CDEP vs CySA+
| CDEP Hack The Box | CySA+ CompTIA | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Defensive · Advanced | Defensive · Intermediate |
| Price | $450 Voucher with 2 attempts. You must first finish 100% of the HTB Academy Detection Engineer path (13 modules, subscription extra); the Platinum Annual plan (USD 2,000/year) includes it. | $425 Exam voucher only. |
| Study hours | 200–400 h | 100–150 h |
| Real difficulty | ●●●●● | ●●●○○ |
| Exam | Hands-on Length: 240 h | Multiple choice Length: 2.8 h |
| Validity | Does not expire | 3 years (continuing education) |
| Job ads in United States | 5 | 3,669 |
| Avg. salary | $73,296 | $126,779 |
| Index | 25 | 67 |
| Summary | HTB's newest certification: detection engineering, rule writing and malware analysis with reverse engineering. A 10-day exam. Aimed at senior defensive profiles. | The defensive next step after Security+: detection, threat analysis and vulnerability management. |
Highlighted: the best in that row.