CompTIA SecAI+ (CY0-001)

The CompTIA Security AI Analyst (SecAI+) certification (Exam CY0-001) is a high-level credential for cybersecurity professionals, data scientists, and security engineers who need to deploy, secure, and leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) systems. Unlike traditional security certifications, SecAI+ focuses specifically on the challenges of securing the AI pipeline itself and using AI to automate and enhance cyber defenses.

The performance-based certification validates advanced competency in four crucial domains:

• Securing AI systems against adversarial attacks,
• Implementing AI governance, risk, and compliance (GRC),
• Using AI for enhanced security operations, and
• Understanding core AI/ML concepts relevant to cybersecurity.

The SecAI+ certification training course prepares candidates with the technical skills required to build, monitor, and defend resilient AI architectures in cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments. It covers defensive strategies against data poisoning, prompt injection, model inversion, and ensures professionals can assess AI-related risks and align deployments with emerging global regulations like the EU AI Act and NIST AI RMF.

Course Objectives

1.0 Basic AI Concepts Related to Cybersecurity

• Summarize fundamental AI and Machine Learning concepts and terminology
• Explain the uses of various AI/ML models in cybersecurity operations
• Identify security considerations related to data acquisition, processing, and storage for AI
• Understand the relationship between data integrity, provenance, and model security

2.0 Securing AI Systems

• Analyze a scenario and integrate security controls to protect the AI/ML data pipeline
• Given an attack scenario (e.g., prompt injection, data poisoning), select appropriate defense mechanisms
• Analyze and implement controls to harden AI models and APIs against adversarial attacks
• Integrate security measures like Prompt Firewalls and Gateway Controls for generative AI systems

 

3.0 AI-assisted Security Operations

• Given a scenario, select the appropriate use of AI to enhance threat detection and response
• Analyze and integrate AI for automating security workflows and incident triage
• Evaluate the security implications and defensive strategies against AI-enabled adversary tools
• Summarize the use of AI in vulnerability management and security assessment processes

 

4.0 AI Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC)

• Summarize the core tenets of Responsible AI (Fairness, Explainability, Transparency)
• Analyze scenarios to identify and mitigate AI-related risks (e.g., bias, ethical concerns)
• Compare and contrast global AI regulations and standards (e.g., EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF)
• Given an organizational requirement, implement appropriate AI security policies and procedures

 

Target Audience and Recommended Experience

The CompTIA SecAI+ certification is specifically designed for technical professionals who are actively working at the intersection of cybersecurity, data science, and cloud operations. This is not an entry-level certification; it is built for those looking to specialize in securing and leveraging intelligent systems.

• Security Engineers and Analysts: Professionals responsible for designing, deploying, and maintaining security controls who want to integrate AI/ML tools into their defense strategy.
• AI/ML Engineers and Data Scientists: Individuals who build and deploy AI/ML models and need to ensure their models are secure, resilient against adversarial attacks, and compliant with ethical and regulatory standards (GRC).
• Security Architects: Those who define the overall security structure and require the ability to integrate secure AI/ML pipelines and governance into the enterprise architecture.
• Senior Incident Response (IR) Personnel: Analysts who manage complex security incidents and require knowledge of how AI can accelerate triage, analysis, and recovery processes.
• IT Auditors and Compliance Officers: Professionals who need to understand and audit AI systems for bias, transparency, and adherence to emerging global AI regulations.

Prerequisites for SecAI+ (CY0-001)

CompTIA recommends that candidates pursuing the SecAI+ certification have a solid foundation in both cybersecurity and basic computing concepts. While CompTIA does not enforce strict prerequisites, they suggest the following experience and knowledge base for success:

• Cybersecurity Experience: 5-7 years of hands-on experience in cybersecurity, potentially following certifications like CompTIA Security+ and CompTIA CySA+ (Cybersecurity Analyst). This ensures a strong understanding of network security, common threat vectors, and security operations center (SOC) processes.
• Technical Knowledge: Familiarity with cloud environments (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and a basic conceptual understanding of machine learning (e.g., what supervised learning is, the concept of a training dataset, and model deployment).
• General IT Experience: A broad understanding of operating systems, networking, and basic programming logic, as the certification involves securing the infrastructure where AI models are built and run.

Career Advancement Outcomes

• Analyze and mitigate adversarial AI attacks against live models and training data.
• Design and develop robust security architectures for AI/ML pipelines (MLOps Security).
• Integrate advanced AI tools to automate and accelerate enterprise security operations.
• Apply global governance and ethical frameworks to ensure AI compliance and transparency.