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IT is everywhere, and our Road to ChannelCon has proved that. We recently visited Fortified Health Security in Franklin, TN, and Chicago Zoological Society at Brookfield Zoo in Illinois to learn more about the different industries IT pros work in. Keep reading and watch the videos to learn what it’s like to work in IT for the health care industry and at a zoo. Fortified Health Security is a managed security service provider (MSSP) in Franklin, TN, just outside of Nashville. The area is a hub for health care and IT, and the IT pros at Fortified Health Security explained what it’s like to work in health care security and what it takes to succeed in cybersecurity. “The technologies that we’re protecting in hospitals, a lot of times, are linked specifically to a human person who is lying in a bed or on an operating table,” said Spencer Bales, senior security engineer. Stewart Condadi, IT security engineer, added that almost every device they secure is sensitive or patient-facing, which ra...

There are only two types of employees when it comes to IT security: major risk employees and minimal risk employees. The only difference is that the minimal risk employees have been trained, have a sense for what is unsafe behavior and take action to protect themselves and the organization. It might not sound like anything to be proud of, but the minimal risk employee is the ideal end goal: not only do these employees understand, for example, what a phishing attempt is, they report it and communicate back, effectively become security advocates for the entire organization. So how do we get to a minimal risk IT employee? That’s where end-user security training comes in. This is the first in a series of articles that will help you train your employees on IT security. Before we move forward I want to set the expectation that the only way to completely secure a network is to close it off. And that just won’t work for anyone trying to communicate outside of the local area network (LAN). The...

If you’re not already convinced that CompTIA A+ is a great way to launch your IT career, listen to what Zach Hill of I.T. Career Questions has to say. When the CompTIA A+ Core Series (220-1001/220-1002) launched earlier this year, he identified five things that excite him about the certification and why he thinks it’s relevant to today’s entry-level IT jobs, like help desk technician and technical support specialist. "In my opinion, CompTIA has really raised the bar with the new A+ certification,” Hill said in his video. “They have set a new standard while still keeping in mind that this exam is designed and developed for those who are seeking entry-level job roles.” Highlights of the CompTIA A+ Core Series Scripting: You won’t need to become a programmer or know coding inside and out, but you’ll need to understand the basics of how scripting works and the principles of scripting language. Cybersecurity: The CompTIA A+ Core Series has increased its coverage of cybersecurity, incl...

As more and more businesses and organizations undergo digital transformation to stay competitive and meet constituent needs, technology teams are under pressure to deliver a greater number of capabilities, often through the implementation of point solutions: single tools created to address single requirements. Cybersecurity has its own world of point solutions – often referred to by acronym and built to stave off specific types of threats. While the method of going best of breed might seem like an obvious path, it carries with it hidden overhead costs. It takes time to train staff on specific features, it takes resources to keep solutions maintained and upgraded, issues arise with data consistency, costs are exacerbated for IT/cybersecurity training, and so on. Such point solutions can certainly be valuable if, and only if, there’s a sound justification for using them and a lack of existing capability. This might seem obvious at first – we get a tool because we need it to solve a prob...

As a matter of fact, more and more of what we do is in the cloud. The cloud provides so many advantages, including reduced cost for hardware, licensing and storage. It is no wonder that many businesses have moved or are moving IT operations to the cloud, either completely or in part. Exciting right? Cloud providers promise vast solutions, making on-premise IT solutions seem out of date and weak. So, what does the IT team do when administration gives the word, “Take us to the cloud, Mr. Sulu”? There is nothing more aggravating then trying to access data from your cloud provider only to receive a message that the service is currently unavailable and to try again later. Many cloud service providers will advertise their uptime status and provide various types of reliability guarantees. However, what if there is an issue not with your cloud service provider, but with your internet service provider? Can your organization function offline? Having a plan for such times will be crucial for bei...

Successful cybersecurity professionals build on past successes and learn from previous mis-steps. That's the whole idea of an ISAO. Creating a cybersecurity knowledge base can help you do that, and an ISAO provides the ability to store that information. It keeps you from spending time re-studying and re-discovering the same problems and solutions over and over. If you're studying for cybersecurity certifications, such as CompTIA Security+ or CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+), you'll find that both expect you to have a working knowledge of typical cybersecurity threats. CySA+ especially expects you to understand how threat intelligence feeds work. Cybersecurity professionals use their cybersecurity knowledge base to record specific TTPs. And there’s a free proof-of-concept tool that you can use to practice this activity. Yeti, an open source tool, makes this possible. No, I’m not talking about the Yeti coolers that everyone wants these days. I’m talking about a threat i...

As an IT professional, if you’re not skilled in computer networking, you might be losing out on opportunities since computer networking skills such as cloud management, virtualization and enterprise security are in high demand. These skills can land you some of the most unique, fulfilling jobs in the IT industry. Just ask senior network architect Dwight Thomas, Jr., who engineered a broadband network that helped a rural community join the digital world. If you’re interested in breaking into computer networking or strengthening your existing skillset to enrich your IT career, your next IT certification should be one of these top computer networking certifications. The Top Computer Networking Certifications of 2019 CompTIA Network+ Global Knowledge claims that CompTIA Network+ is one of the most lucrative IT certifications on the market. Its 2019 IT Skills and Salary Report shows an average annual salary of $107,143 for those who hold this IT certification. Global Knowledge calls CompTI...

The term “personal information” is now incredibly broad—it includes geolocation data, cookie data and even health, sleep and exercise data, said global security evangelist Tony Anscombe, in a special presentation by CompTIA’s IT Security Community. That broad definition is also at the heart of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which goes into effect January 1, 2020 and acts a lot like Europe’s new standard, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). “It’s like GDPR in that it puts the ownership back in the hands of the consumer,” said Anscombe. Though not as restrictive as its European predecessor, the CCPA still offers the consumer rights: the right to know, right to deletion, right to opt out and right to be free from discrimination. While it might be a hassle to some, it’s also an opportunity. Reasonable security at the CCPA level includes at least four services that solution providers can can offer their clients, Anscombe said. “This is a revenue generator. You shoul...

Ever wondered what a cyberattack looks like? Do you know what IT professionals do when an attack is underway, other than panic? Join CompTIA Chief Technology Evangelist Dr. James Stanger as he explains how to analyze specific attack types, including ransomware, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) and buffer overflow. James will show how attacks are waged, as well as how to listen in and identify them. James will also be teaching specific incident response techniques. Make sure you have your copy of Wireshark and Metasploit running and join us for this very important and informative event Six Ingredients to Success Along the way, Baroness Brady has realized that there are many things that make a good businessperson, but has boiled these down to six key ingredients: Leadership – Not to be confused with management, leadership means developing a vision and persuading employees to help you deliver that vision. Key to leadership is also recognizing challenges and looking for the opportunit...

Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the implementation of an integrated eligibility (IE) system has been a key initiative for many state health and human services agencies. The widespread goal was particularly attributable to the enticement of the A-87 Cost Allocation Exception, which enabled non-Medicaid programs, to leverage the 90% federal financial participation (FFP) match to share business and technology components. While the funding was time-limited and expired on Dec. 31, 2018, the vision was to link multiple health and human services programs in a streamlined process for citizens applying for benefits, one that aligned program eligibility requirements, modernized IT systems, and put the citizen at the center. Now that several years have passed and many efforts have taken hold, we asked members of CompTIA's Human Services Information Technology Advisory Group (HSITAG) to opine on the following topic: Has integrated eligibility been achieved and if not, what...

When it comes to our state, city and county governments, cybersecurity is no longer the sole responsibility of the chief information officer (CIO) or in some cases the chief information security officer (CISO). It has become clear there are critical roles the chief executive must play. The chief executive is in the best position to promote and enforce best practices, ensure adequate resources including necessary staff expertise, training, as well as software and hardware solutions. The chief executive is the one who can promote policies and share critical information amongst senior staff. At the state level it is the Governor who is most likely to interact with key federal agencies. The National Governors Association (NGA) has begun in earnest to support homeland security as well cybersecurity through their Homeland Security & Public Safety Division. Within this division they have created the Cybersecurity, Technology & Communications program. NGA has an amazing staff working ...

Locked doors behind locked doors discourage lazy threat actors and force them to look elsewhere. Therefore, there is no substitute for network segmentation when it comes to protecting your data. Before we dive into what parts of the network to segment and how to do it, let’s level set with a definition. In addition, many cybersecurity engagements, such as penetration testing, can benefit from proper project management as well. For example, it is critically important to properly scope and plan any penetration test. Often these are conducted by teams of pen testers, and proper planning allows for the efficient use of resources so the individual pen testers are not duplicating each other’s work. Plus, it is usually very important to the client that the scope of the penetration test be fully detailed and followed. Clients generally don’t want systems and servers outside of the pen test scope to be probed and attacked due to failures in planning and communications. Project management pract...

As a systems engineer, you are skilled in implementing new systems, fixing errors in existing systems and improving performance through hardware upgrades. These skills are so interchangeable that they can help lead you toward a career in cybersecurity. If you currently work in networking, software development, systems engineering, financial and risk analysis, or security intelligence, you’re in luck because CyberSeek has outlined cybersecurity career pathways that begin with these roles, known as feeder roles. Feeder roles are stepping stones into certain cybersecurity jobs because of the similarities in skill requirements and significant skill overlap with multiple core cybersecurity roles. This article is the third in a series about how to get into cybersecurity from these roles and will focus on how to get into cybersecurity from systems engineering. Choose Your Own Cybersecurity Career There are many opportunities for IT pros to start and advance their careers within cybersecurity...

CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ and CompTIA Cloud+ are very different certifications. Whereas CompTIA Cloud+ is a technical certification that covers cloud implementation and is designed for IT pros, CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ focuses on using solid financial principles to make cloud business decisions, serving both IT specialists and non-technical staff members. As a cloud computing certification, CompTIA Cloud+ requires at least 2 to 3 years of hands-on IT experience. On the other hand, CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ requires 6 to 12 months of experience conducting business analysis in an IT cloud environment. Shortly after his relocation to Fort Knox, he earned CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA A+. Each time he tests for a certification, he immediately starts working on the next one. The U.S. Army has provided him a cost-free way to pursue a priceless education, and it’s something he’s serious about taking advantage of. This method of skill building sets him up to handle a world where things move f...

With the Internet of Things (IoT) comes the addition of exponentially more connected devices, each one adding potential vulnerabilities to your network. “IoT is great, but you're going to have 40,000 more things to attack on your network than you had before IoT, increasing your attack surface exponentially,” said Tina Gravel, senior vice president of Global Channels and Alliances for Cyxtera Technologies. IT pros need to guide their organizations toward solutions that are secure for everyone’s sake. Individuals possess different qualities which can both hinder or enhance their ability to lead others. Leaders demonstrate their strength by: Proactively facing decisions Leaders don’t wait to be told what problems need to be solved, they look around and come to the table with solutions. Motivate those around them You don’t need to be a supervisor to inspire others in the workplace. Successful leaders encourage staff by being enthusiastic, willing to collaborate and be supportive of th...

Our earlier blog posts have provided a general overview of CompTIA’s IT Industry Outlook 2020 and discussed how technology firms can use the findings to help improve their business. As we wrap up the series, we want to look at another audience that can benefit from our biggest report of the year: IT professionals. One of the major changes to this year’s report was a dedicated focus on people who are in the trenches when it comes to technology. They may work for companies that are in the technology industry, or they could be working in other verticals such as health care, finance or education. A recent report from a senior official with the Department of Homeland Security claimed that the shortage of cybersecurity professionals is one of the leading threats to national security. In this episode of Technologist Talk, Randi Parker, senior director at Creating IT Futures, an attorney and long-time advocate for cybersecurity workforce development on Capitol Hill, shares what she thinks are...

On average, IT pros earn 43 percent more than people working in other occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And if you work in IT, you may have heard that a combination of skills, certifications and experience can help you land those lucrative positions. But which IT certifications are so in demand that employers will pay top dollar for the people who hold them? Global Knowledge has the answers in its 2019 IT Skills and Salary Report. Spoiler alert: Two are from CompTIA. Top-Paying IT Certifications Worldwide AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional – $120,136 Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect – $118,756 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) – $116,573 Google Certified Professional Data Engineer – $114,888 AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate – $114,800 TOGAF 9.1 – $111,984 Project Management Professional (PMP) – $111,196 AWS Certified Developer – Associate – $111,178 AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Asso...

Let’s face it: most people don’t want to work a help desk job, and I don’t blame them. The hours can be grueling, end users can be rude or frustrating, and the need to keep the call and ticket queues clear adds to the many other factors that contribute to stress. But the help desk, to many, is a steppingstone to a different path. I learned more in my year working the help desk than I did the rest of my 12-year career. I believe it's underrated because it’s a blind spot in our own definition of the job we do. The work we do has been defined by people who run computers. And that's great—we provide a service to a customer that is valuable, necessary and lasts over time. But why would we not also apply that same mentality to the other side of our customers’ businesses? If we only pursue the IT side of the business, we're missing out on more than half the opportunities with a single customer. Many analysts have predicted that billions of new connected devices will use the inter...

Taking a deeper dive into why IT pros want to get certified, one thing is clear: it’s not about the money. Obviously, a higher salary is a beneficial outcome, but that’s not the driving force behind getting an IT certification. The fact of the matter is, IT professionals are hungry for knowledge and driven to expand their areas of expertise. The end results are typically positive. IT Certifications Increase Job Effectiveness Salary aside, those who have recently earned an IT certification report increased job effectiveness: 52% say their expertise is more sought after within their organization. 45% have implemented efficiencies. 43% are faster at performing their job. 23% state that product/service deployments have gone smoother. Think about these numbers for a moment. Earning just one new IT certification results in more than half of IT professionals feeling that their skill set is even more valued within their business. Nearly half have utilized their new skills to increase efficien...

Now more than ever, online training has become essential for gaining IT skills. eLearning resources help you learn anywhere and at any time. You can use it to learn new skills or to prepare for IT certifications, making your downtime more productive. If you’re a parent, eLearning shows your kids firsthand the value of lifelong learning. Whether you need to ramp up your skills for your current job or learn something new for your next move, this convenient training mode enables you to learn whenever and wherever is best for you. Online IT Training for All Learning Types People learn in different ways – some prefer self-study with online tools and books while others thrive in instructor-led training that mimics a traditional classroom. And many people can benefit from both. No matter how you learn best, both ways are effective and are conveniently available online. Here’s a quick breakdown of the difference between self-study eLearning and live online training: Self-Study eLearning: Mos...

A career as a software developer can be very exciting – from building apps that your friends and family use daily to developing systems that run devices and control networks. While this is a great career path, did you know that all the experience you have in software development can smoothly transition you into a cybersecurity career? If you currently work in networking, software development, systems engineering, financial and risk analysis or security intelligence, you’re in luck because CyberSeek has outlined cybersecurity career pathways that begin with these roles, called feeder roles. They have skills that overlap with those needed by cybersecurity pros. This article is the second in a series that details the cybersecurity career pathway that starts with each of these roles and will focus on how to get into cybersecurity from feeder roles such as software development. Learn About the Other CyberSeek Pathways and Feeder Roles Systems Engineer Financial and Risk Analysis Computer N...