This is one of the most common questions I get from students starting out in cybersecurity or networking, and the honest answer is: it depends on which direction you actually want to head first.
Start with CCNA if...
- You want a strong networking foundation before anything else — routing, switching, IP addressing
- You're aiming toward network engineering, infrastructure, or cloud networking roles
- You enjoy hands-on configuration work (Packet Tracer labs, real device setup)
Start with Security+ if...
- Your goal is a security-focused role — SOC analyst, GRC, security operations
- You want a certification that's broadly recognized as an entry point across many government and enterprise roles
- You'd rather build breadth first — cryptography, risk, identity — before specializing
My actual take
If you genuinely don't know yet which path excites you more, Security+ is the slightly better first step — it's broader, and touches networking concepts anyway, so you're not closing off the CCNA path later. But if you already know networking is where your interest lies, there's no reason to delay CCNA to "do things in order."
Either way, doing both eventually is common and valuable — they're complementary, not competing. The real decision is just which one to start with.