BTL1 vs Security+: Which Should You Take First?

Both certs get thrown around in blue team career threads, but they test very different things. Security+ is a broad IT security foundations exam. BTL1 (Blackpoint Cyber's Blue Team Level 1) is a hands-on, scenario-based cert built around actual SOC analyst tasks: log analysis, incident response, digital forensics, and using tools like Wireshark, Autopsy, and Velociraptor. Deciding which to take first depends on where you're starting from.

What each cert actually tests

Security+ (SY0-701 as of the current revision) covers a wide slice of security concepts: general security concepts, threats and vulnerabilities, security architecture, security operations, and program management/oversight. It's multiple choice plus a handful of performance-based questions. You can pass it by memorizing concepts from a study guide without ever touching a real SIEM or packet capture.

BTL1 is different in structure and intent. It's an open-book, 24-hour practical exam split across four domains: Security Fundamentals, Incident Response, Digital Forensics, and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM). You're given a scenario, real artifacts, and you write an incident report based on what you find. There's no multiple choice section that lets you guess your way through. If you can't actually triage a compromised host or read a memory dump, you won't pass.

Why the order matters for beginners

If you have zero background in networking, OS internals, or basic security terminology, going straight into BTL1 is rough. The exam assumes you already know what a five-tuple is, how TCP handshakes work, and how to read Windows Event Logs at a basic level. Security+ won't make you job-ready, but it gives you the shared language: CIA triad, common attack types, PKI basics, access control models. That vocabulary makes BTL1's material land faster instead of feeling like you're learning two things at once — security fundamentals and how to take a practical exam.

Security+ is also cheaper (around $404 USD as of this writing) and more widely recognized by HR filters and government contract requirements (it's on the DoD 8570 baseline list). If you need a cert to get past an applicant tracking system for an entry-level analyst posting, Security+ often does that job better than BTL1 alone.

Why some people skip straight to BTL1

If you already have a networking or sysadmin background — say you've done help desk or NOC work, or you've gone through something like Network+ or a CompTIA A+/Network+ combo — Security+ might feel like a rehash of things you already know. In that case, jumping to BTL1 gets you a credential that hiring managers on blue team-specific roles tend to weight more heavily, because it proves you can actually do the analyst work, not just define it.

BTL1 is also better prep if your goal is a SOC analyst or incident response role specifically, rather than a generalist security position. The skills overlap directly: parsing logs in Splunk-style tools, understanding process trees, recognizing lateral movement patterns. Security+ touches these topics at a surface level; BTL1 makes you demonstrate them.

A reasonable default path

For someone with no security background: Security+ first, then BTL1. Give yourself 2-3 months for Security+ prep depending on your baseline IT knowledge, then another 2-3 months building hands-on skills (TryHackMe's SOC Level 1 path, Blue Team Labs Online, and CyberDefenders scenarios) before attempting BTL1.

For someone coming from IT support, networking, or a computer science background: you can reasonably skip straight to BTL1, especially if a job posting or your target employer specifically values it over Security+. Some SOC teams now list BTL1 as equal to or preferred over Security+ for tier-1 analyst hires, since it's a better predictor of on-the-job performance.

The cost and time tradeoff

BTL1 runs more expensive than Security+ and requires a real time investment in hands-on lab practice beforehand — there's no shortcut through memorized flashcards. If budget is tight, Security+ gets you a recognized credential faster and cheaper, and you can build BTL1-relevant skills for free using CyberDefenders and Blue Team Labs Online before committing to the exam fee.

Neither cert alone gets you hired. Pair whichever one you pick with a home lab, a documented CTF or two, and notes you can talk through in an interview.

For more on building the hands-on skills both certs assume you already have, check out Korra Studio's Blue Team and Digital Forensics segments.