years