In the Care of Data

A couple of weeks ago, I was talking with a group of folks about information security and stated that as IT pros, our job is to become the custodians of data. My argument was that we’re the ones who have, in one form or another, all of the essential data for an organization. We’re the ones who are charged with keeping it secure. We determine the privacy measures. If you’ve ever heard the old cliché, “Possession is 9/10ths of the law,” then really, we are the ones that possess critical intellectual property (IP) and personally identifiable information (PII).

I thought I had made a great point during my presentation. But, I hadn’t finessed the point quite right. A couple of folks came up to me and let me know – in a very friendly, but firm way – that they weren’t custodians.

I thought the word custodian was a nice word. After all, IT pros are charged with taking care of data. That’s a cool, interesting and important job.

But they said I could make my point better if I used a different word: instead of being data custodians, they consider IT pros to be data curators or data caretakers.

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Is 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.

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.
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CompTIA Security+ vs. SSCP

The field of cybersecurity is one of the hottest tickets in IT, with a 28 percent growth rate projected between 2016 and 2026. With such popularity comes no shortage of certification vendors seeking to convince aspiring security professionals that their credential is the best one to speed them on their way to the next step in their security career ladder.

Even though choices for security certifications are plentiful, choosing the right one for you does not have to be overwhelming. Choosing the right certification really depends on the answers to a few basic questions.
First, ask yourself what type of certification you need. Are you looking for an entry-level credential or are you already a cybersecurity ninja?
Second, be certain to take a close look at your current skills, education and certifications. For many certifications, especially the more advanced credentials, you are required to have particular skills or experience before attempting the certification exam.
Finally, what type of investment (in both time and money) are you willing to make in training, experience, continuing education and ongoing maintenance? Lower level credentials often have fewer requirements and the exams can be less costly than those for more senior credentials.
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Expanding Your Cybersecurity Skills

It’s easy to find resources for getting started with cybersecurity — but far harder to find ones designed for people who are already working as cybersecurity professionals. To help, we’ve collected some great options for advancing your skills.

All too often, cybersecurity pros assume that structured training courses are appropriate only for beginners. The truth is, there are free and paid cybersecurity courses on the market that will help you grow as a professional and avoid critical mistakes.

In addition, vendors often offer training when they release new software or product updates. Taking these classes can quickly bring you up to speed on the solution’s key functionality, saving you a lot of time later.
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Will the A+ certification get me a job?

A certification helps you land an interview but is only a small part of a larger picture. Most companies are looking for someone that will be a good fit in the job within the company but they are interested in much more than just what tests you can pass. However, if you can’t pass the test, you often never get the interview.

Here’s the typical process for someone pursuing and being offered a job:
An organization advertises for a job
You submit a resume (with or without a cover letter)
Your resume is picked as a possible candidate
You might be asked to complete one or more tests
You are asked to do one or more interviews
You are given an offer
You start your new job

Your certification and the underlying knowledge is important when your resume is reviewed, when you complete some technical pre-interview tests, and when you’re interviewed. However, it is isn’t the only important element.

With very few exceptions, you need more than a certification to get a job. Here’s an example of a rare exception.
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SY0-501 version of the Security+ exam

If you’re planning to take the SY0-501 version of the Security+ exam, you should have a basic understanding of risk management concepts, including risk assessment methods.

For example, can you answer this question?

Q. Ziffcorp is developing a new technology that they expect to become a huge success when it’s released. The CIO is concerned about someone stealing their company secrets related to this technology. Which of the following will help the CIO identify potential dangers related to the loss of this technology?

A. Threat assessment

B. Vulnerability assessment

C. Privacy threshold assessment

D. Privacy impact assessment

More, do you know why the correct answer is correct and the incorrect answers are incorrect

It’s important to realize that you can’t eliminate risk. Sure, you can avoid information technology (IT) risks completely by unplugging your computer and burying it. However, that wouldn’t be very useful. Instead, users and organizations practice risk management to reduce the risks.
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CompTIA Security+ with Certification Exam SY0-501

Students and our sales staff are asking lots of questions about the recently announced CompTIA Security+ SY0-501 exam. Selected aspects of the exam have not been announced. I was able to review a CompTIA partner webinar covering the new exam, and acquire a forty page detailed mapping document. My deep dive isn’t complete, though this blog should suffice to answer the most relevant student and sales questions.

CompTIA Security+ certification validates knowledge of security fundamentals, basic risk identification and analysis, threat identification and assessment, IT infrastructure security, cryptography, operational security, and general security processes including incident response and business continuity. Certification Track: This course will prepare students to take the SY0-501 CompTIA Security+ Certification exam, for the objectives released in 2017 and

You might get somewhat of an overview on your own directly from CompTIA by reading through their Security+ pages. Click the link for exam details or scroll down the page, where you can monitor for any updates. Don’t check too soon, however, since CompTIA indicates that they will not start their public marketing effort until October 25th, 2017.

I have access to their partners’ page which provides a few more details, and you should be able minimally to access the landing page to monitor for additional updates or changes.
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Taking IT Certification Exams at Home

Would you like to know what I did just 2 minutes before I started my CompTIA Linux+ exam? I played Call of Duty. I sat at my desk, headphones on, and played one of my favorite video games to mentally prepare for my CompTIA Linux+ exam. My stress levels were low, my mind was clear. When it was time, I took off my headphones and started my exam. This is my new pre-exam routine.

This was one of my best IT certification exam experiences to date – and I have taken a lot of them. You may have already guessed that I took this exam from home. This is a very welcome change to the IT certification process … but is it for you? Why should you consider online testing versus taking an in-person exam at a testing center? Here’s why I love online testing and some reasons why it might be great for you, too.

Up until very recently, taking an IT certification exam usually involved traveling to a testing center. Overall, testing centers are GREAT. I've passed many exams at these locations, but, if I'm being honest, it wasn't my favorite part of the process, with time being a huge factor.
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ChannelCon Preview: Ecosystems

Earlier this year, CompTIA and AchieveUnite partnered to define a common and unified definition of partner experience. This research uncovered four underlying trends that are proving to drive successful partnerships over the long-term. Today, as the power equation has shifted from binary partner relationships to partner ecosystems and communities, enablement has become essential. In fact, enablement is the new currency with tools providing the critical path to the success of these ecosystems. CompTIA’s Carolyn April will detail the findings and more at ChannelCon Online in a session titled: Exploring Partner Experience Trends.

In the following article, AchieveUnite sits down with Larissa Crandall, vice president of worldwide channel and alliances at Gigamon, to discuss the evolution and role of the partner ecosystem as it relates to partner experience. These are excerpts from the conversation:

Why has the channel evolved to a partner ecosystem/community?

We have evolved into an ecosystem because partners are looking for complete solutions they can take to market. Their goal is to deliver customers everything they need to solve their individual challenges without having to worry about interoperability or missing functionality. This level of partnership helps forge a sense of trust that helps build ongoing relationships.
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Secure Cloud Solutions in a Crisis

Not only has the recent crisis put governments on high alert as cybersecurity threats increase, but they are also left with on-premise solutions and a skeleton crew of IT staff to support. Now, more than ever, seems like the time for those previously hesitant to take steps to move to the cloud.

Some of the skepticism around Cloud and security are shifting as governments consider the value of not needing to fully support and protect in house. Take personnel data for example. Protecting personnel data and the ability to pay people on-time is a top priority during a crisis. Imagine that your personnel data is held for ransom and you can’t pay the people who are going to help you out of the crisis. It’s a scenario that could cause severe morale issues that lead to a host of issues, including an impact to services.

In a recent podcast, Alan Shark, Executive Director of CompTIA's Public Technology Institute (PTI), talks about the types of challenges that confront local government leaders when it comes to cybersecurity, as well as sharing solutions that can mitigate those risks. In this podcast, Alan also goes on to explain how moving infrastructure to the cloud can be a good strategy to make your environment safer– as long as your providers can demonstrate the security of their infrastructure and managed services.
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What CompTIA Security + Certification Mean For Your Cyber Security Career

With each passing day, cybersecurity is becoming more complex. In the era of digitalization where the cyber-crime rates are touching the sky, the traditional methods can no longer protect your valuable data from the unwanted snoopers. In order to implement the new technology, the organization required experienced professionals who have skills to bring the necessary changes. Cyber security skills are high in demand nowadays. This means possessing these skills with not only make you a capable individual but also opens new doors of opportunities for you.

Recently, in its ISACA disclosed that there are not enough cybersecurity experts to go around. Although it is a bit disappointing new for some but for many it sounds like a golden opportunity. Of course, the gap can be filled if interested people come forward to pursue the CompTIA Certification course but right before they do it, they really want to know what big change this security certification will bring in their lives. And through this blog, we are about to discover these things:

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CompTIA A+ Certification: Pave Your way to Successful

Making the appropriate decision about your professional area can be a bit tough once you’re incompetent in finding appropriate guidance. In this case, you should mainly concentrate on a sphere with the possibility of providing you significant benefits.

That’s why the must-have is to figure out the CompTIA A+ certification, its two associated exams, 220-1001 and 220-1002, and the benefits that this most in-demand certification brings.
CompTIA A+ Exams

The two CompTIA A+ exams are important in becoming a successful IT support specialist. Initially, applicants were needed to take 220-901 and 220-902 exams, but since the IT-sphere has been rapidly evolving, there is a need to update professionals’ skills, making them suitable to the requirements of the current IT field. Thus, new exams (220-1001 and 220-1002) comprise more topics to test you on, and these exams are explained in this article below. The 220-1001 exam includes networking technology, hardware, and connected devices, cloud computing with virtualization, and associated technology.

While 220-1002 comprises areas such as operational procedures, software troubleshooting, and enhanced security. Each of the exams includes 90 questions needed to be taken in the time duration of 1 hour and 30 minutes.

This way, you’re going to answer multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, and performance-based questions in the exams. Applicants’ lowest eligible marks’ number for the 220-1001 exam is 675/900, while the least score for 220-1002 is 700/900 points.

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How CompTIA Security plus training

As almost all mid-size and large companies have huge databases these days, it is very much evident that the security of these data is one of the fastest growing fields within IT. One of the most appropriate certification for security is the CompTIA Security + Certification. It is the certification offered to enable the IT professionals adept in data security to obtain appropriate certification proof according to their skills. This certification is a vendor neutral certification.

The holding of the CompTIA Security plus certification provides an edge to the IT Specialists and acts as a proof of their credentials and skills in the different fields such as network security, compliance, operational security, different threats and management of vulnerabilities, security of applications, data and hosts, efficient access control etc.,

The advantage of the CompTIA Security plus Certification is that it validates not only adequate competency in the field of security concepts and tools but also to work applying the appropriate procedures to rectify and resolve any security related incidents. The CompTIA Security plus Certification also assures that IT Professionals possessing this type of IT certification can predict risks related to security and act accordingly to ensure protection.
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Testing Strategies for CompTIA Exams

CompTIA includes performance-based questions on their exams to make them more practical and keep up with trends in certification testing. Knowing what to expect and how to approach these question types is key to your success in passing the exams. First, let me fill you in on some facts about the exams.

Exam facts:

There are several different types of questions you may see in your CompTIA exam:
Multiple choice – the standard question, choose the right answer
Multiple response – choose all answers that apply with more than one correct answer
Fill in the blank – fill in the answer to the question
Drag-and-drop – image or question where you drag answers to match the image or text
Exhibits – answer questions relating to an attached picture or diagram (variation to multiple choice)
Performance-based – detailed question, open dialog boxes or other configuration windows and configure as needed

CompTIA has added more of the newer drag-and-drop and performance-based questions to their exam pool. You may get as few as 2-3 or as many as 10-12 of these type of questions depending on which exam you are taking. The more of these questions you get, the fewer of the traditional multiple choice, multiple response or exhibit-type questions you will have, depending on the difficulty of the performance-based questions you get.
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How IT Training Helps a Texas Workforce

Borderplex is a workforce board operating in El Paso, Texas, and a neighbor of one-million-acre Fort Bliss, the largest U.S. Army training ground in the nation with an estimated impact on the local economy of $1 billion. Thousands of Army personnel live and work at Fort Bliss, with hundreds of these veterans transitioning into civilian life each month through the El Paso community.

CompTIA Custom Training helps Borderplex train many Fort Bliss veterans for IT jobs, such as cybersecurity, and launch new careers as technologists.

How? Melendez tells Technologist Talk host R.C. “Bob” Dirkes the tale in this edited transcript of their conversation:

Leila Melendez: [The Borderplex] mission is to tailor our response and provide employment and training assistance, upskilling assistance to the individuals that need it based on our economy, our region, the things that drive our community. That is different in every community. The foundation is the same, but how we deliver it, how we adapt and provide those services to our citizens, our youth, our job seekers is customized and is tailored to meet the needs of our employers and to those job seekers.
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CompTIA A+(Plus) Training And Certification

Instructor-led training provides a comfortable teaching environment with instructors that are familiar with the certification process and can help you master your certification exam. There’s a wealth of training materials available that match your learning needs and learning style. Whether you are studying on your own, or in a classroom environment, we recommend CompTIA Authorized Quality Curriculum (CAQC) training materials that will help you get ready for your certification exam and pass the test

CompTIA A+ 220-901 covers PC hardware and peripherals, mobile device hardware, networking and troubleshooting hardware and network connectivity issues. CompTIA A+ 220-902 covers installing and configuring operating systems including Windows, iOS, Android, Apple OS X and Linux. It also addresses security, the fundamentals of cloud computing and operational procedures
Prerequisites

The CompTIA IT Fundamentals exam is designed to help you learn more about the world of information technology (IT). It’s ideal if you’re considering a career in IT or if you work in an allied field that requires a broad understanding of IT. CompTIA IT Fundamentals can also be a stepping stone to more advanced certifications such as CompTIA A+, and, with specialized experience, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+
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Info You Should Know About CompTIA A+

If you’re applying for the job of a computer support technician, having a CompTIA A+ Certificate on your résumé or curriculum vitae (CV) is definitely going to grab the attention of your prospective employers.

If you haven’t been properly introduced to the CompTIA A+ Certificate yet, then here are some common questions and answers:
Common Questions For Ashford Global:

Q) What is the CompTIA A+ Certification?

A) This credential is one of the industry standards for computer support technicians. It proves your capability in different aspects of tech support such as installation, networking, and troubleshooting. Earning the CompTIA A+ Certificate also indicates that you have the necessary communication skills that a technical support officer needs.

What do I need to do to get my certificate?

A) In order to earn your CompTIA A+ Certificate, you need to pass two certification exams. First, you must pass the CompTIA A+ Essentials examination. This exam will test how well you understand computer technology, networking, and security as well as how effectively and professionally you can communicate with customers.

The second exam you must pass is the CompTIA A+ Practical Application exam. This exam consists of different scenarios which will test how effectively you can detect and solve different computer-related problems.
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Reasons Why CompTIA Security+ Training

There is no shortage of certifications for people who want to pursue a career in cybersecurity; in fact, there are so many that it can be overwhelming for someone trying to figure out where to start. One of the most widely accepted and highly regarded accreditations is the CompTIA Security+ Certification.

From financial benefits to career pathways to instant industry recognition, the CompTIA Security+ Certification is the smart choice for anyone who is serious about getting ahead. Here are ten reasons why the CompTIA+ Training is worth serious consideration:
1. Get Paid

A professional with CompTIA Security+ certification can expect an average salary range of a network engineer between $42,128 – $95,829. The accreditation, coupled with your experience, will dictate your salary. Within five years, you can expect to earn a salary around $66,887 a year.
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Difference between the new A+ 220-1002 and the CompTIA A+ 220-902 certification

First about the exam number: At the time we are writing this we have reasons to believe that 220-1002 will be the exam number that will be replacing 220-902. However, this is early enough that things could change in that respect. If so, we’ll update as needed. Update: The exam number is confirmed to be A+ 220-1002 but the exam now also has a name. It is A+ Core 2.

As an entry-level certification, A+ is rather a wider than a deep credential. It is to some extent stating the obvious to say that the Exam Objectives for A+ 220-1002 will aim at reflecting technologies dominant today that were not included, or at least not prevalent, in the objectives as stated three years ago.
Are A+ exams 220-902 and 220-1002 “Software” exams?

A semantic survival from the A+ certification’s past is still around in some well-informed circles. When the A+ certification program was first launched in the early 1990s (and yes, we were there…) it was split into two exams and they were not known by a number. There was no need to refer to a number as these were the very first exams and so the only ones around. However, they were known as and referred to as the A+ Hardware and A+ Software exam. The A+ Hardware was all PCs, Macs. and printers, no devices yet (this was 1992). The Software exam was Windows and Apple. By including Apple, it ensured a vendor-neutral imprint on the exam. In any case, if you take a look at the exam objectives of today’s A+ 220-901 vs 220-902, you can clearly see that that division is still alive and well:
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Streamlined Certification

Washington, DC, is now considered one of the top cites in the country to launch a technology company or grow a tech-based startup. It makes sense: Expanding government IT investment combined with the rapid expansion of the Dulles Technology Corridor makes this a hotbed of technology development — and puts certified IT professionals in high demand.

One certification framework often prioritized by corporate recruiters is Cisco’s CCNA; as of February 24th, 2020; however, the multiple-course CCNA model is being retired in favor of a single training-and-exam offering. According to Cisco, the new changes will help “prepare you for today’s associate-level job roles in IT technologies.”

But what does this change mean for IT pros? What does this streamlined certification look like? What benefits does it offer, and is it still worth pursuing if you’re looking for a technology career in Washington, DC?

Here’s what you need to know about the new approach to CCNA training.
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CompTIA A+ Questions and Answers

Comptia A+ is among the most popular computer hardware and operating systems certification, offered by Comptia organization. Most questions have been answered below. If you have any specific questions, please email webmaster [at] certexams.com.

1. What is CompTIA A+?

The Computing Technology Industry Association(CompTIA) A + is the most widely recognized certification in the field of computer hardware and operating systems for those beginning their career in IT. The exam i++s designed to certify the competency of entry-level PC computer service professionals in installing, maintaining, customizing, and operating personal computers.

2. What is the history of CompTIA A+ certification?

CompTIA is abbreviation for Computer Technology Industry Association, which was found in 1982 under the name of the association of better computer dealers. The history of CompTIA A + certification dates back to 1993, when the first A + certification test was developed as a way for new technicians to demonstrate efficiency when performing installation, repair and maintenance of various computer tasks. In 2003 the A+ certification requirements were updated, and the candidates were required to pass two different exams to get A+ certification one is A+ Core Hardware and other is A+ Core operating system technologies exams. After that CompTIA Updates its requirements for every 3 years.
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