New CompTIA A+ Exam

What’s new in the CompTIA A+ exams and what skills will you and your IT team need to master? First launched in 1993, the CompTIA A+ certification is considered the foundation for IT careers. It’s ideal for system administrators and IT specialists of all levels since it casts such a wide net across IT topics and is vendor-neutral, unlike AWS or Microsoft Azure certifications.

As of July 31, 2019, the 220-901 and 220-902 exams for the A+ certification will be officially retired. Changes are made to these exams about every three years to align with the evolution of IT trends and services. The new A+ Core Series replaces the 901 and 902 exams. The A+ Core Series is made up of the 220-1001 exam and the 220-1002 exam, both of which must be passed to receive the A+ certification.

CompTIA’s A+ certification originally debuted in 1993 and since that time more than one million IT professionals have earned their A+ certification. To maintain its relevancy in the market place, CompTIA introduces major revisions with updated course content every 3 years. In doing so, A+ continues to offer the fundamental knowledge that many aspiring IT professionals require to advance in their careers.


For those unfamiliar, CompTIA’s A+ is an entry-level IT certification for PC technicians and Service Desk employees. We had an opportunity to discuss the recently released version of A+ with CompTIA Product Manager, Teresa Sears.
What is CompTIA?

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), a non-profit trade association for IT professionals, is best known for providing vendor-neutral training and certifications for the IT industry. The association counts 200+ IT vendors as members including AT&T, Intel, and Cisco; over 9,000 IT professionals, educators, and students in the US are CompTIA members.

The CompTIA A+ certification is an important credential for those in the IT industry and has seen major changes this year, which I’ll explore in detail here.
More Info: entry level comptia a+ jobs

Start a Successful Career with CompTIA A+

If you are, you should learn more about the CompTIA A+ Certification Exam. In order to obtain the CompTIA A+ Certification, you need to take and pass two exams: the CompTIA A+ Essentials Exam and the CompTIA A+ Practical Application Exam. The CompTIA A+ Essentials Exam measures the competencies of entry-level IT workers and assesses

To get Comptia Security+ certification sy0-501, you don’t need to complete any prerequisite courses. Nevertheless, CompTIA recommends at least two years of experience in IT administration, focused on security. It’s also smart to take sy0-501 practice tests and review relevant interviews, resources and video deep-dives.

one’s technical understanding of computer technology, networking and security as well as one’s communication skills and professionalism. The Practical Application Exam expands on the knowledge and skills identified in the previous exam; this exam takes a more “hands-on” approach where troubleshooting and tools must be applied to resolve problems in the different scenarios.

Both of these exams consist of 100 questions. Each exam lasts 90 minutes. The CompTIA A+ Certification will be yours only if you score a minimum of 675 on the CompTIA A+ Essentials Exam and a minimum of 700 on the CompTIA A+ Practical Application Exam. So, make sure that you prepare well. If you’re interested in having the best instructors train you for these exams, then come to Ashford Global IT (AGIT). There, not only will you have experienced instructors provide you with the necessary skills but you will also have accredited materials on-hand to help you study and prepare for both exams.

More Info: comptia a+ requirements

CompTIA Helps Rising Careers

More than 75 years later, that sentiment still rings true – although today it’s not just about our young people. CompTIA’s Student Membership program offers technology students – of all ages – access, opportunity and insight into a career in tech. Whether the tech bug bit you in high school, or later in life, the student member community is designed to help individuals reach their full potential. These 10 rising stars have been awarded a $2,000 scholarship from CompTIA.

The IT department's job was to make computers work and facilitate end users' jobs while, in the interest of maintaining scrupulous network security, limiting internet access at the level that the network management tools of the era allowed – often an all-or-nothing proposition. Either you were allowed to use it, or you weren't.

In that era of enterprise computing, the relationship between an IT team/chief information security officer (CISO) and an end user resembled something closer to the relationship a utility company has with a customer.

“Our Student Membership Program supports and encourages technology students and helps them gain the training and skills they need to get a strong start in IT,” said Justin Valentine, manager of the CompTIA Student Membership program. “The scholarship program is one of these benefits.”

The Rising Star scholarship is awarded to student members looking to pursue a career in technology who are contributing significantly to the success of their student chapter and/or their local IT community. These recipients are shining examples of how students can make a lasting and valuable impact on their school’s technology program and the IT industry as a whole. Read on to learn what they’re doing now, what they want to do in the future and how they plan to get there.

More Info: net+ certification salary

What is CompTIA Security+ Certification?

What industry does not love a good abbreviation? The Computing Technology Industry Association is known as CompTIA, which is much easier to communicate. It is the leading provider of vendor-neutral IT certifications in the world.

CompTIA has issued more than 2,000,000 IT certifications worldwide. Being vendor-neutral means it is dedicated to helping IT professionals lead the charge in our digitally connected world, not dedicated to one company or another.

CompTIA, a non-profit trade association, is the voice of the IT industry. CompTIA works through professional certifications, educational programs, research, networking events, philanthropy and public policy advocacy to advance IT. Because CompTIA is committed to impartiality and objectivity in carrying out its certifications, it is highly respected here in America and in over 140 other countries around the world.

A major objective within the CompTIA A+ Exam is Hardware and we are going to highlight some of the areas that you are going to be asked during your test. Let’s go ahead and outline 1.1 through 1.7.

1.0 Hardware Objectives

Given a scenario, configure settings and use BIOS/UEFI tools on a PC
If you have ever needed to change a setting to boot from USB than you’re already familiar with it. UEFI is the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface and it provides several features but if you haven’t ever seen it before than really just think of it as a GUI for bios with some extra functions and security features. Best way to practice is simply to boot into it and look it over. Both BIOS and UEFI. Both are common.

Explain the importance of motherboard components, their purpose, and properties.
The motherboard provides the physical interface for your components. You will have a variation of the layout and different types of components will go into them but the general outline goes like this. You have your PCI and PCI-e slots, Northbridge which communicates with the CPU and your RAM, Southbridge communicates with everything else, cpu fan, memory slots, your power connector, ide or sata connections, panel connections, usb connections and your CMOS battery.
Sign Me Up!

To take the certification exam, you need to buy a voucher from CompTIA. Buying the voucher gives you the all-important exam voucher number, delivered by e-mail. The voucher is redeemable at a Pearson VUE test center, within 12 months of purchase.

Obviously you should only sign up and purchase the voucher if you are truly ready for the exam. What does that involve?

More Info: a+ certification jobs

New CompTIA A+ Exam

What’s new in the CompTIA A+ exams and what skills will you and your IT team need to master? First launched in 1993, the CompTIA A+ certification is considered the foundation for IT careers. It’s ideal for system administrators and IT specialists of all levels since it casts such a wide net across IT topics and is vendor-neutral, unlike AWS or Microsoft Azure certifications.

As of July 31, 2019, the 220-901 and 220-902 exams for the A+ certification will be officially retired. Changes are made to these exams about every three years to align with the evolution of IT trends and services. The new A+ Core Series replaces the 901 and 902 exams. The A+ Core Series is made up of the 220-1001 exam and the 220-1002 exam, both of which must be passed to receive the A+ certification.

Others worry that CompTIA certifications won't help them get a job or a promotion; it's difficult for them to see the benefits of a certification that requires time and money and doesn't offer to set them apart from other IT pros in the field.

These might seem like disadvantages for CompTIA candidates, but the benefits that the certifications bring outweigh these concerns. Ask any successful IT professional and chances he started his career with at least one CompTIA certification.
What is CompTIA?

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), a non-profit trade association for IT professionals, is best known for providing vendor-neutral training and certifications for the IT industry. The association counts 200+ IT vendors as members including AT&T, Intel, and Cisco; over 9,000 IT professionals, educators, and students in the US are CompTIA members.

The CompTIA A+ certification is an important credential for those in the IT industry and has seen major changes this year, which I’ll explore in detail here.

More Info: a+ certification jobs

CompTIA Security+ Worth It

Security is one of the fastest growing areas in IT. The United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects job growth of 28 percent for Information Security Analysts between 2016 and 2026. (Information Security Analysts is a general job category designation used by the BLS for security-related roles in the field of Computer and Information Technology.) With growth rates higher than the national average, IT security-related positions continue to be a very attractive career option for those seeking entry to security roles or looking to make a career change.

The field of cybersecurity is evolving rapidly. It offers both lucrative and engaging opportunities for current and rising information technology professionals. A great way to get ahead in this promising field is to secure a credential. One of the most popular is the CompTIA Security+ certification. Don’t be intimidated by the thought of the test! There are ways to prepare and it is actually a very approachable credential for a beginning professional. Here are the answers to a few FAQ’s that candidates often have.

Almost 90 percent of IT professionals hold at least one certification. Many IT professionals view certifications as a way to gain a competitive advantage in the workforce marketplace. Unfortunately, not all certifications are created equal, and popularity doesn’t necessarily guarantee a return on investment in terms of helping you to gain a new job or secure a much-needed raise.

Today, we’re going to take a look at one of the CompTia’s star certifications — CompTIA Security+ — and examine whether it delivers in terms of advantages in hiring and higher salary.

More Info: comptia a+ jobs

Cybersecurity Career Challenging

It doesn’t take a deep knowledge of IT infrastructure to notice the fraudulent charges on a credit card bill, to have a doctor’s appointment rescheduled due to a ransomware attack or to imagine the costs businesses incur from data breaches that have grown all too commonplace. Laypeople might not understand quite why it happens, but the impact it has on people’s daily lives means that the uptick in cybercrime is a problem.

What someone with less technical acumen might not appreciate is that taking the right precautions is more difficult than ever before. In part because our assumptions about hacker motivations, targets and capabilities have gotten quickly outmoded.

It happens naturally. Marketing creates a hyped-up translation of the vision of what the product, service or widget can do, and that evolves into hyperbole. It becomes a vacuum to where everybody starts believing that this is a fundamental change, when in fact it is nothing more than reshuffling the same ingredients. I think that has led to people believing that IT is generally an overrated rumor of what it used to be, which was a true fundamental evolution and an improvement in their life and lifestyle.

Just two or three years ago, the conventional wisdom was that bad actors wouldn’t bother investing the resources in targeting a small business with a sophisticated piece of malware like an advanced persistent threat (APT). Hackers, though, aren’t looking for a fair fight; they’re going for the easiest to acquire and most valuable data.
More Info: comptia a + jobs

Traditional IT Security Vs. Cloud Security

Nowadays, more and more businesses are making their shift to the cloud which has led to various hybrid environments. However, it has become more challenging for businesses across industries to maintain both tradition and cloud security at the same place. As data is the fuel that drives modern-day businesses toward success, it is crucial to protect it from unwanted snoopers who are always in search of an opportunity to strike and steal. While some choose to collect, store and manage their data in-house, others migrate it on the cloud to save both time and money.

Here’s a list of some of the “newish” technologies and solutions you need to know for this new version of the CompTIA Security+ exam.

These are in no particular order but should cover you until the next update the exam in 2021.
Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral (ECDHE)
Crypto service provider and Crypto modules
Hardware Security Modules (HSM)
Continuity of operations planning (COOP)
Forensic strategic intelligence/counterintelligence gathering
Privacy impact and threshold assessment
Driver manipulation – shimming and refactoring
Everything on the “deploy mobile devices securely” objectives list
Configuration compliance scanners
These utilities: ping, netstat, tracert, nslookup/dig, arp, ipconfig/ip/ifconfig, tcpdump, nmap, and netcat
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Internet of Things (IoT) and SCADA

There is no denial to the fact that cloud technologies have made data management easier, especially when it comes to the security parts. The cloud keeps the data safe under the multiple security layers and access to the data is only granted to authorize users to avoid emergent threats. Still, it is important to learn the difference between the traditional, and cloud security to understand which approach will suit your business better. Candidates can also pursue Information Security Training to learn the key differences between traditional and cloud Security.
More Info: jobs with a+ certification

ADVANTAGES OF COMPTIA A+ CERTIFICATION

For those seeking employment in the IT world, a CompTIA A+ Certification will provide you with the best of the best certifications to show that you have the knowledge and expertise in the field. Employers hire around more individuals with a CompTIA Certification, which is often the higher salaried positions. Instead of starting out on the ground floor and working your way up the ladder with CompTIA Certifications, you can actually be chosen for higher paying positions in the beginning.

A few advantages of the CompTIA A+ certification include higher salary, satisfaction, a larger base of career choices, proof that you are serious about your career, and you will be providing employers with several advantages to hire you as well.

To reflect current workplace needs and, in line with ISO certification accreditation requirements, CompTIA has updated its widely adopted A+ certifications.

The A+ 900 series is a reflection of the current knowledge and skills needed by IT professionals.

DDLS has just updated all A+ courses to the 900 series content. So you can come and study with us, safe in the knowledge that you are receiving the most up to date content available.

To ensure you are best prepared prior to attempting the certification exams, DDLS CompTIA courses include the following:
An official study guide based on the exam objectives
Online videos to support learning offerred through our content provider
Online study resources offered through our content provider
Online practice tests

You may wonder why a CompTIA Certification will give you satisfaction. The answer is simple. You will know you had the knowledge needed to pass the CompTIA A+ so you will be more confident when applying for employment in the field. Your career choices after receiving CompTIA certification has just jumped to several instead of a couple that are considered beginners in the industry. With this certification, you will be able to start your career as a computer technician, help desk technician, manufacturing, field service technician, or even start your own computer repair business. Individuals with CompTIA A+ certification receive salaries that are 5 to 15 percent higher than those without certification.
More Info: comptia a+ technician

Highest Paying CompTIA Certifications

CompTIA is one of the most trusted providers of Information Technology certification. As an industry leader they help certify a generation of highly paid professional talent. Offering a handful of certifications, CompTIA prepares people who test with them for a lucrative career in various IT fields. We’ve compiled a list of the 5 highest paying CompTIA certifications to give you a glimpse into an incredible certification program. In this article you’ll find a breakdown of five simple certifications that open up new jobs in thrilling careers with very good pay.

The CompTIA Security+ qualification was launched in 2002 to meet the growing demand for qualified and specialised information security professionals. Building on the knowledge gained through obtaining A+, Network+ and Server+, CompTIA Security+ covers network security, compliance and operational security, threats and vulnerabilities, application, data and host security, access control, and cryptography. This qualification is held by more than 45,000 IT professionals working in 147 countries.

Clocking in at an average of $55,000, the A+ certification is an underrated way to get industry experience at livable wages with minimal training. An A+ technician is known as the jack-of-all trades in the IT world. They can work with a variety of Hardware and Software, setting up OSX, Windows, and Linux systems as well as networks. As a certificate, this is the base level of CompTIA and prepares you for numerous fields. It’s recommended to do A+ even if you want to enter into another field because the training is just so critical to a foundation in IT. For a couple months of study and two exams, this certification gets you into the industry and paid well.

Starting Wages: $55,000-70,000
Typical Jobs: IT Tech, Support Desk, Traveling IT repairman, General systems manager, IT Specialist
More Info : jobs that require a+ certification

How I Passed the CompTIA A+

The CompTIA A+ certification 900 exam series will retire on July 31st, 2019. You can either prepare for the 220-901 and 220-902 exams or opt for the recently released 220-1001 and 220-1002 versions. This blog post applies to the 900 series, but the information and advice is also relevant for the newest exams. If you have a little prior experience, you can earn your A+ very quickly. I updated my A+ certification in after only six days of studying for the 900 series exams.The exams seemed even easier than before. This blog post recaps when I learned, what you should expect, and tricks to watch out for.

These are some of the most valuable IT certifications today, according to the 2020 Robert Half Technology Salary Guide:
Certified data professional (CDP)
Certified information systems security professional (CISSP)
Cisco certified internetwork expert (CCIE)
Cisco certified network associate (CCNA)
Cisco certified network professional (CCNP)
Certified information systems auditor (CISA)
CompTIA A+
Microsoft technology associate (MTA)
Project management professional (PMP)
Oracle certified professional
Salesforce certified development lifecycle and deployment
Certified Scrum master (CSM)
AWS certified solutions architect
Certified ethical hacker (CEH)
Global information assurance certification (GIAC)
ITIL

Each offers specialization in different aspects of IT. Here’s a guide showing which of these and related certifications may be best for you, depending on your experience level and areas of interest.

More Info: a+ certification near me

Mobile Version of Comptia A+ Core

SimulationExams.com, a leading practice tests vendor, released Android and iOS versions of Comptia A+ Core 1 and Comptia A+ Core 2 exams. As may be noted, the Windows desktop versions of the exams are already made available. The mobile versions are available in Trial and Full packages. The download pages for the same are given below:

1. A+ Core 1 Exam Demo  - Android
2. A+ Core 1 Exam Full - Android
3.  A+ Core 2 Exam Demo  - Android
4. A+ Core 2 Exam Full - Android

The iOS versions for use with Apple iPhone and iPad are given below:

1. A+ Core 1 Exam Demo  - iOS for iPhone n iPad
2. A+ Core 1 Exam Full -  iOS for iPhone n iPad
3.  A+ Core 2 Exam Demo  -  iOS for iPhone n iPad
4. A+ Core 2 Exam Full -  iOS for iPhone n iPad

The demo versions of the software are good for 60 questions and answers with explanations. It's good measure of knowing one's preparedness for taking relevant exam. For those interested in practicing full length exams, check out the full versions of the products. The desktop versions of the exams are available here:

1. A+ Core 1 for Windows
2. A+ Core 2 for Windows

Note that the previous versions of the A+ exams, viz 220-901 and 220-902 have been retired as on 31st July 2019. The new version of the exams have exam numbers 220-1001 for A+ Core 1 and 220-1002 for A+ Core 2. You can not mix and match the exams for A+ certified. You need to pass both the exams in the same series.

More Info: a+ certified jobs

CompTIA A+ - Creating IT Futures

It was a few days after the go-live date for the much-discussed General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and things in Europe were getting back to business as usual. In the UK, Chris Hodson, chief information security officer (CISO) and data protection officer at Zscaler, hadn’t received too many GDPR-related inquiries from the clients he advises on matters of cybersecurity, policy and compliance. His schedule was, nevertheless, as full as ever – and he sees it as a bonus.
220-901 Topics
No CRTs: You may see it in your study guide, but nothing more than minor adjustments with the screen controls. I did not encounter CRTs on my particular exam
No RAMBUS RAM
More focus on printers, specifically virtual printers
UEFI BIOS is new
No AGP: You may notice it on past study materials
PCMCIA removed
802.11ac WiFi now included
Mobile devices, in particular Windows phone is new
Command line tools

“I have the luxury that I get to go to all these market-leading organizations and listen to their challenges and give my view from the field,” Hodson said.


Hodson’s immersion in the world of IT compliance doesn’t start or end with the headlines. Every day involves thinking not just about regulatory compliance, but the countless other pieces of today’s complex cybersecurity puzzle.

More Info: jobs with a+ certification

Distributed Denial of Service Attack Concepts

A distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack is a malicious attempt to disrupt normal traffic of a server, service, or network by overwhelming the target or its surrounding infrastructure with a flood of internet traffic. DDoS attacks achieve effectiveness by utilizing many compromised computer systems as sources of attack traffic. Exploited machines can include computers and other networked resources such as IoT devices. From a high level, a DDoS attack is like a traffic jam clogging up a highway, preventing regular traffic from arriving at its desired destination.

• Protect your business: Keep your business running by protecting your critical applications and infrastructure from DDoS attacks.

• Protect your brand: By preventing DDoS attacks you keep your systems running for customers maintaining your service and brand reputation.

• Rapid response: Understand the nature and origin of attacks for improved speed of resolution.

• Gain attack intelligence: Learn from attacks to better prepare for and defend against future attacks.

Any organisation relying on its online presence or public-facing infrastructure must defend against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, which can interrupt business-critical services and act as a smokescreen for other attacks. Our Managed DDoS service delivers the resources and expertise to absorb even the most severe attacks and maintain the best possible security and availability.

More Info: denial of service attack types

WordPress DDoS Protection

Every server has a limit, and your website can only handle so many simultaneous visits before its server begins to buckle under pressure. This, in a nutshell, is how a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack works. Considering how common they are, setting up WordPress DDoS protection is a smart move.

DDoS stands for Distributed Denial of Service, which refers to the deployment of large numbers of internet bots—anywhere from hundreds to hundreds of thousands. These bots are designed to attack a single server, network or application with an overwhelming number of requests, packets or messages, thereby denying service to legitimate users such as employees or customers.

Usually, attackers begin a DDoS attack by exploiting a vulnerability in a single computer system. The attacker’s system then becomes the DDoS master and works to identify other vulnerable systems to turn them into bots.

The perpetrator directs those computer bots to attack through the use of a command-and-control server, or botnet. At that point, all the attacker has to do is tell the bots who to target.

There are a lot of ways you can mitigate the effects of DDoS attacks on your website. Blocking suspicious IPs is a great start, and so is investing DDoS protection services. Securing your website against DDoS attacks from the get-go can save you a lot of time and headaches down the road.

More Info: denial of service attack types

Questions for Selecting a DDoS

The sophistication, size, and frequency of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks continue to increase—with no apparent end in sight. Where 2 Gbps attacks were once the norm, organizations are now routinely taking steps to mitigate 200+ Gbps attacks against not only the network (Layer 3 and Layer 4), but the applications (Layer 7).

Before we examine prevention and mitigation to DDoS attacks, it is important to reach a common definition of a DDoS attack, which is based on my own experience in the field:

A DDoS attack is an attack intended to take an organization or a service offline, or otherwise render resources unusable, which originates from (or appears to originate from) multiple hosts. The "multiple hosts" part of the attack is what makes it "distributed," and is what makes the attack more difficult to defend against. An attack that originates from a single host or IP address can be easily blocked with a simple router access list or firewall rule.

SYN/UTP/TCP flood attacks, DNS Amplification, NTP Reflection/Amplification, SQL injection, and native SSL attacks have become topics of conversation well outside IT and infrastructure organizations.

As these threats continue to permeate mainstream business conversations, we’ve identified five key questions to ask your organization and your service provider about their DDoS mitigation strategy.

More Info: what does ddos mean

IoT-powered DDoS attacks

DDoS attacks against DNS providers are generally more challenging to accomplish, given the redundant nature of the services, which suggests that this attack came with significant firepower. DNS attacks, when successful are however more damaging as they impact any Internet properties relying on that particular DNS provider.

A DoS or DDoS aims to exhaust the resources at the disposal of a server, most often the ones linked to the network. However, it is also possible to saturate the disk, the RAM, or the targeted machines’ processors.

We separate here the applicative DDoS from the network DDoS, since the method are different, as well as the way to block them. However, when you hear about a DDoS, this term refers to the network DDoS.

In today's world, DNS is a fundamental part of critical infrastructure. DNS provides the translation between human friendly domain names and machine readable IP addresses. In short, without DNS services, users are unable to reach websites, even though the sites themselves may be running just fine. Given the amount of commerce done over the Internet today, it is not surprising that the US Department of Homeland Security is already investigating the attack.

More Info: how does ddos work

How distributed denial of service attacks

A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is an attempt to make an online service unavailable by overwhelming it with traffic from multiple sources. They target a wide variety of important resources, from banks to news websites, and present a major challenge to making sure people can publish and access important information.

From a single computer, it’s difficult for attackers to generate the volume of traffic necessary to crash a network or website. To get the bandwidth or processing power needed, attackers often use botnets—armies of hundreds or thousands of Internet-connected computers (zombies or bots) that are infected with malware and under the control of the attacker (the bot master, or bot herder). In most cases, the owners of these infected computers are not even aware they’ve been compromised.

From one or more computers designated as the command and control (C&C) server, the attacker sends remote “launch” instructions to the bots. Collectively, these systems provide enough power to carry out massive attacks—far larger than those launched from a single source. And by using a botnet, attackers are able to hide their identity because the attack originates from many different systems that all appear to be legitimate.

More Info: how to prevent denial of service attack