Your Path to Certified Expertise.
Move beyond theory. We bridge the gap between passing exams and real-world application, guiding professionals through the A+ to CySA+ pipeline to ensure you aren't just certified—you're ready.
Three levels. One continuous climb.
The CompTIA catalog is not a menu, it is a sequence. Each level assumes the one beneath it and prepares the one above. Find where you are standing, then read upward.
- Level 01
Entry / Foundation
0–1 yearTech+A+Network+Security+AI EssentialsAI Prompting EssentialsRolesIT support, junior technician, cybersecurity foundations, AI productivity
- Level 02
Intermediate
1–3 yearsCySA+PenTest+Cloud+Linux+Data+AutoOps+SecAI+SecOT+ (upcoming)RolesSOC analyst, penetration tester, systems engineer, AI security specialist, OT security practitioner
- Level 03
Advanced / Expert
3–5+ yearsSecurityXCloudNetXDataXDataAIRolesSecurity architect, senior network and cloud engineer, data and AI technical specialist
Experience ranges are suggested training-planning guidelines, not mandatory CompTIA prerequisites. Specialist credentials may be placed at different levels depending on a student's background.
Security+ sits at the foundation level and satisfies DoD 8570/8140 baseline requirements for IAT and IAM workforce categories, which is why most roadmaps route through it early.
Self-study teaches the test. We teach the job.
A practice bank can get someone to a passing score. It cannot tell them what the control looks like at three in the morning when it is the thing that failed. Three differences close that gap.
Hands-on labs
Exam objectives describe tasks. Labs make you perform them. Learners work in live environments, building subnets, reading packet captures, triaging alerts, and running scans, so the domain they just studied becomes something their hands already know how to do.
Instructor-led delivery
Our instructors work security operations and compliance engagements, not just courseware. When an objective is ambiguous, they explain how it behaves in a real environment, and they catch the misunderstanding in the room instead of leaving it to surface on exam day.
Real-world application
Every module is tied back to the job the credential unlocks. We teach why a control exists, where it fails, and what a government-contracting environment expects of the person who owns it, so the certificate reflects capability rather than recall.
Three ways people enter the roadmap.
Entering IT from another field
Start at the Entry tier and climb a sequence that was designed, not improvised. The roadmap shows exactly which credential comes next and what it opens.
Moving from IT into security
You already run the systems. Security+ and CySA+ formalize the defensive skill set and satisfy the credential requirements that security roles and contracts name.
Standardizing credentials across a team
Put a whole team on one framework so capability is comparable, gaps are visible, and workforce obligations can be evidenced with a documented training trail.
Pick your tier. Start the climb.
Tell us where you are on the roadmap and what the role or contract requires, and we'll map the sequence from there.
CompTIA training questions.
- Is STS an authorized CompTIA partner?
- Yes. STS delivers instructor-led CompTIA training across the certification path, from entry-level credentials through the expert tier.
- Which CompTIA certification should I start with?
- It depends on where you are. People new to IT generally start at Level 1 with Tech+, A+, and Network+, then take Security+ while still at the foundation level. People already running systems can often begin at Security+ directly and move into Level 2. The roadmap on this page lays the three levels out in the order they build on each other.
- Which certifications does STS cover?
- Level 1, Entry and Foundation: Tech+, A+, Network+, Security+, AI Essentials, and AI Prompting Essentials. Level 2, Intermediate: CySA+, PenTest+, Cloud+, Linux+, Data+, AutoOps+, SecAI+, and SecOT+, which is upcoming. Level 3, Advanced and Expert: SecurityX, CloudNetX, DataX, and DataAI.
- Does Security+ satisfy DoD requirements?
- Security+ meets the DoD 8570 and 8140 baseline requirements for IAT and IAM workforce categories, which is why most roadmaps for people working on defense contracts route through it.
- How is this different from self-study or a practice test bank?
- Self-study teaches the exam objectives. Instructor-led delivery adds hands-on labs where you perform those objectives in live environments, instructors who work security operations and compliance engagements and can explain how a control behaves in practice, and correction of misunderstandings in the room rather than on exam day.
- Can you train an entire team on one framework?
- Yes. Putting a team on a single certification path makes capability comparable across people, makes gaps visible, and produces a documented training trail that can be used as evidence against workforce obligations.