Security Essentials provides foundational skills and knowledge needed to work as a security professional. In this text, you will explore not only various threats and vulnerabilities that affect computer systems but also how to secure an organization against them. Topics covered include enabling user security and authentication, implementing physical security controls, hardening and securing networked devices, and designing and administering secure networks, among other important data security concepts. This text is aligned to the CompTIA Security+ SY0-601 Certification Exam Objectives. Each chapter opens with a list of exam objectives covered within the chapter. In addition, CompTIA objectives are noted with a Security+ icon in the margin at the point of coverage in the content. Chapters conclude with a set of sample Security+ Exam questions to help study and prepare for certification. The CompTIA Security+ Exam is one of CompTIA's four Core Skills Certifications, which provide a pathway to careers in either cybersecurity or IT infrastructure. Additionally, the text includes content that goes beyond the scope of teh CompTIA Security+ Certification Exam. Information about soft skills and employment is included, as well as appendices detailing commonly encountered ASCII characters; important acronyums and abbreviations; and decimal, binary, octal, and hexadecimal number conversions. Security Essentials introduces information an data security and presents these topics in a way that helps the reader earn CompTIA Security+ Certification and stand out in an increasingly competitive job market.