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Information technology is a highly dynamic and ever-changing field.  As the industry evolves, new types or sets of certifications continue to crop up.

Because of the sheer number of certifications, certification paths, specializations and providers out there, it is easy for someone new to IT to be confused about where to start.  Even people who are certified might be unsure of the next steps.

Let TrainSignal walk you through the basics of IT certification training, including how to carve out your own certification path and a few tips on how to ace certification exams.

In this easy-to-follow guide, you will get the answers to these often-asked questions:

    • Why should I get certified?
    • What are my certification options? What is the difference between them?
    • Which certification should I start with?
    • Which exams should I take first among the various certification paths?
    • How do I prepare for a test?

Why should I get certified?

There are myriads of reasons why you should seek out certification in a number of IT-related programs, software or skills, but three reasons are key:

    1. Credibility
    1. Marketability
    1. Personal development

Credibility

IT certifications are testaments to your skills and proficiency in a certain area.  For example, becoming a VMware Certified Professional tells hiring managers, companies and clients that you have the experience and skills needed to effectively create, design, manage and maintain a cloud environment.

This is the biggest reason why IT professionals pursue IT certifications.  It helps validate your skills and expertise in your current job.

Marketability

There are certain certifications that are appropriate for wherever you are at in your career.  For example, it may help new graduates land entry-level positions if they pursue basic certifications such as CompTIA A+, Microsoft Certified Professional, Certified Internet Webmaster Associate, Sun Certified Java Programmer and Cisco’s CCNA.

These certifications validate the skills they learned in school  and can help make up for not having the right work experience for the job.

In fact, no matter where you are in your IT career, certifications will almost always give you an edge over non-certified IT professionals.

Certifications do more than just validate your skills and experience.  It also shows potential employers that you are committed to the IT field by spending the money and time to obtain your certifications.

IT certifications also make career advancement more likely.  The plain truth is that, in general, IT certifications can help you get a pay raise or a promotion.

According to Rich Hein at CIO.com, the right certifications could mean anywhere from an 8 to 16 percent increase in your pay, so certifications are very important when it comes to compensation.

Lastly, certifications are a must in certain sectors within IT. Consultants and  people who are self-employed would be wise to obtain certifications so more clients will trust them.  Additionally, most government IT positions require certain certifications for you to be eligible for hiring.

Personal and Professional Development

IT is a very dynamic field and new technologies are introduced every single day.  Certifications are important to ensure that you are on top of these developments and that your skills are updated.

Certification training can help you cover new areas while also reinforcing the skills you already have.  Think of it as a refresher course that can help you identify and overcome your problem areas.

Certification can also help you to network with other IT professionals.  Your next job, project or endorsement could very well come from someone you met at a study group or technical conference related to a certain certification exam.  Certification can help you meet IT professionals who have similar interests and specialties as you.

Heading down a certification path will also give you access to resources that would not be available otherwise.  This includes access to online forums, training materials and other learning resources that are provided by certification providers such as Microsoft and Cisco.

There’s also something to be said about the personal satisfaction that comes with acing an exam that validates your expertise.  Go ahead, put your certificate on your wall or add those letters after your name!

What are my certification options? What are the differences among them?

There are a lot of answers to these questions, really.  It would all depend on what you need for your job, what your career goals are, and what you are interested in.

What it comes down to is that your certification path should reflect your career path.  There are two things that you should know about certifications.  The first is that hiring managers will be able to weed out applicants who have obtained certifications but don’t have the appropriate job experience.  A certification alone will not help you land a job nor will it make you ready to perform a certain function.

The second thing is that you really need hands-on, real-world experience with the technology, devices and software involved in the certification you are seeking.  It will make passing the exams easier, which is something we will discuss later.

Choosing your certification path depends on two things: Where you are now and where you want to go in your IT career, and what functions and work-related experience you have in your profession.

Knowing these will help you wade through the numerous certification providers that offer different paths. You will also have to decide whether to go for vendor-neutral certifications or vendor-specific ones.

The certifications provided by the biggest certifications providers, are:

In recent years, another group of certifications have cropped up: those related to the cloud, specifically, virtualization.

Examples include certifications from:

What certification should I start with?

If you work with technologies, devices and software from a particular vendor, you might want to start with that.  For instance, Microsoft has certifications for their products in network administration, Windows administration, programming and databases, among others.  With Microsoft, the Microsoft Technology Associate credential is the most basic and people with some experience or education in the field may start with a  Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist, or MCTS, certification.

If you are up for a little challenge, you might want to try for the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA).  The CCNA is regarded as one of the most difficult entry-level certifications. Cisco also offers the Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT)which is the starting point for all advanced associate, professional and expert certifications from Cisco.

If you do not want to be locked into just one vendor, go for CompTIA, which is vendor neutral and focuses on general technologies and concepts rather than specific hardware from a single manufacturer.

With CompTIA, most people start with the CompTIA A+ and then take the CompTIA Network+ exam.

Which exams should I take first among the various certification paths?

Once you have determined the right certification path for you, you will need to research about the various certifications available for that particular path and select the ones that you probably would not need in the long run.

For example, if you are just starting out your IT career, you would want to start off with an entry-level certification such as CompTIA A+, CCENT or CCNA, among others.

Once you have your niche, then you should have a clearer picture of which certifications to pursue.  For example, an IT security professional will want to get CCNA SecurityMCITPMCSE, Security+and/or Network+ before moving on to Wireshark Certified Network AnalystCertified Ethical HackerCertified Professional Penetration Tester and Offensive Security Certified Professional.

If you are aiming for a particular higher-level certification, your certification choices become a lot easier.  For example, if you want to be a CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner, then you should get CompTIA Security+ first.  It is recommended that you should also have a CompTIA Network+ certification under your belt when aiming for Security+.  Conversely, if you are aiming for a Microsoft Certified Master level of certification, it would help to first obtain a Microsoft Certified Technology and then Professional level certification first.

More Popular Certifications

Project Management Professional is a highly sought-after certification for IT professionals.  It will validate your skills as a project manager and is admittedly one of the most difficult certification exams to pass.  The requirements are quite stringent. You would need thousands of hours of general leadership experience and months of project management experience.  You would also need 35 hours of formal project management education before you can take the exam.   The PMP Exam has 200 multiple-choice questions and most of these are based on theoretical situations that force you to apply your knowledge to real-world scenarios.

VMware Certified Professional 5 or VCP 5 is another one of the most popular certifications today.  VMware is one of the most widely used virtualization platforms, thus making this credential very important.

The VCP is the entry-level credential and part of the requirement is to have hands-on experience with VMware vSphere. The VCP5 exam itself only has 85 questions that need to be answered within 90 minutes.

Citrix also has similar certifications that are focused on virtualization:

    • Citrix Certified Enterprise Engineer
    • Citrix Certified Integration Architect

Microsoft has a lot of certifications for IT professionals using its products, including Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate, MCSA, and Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert, MCSE.  The new MCSE is no longer focused on server administration and its associated technologies, but on the different approaches to solving business and enterprise problems.  It now takes a look at business intelligence, database administration and cloud computing.  In fact, there are now three tracks that can help you get an MCSE credential:

    • MCSE for Private Cloud
    • MCSE for SQL Server 2012
    • MCSE: Business Intelligence

Cisco, on the other hand, has the Cisco Certified Network Associate Security certification.  The CCNA tests various skills that relate to designing, creating, deploying, installing and configuring, testing and maintaining Cisco appliances and security devices.  This would include testing:

    • Your understanding of the different types of attacks and threats against networks
    • Your knowledge on designing effective policies on network security as well as implementing it
    • Your knowledge of Cisco products and technologies
    • Your skills on how to provide secure access to network devices, among other

The CCNA Security credential has two possible paths. One is to pass the CCNA Composite Exam or take two separate exams: Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices 1 and 2.  As always, you would need to know the concepts as put forth by Cisco and how to apply them to real-world scenarios.  In fact, a big part of the CCNA is performing tasks with simulated switches and routers.  You would need to practice on Cisco equipment, so it would be helpful if you can rent or buy Cisco equipment if you do not work with them at your company. Either that or you can practice on simulators available online such as Cisco Academy’s Packet Tracer or Boson’s, but a good free alternative comes from GNS3, which is open source.  Trainsignal has a lot of resources to introduce you to GNS3.

How to Prepare for a Certification Test

No matter which test you want to take, you will always need to prepare.  Here are some general tips on how to prepare for your certification exam:

1. Practice makes perfect.

Practice tests will help you tremendously in passing the test.  Working on practice tests can help you know which areas you need to brush up on, as well as making you familiar with the actual test.  You will be able to simulate just what it will be like to answer the test with the time limits, instructions and other variables that are present during the actual test.

2. Make sure to keep the time.

While doing practice tests, take note of the time you need to complete it.  You will need this in order to pace yourself so that you could complete a certification exam within the allotted time.  If, for instance, you take four hours to finish an exam that has an allotted time of 1.5 hours, then you might not be ready to take at all.

3. Study groups help.

Study groups are a great way to cover examination topics and battle the boredom that comes from studying alone.  Chances are, there are colleagues in your office who are studying for the same exams.  If not, then you can probably find a study group on Craigslist or online certification forums.

4. Use different preparation methods.

Fortunately for you, there are a lot of ways to study for an exam.  You can get books, participate in an online forum, go through a formal classroom review, check out web-based training like TrainSignal offers, and talk to people who have taken the same tests.  Do not just rely on one preparation method because it might not be enough.

Whatever you do, however, please be sure to avoid braindumps.  Braindumps are online sites that help you cheat on your certification exams by  divulging the questions and answers to actual tests.  While this may sound like an easy way out, it is undoubtedly highly unethical.  Also, if you are caught, you could instantly fail the test.

But the deeper evil of braindumps is that you are getting credentials for something that you do not really know or understand. How will a CCNA certification, for example, help you if you really do not know anything about routing and switching?

5. Make sure you are ready for the test.

This probably goes without saying, but if you have prepared and you still feel that you are not ready for the test, do not go through with it.  And when you do feel that you are ready, make sure that you get enough rest and sleep on the night before the exam.

Above all, you should have a clear understanding of what skills will be covered on the specific test you’ll be taking.  Some more popular exams, CompTIA for example, work hard to measure your real-world experience and test your problem-solving skills.

As you can see, planning for a certification path can be complex. Pluralsight offers many more resources for IT certification training, including courses on the most-popular certifications.

Aim high and good luck!

Ready to test your skills for the CompTIA A+ certification exam? See how they stack up with this assessment from Smarterer. Start this CompTIA A+ certification test now

Source: Pluralsight

Andrew Bustamante recently responded to a question on a subreddit thread on Reddit which asked what the biggest threat to the America national security in the future will be. He replied saying blockchain technology will be the biggest threat and whoever manages to figure out the technology first wins.

The subreddit thread where the question was raised is a thread dedicated to Bustamante’s ‘Everyday Espionage’, where he supposedly teaches people to benefit from international espionage techniques by implementing them in daily lives. Considering the fact that Bustamante is reportedly a former CIA intelligence officer, U.S. Air Force veteran and Fortune 10 corporate advisor, he does have the qualifications to do so.

On 22 December 2018, the question was raised in the subreddit thread, together with several possible answers such as “climate change”, “Iran”, “North Korea” or “Russia”. He responded saying blockchain technology is “super powerful stuff”, and the whoever is capable of figuring out “how to hack it, manipulate it or bring it down wins”. However, he did not elaborate further on how exactly blockchain could threaten the country’s security.

Since then, multiple Redditors have speculated possible theories regarding Bustamante’s remarks on the technology. One of them suggested that the ability to create false data within the blockchain would be disastrous when paired with the high difficulty of fixing data in a blockchain-based system. Another Redditor suggested that blockchain offers the potential of making certain transactions “untraceable” and “anonymous”, thus ending up being a possible threat to security.

Quantum computing was also mentioned in the thread. Bustamante replied to a Redditor’s question asking for clarification whether developments in blockchain or quantum computing would be a more concerning factor to the country’s security. He replied that the Redditor had a “fair point”, and this remark a lot sparked new discussions on the topic.

As quantum computing was said to hold the possibility of permanently changing the cryptographic protection that defines blockchain, it was speculated that quantum computing was what Bustamante was referring to by his “bring it down” remark.

Over the past few months, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) had charged several people from Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) for crypto-related crimes. In July, the DoJ charged twelve individuals while another seven officers were charged in October, all from the GRU and involved in crypto-related hacking operations.

Source: Cryptoverze

Considering a career in Information Technology (IT)? Well, it all solely depends on some actionable plan. Depending mainly on strengths, many find it seemingly stress-free to decide a track to pursue in the IT field, ranging from Data Analytics, Programming, Networking, Audit, Risk assessment, Blue/Red teaming, database administration, Cloud and Cyber Security.

Bringing a professional IT certification to the table, whether as a prospective or as an existing employee, creates a room to stand out in the job market or being open for a salary renegotiation respectively.

We have arrived at a comprehensive list of top 10 must-have IT certifications for 2019 in ascending order:

#10  CERTIFIED SCRUM MASTER (CSM) 

 A scrum master is the facilitator or coordinator of any team. In recent years, there exists a dire need to have someone who facilitates, moderates, documents and visualizes the team’s projects (called iteration or sprints). Scrum Masters make use of the Agile methodology which is dependent on the Scrum framework.

Certified Scrum Master

In an IT product development, for instance, employees are grouped into smaller subsets called sprints, for the primary intent of reviewing progress and analyzing the next line of action (usually called “show and tell”). Meetings are recurring daily and typically last between 30 minutes to 2 hours, with a lot of post-its, markers, and stand-ups.

Detailed Information

#9  CompTIA Security+ CERTIFICATION (SECURITY+) 

The CompTIA Security+ is considered the best certification the properly covers the baseline of cybersecurity methodologies including Threats, attacks & vulnerabilities, Identity & access management, technologies & tools, risk management, architecture & design, cryptography & Public key infrastructure (PKI), and Internet of Things (IoT).

CompTIA Security+

Most CompTIA Security+ certification exam takes prefer going the Trifecta route, which involves having to initially obtain the A+ exam, which covers more of IT hardware fundamentals and N+ which includes more of the Network portion of Security+ creating a tremendous overlap between both the Network+ and the Security+ certification exam.

Detailed Information

#8 CCDP – CISCO CERTIFIED DESIGN PROFESSIONAL 

The CCDP is an advanced Cisco certification for senior roles within the IT networking track including Network design engineers and system engineer analysts. Over the years, Cisco certifications are underrated, resulting to minimal attention drawn to advanced level Cisco certifications and Cisco enthusiasts going for the entry and mid-level Cisco certifications like CCENT, CCNA, CCNA Security, CCNP, CCIE and CCDA which are pre-requisites to the CCDP certification.CCDP

The CCDP certification tests advanced physical, logical and technical expertise in network design concepts as well as principles required in developing various layers on enterprise architecture for network devices

Detailed information

#7 CEH – CERTIFIED ETHICAL HACKER 

The CEH is called the ‘recruiter’s certification’ in IT, especially within the cybersecurity track, this is because many hiring managers/recruiters love to see this certification in their prospective employee’s resume. The CEH can land you a wide range of jobs from the Security Operations Centre (SOC) analyst or Incident Response analyst to even senior roles like penetration tester and other red teaming (offensive security) jobs.

CEH

Surprisingly, many will argue that the CEH, which remains one of the most expensive certifications has lost its value of credibility and given similar CompTIA certifications like CYSA+ and CompTIA Pentest+ a competitive hedge in recent years

Detailed information

#6 MCSE – MICROSOFT CERTIFIED SOLUTIONS EXPERT

The MCSE certification is a Microsoft certification program that specifically for Windows Operating System engineers. It is broad enough to be sub-categorized based on the career path into four main categories:
MCSE: Desktop Infrastructure
MCSE: Server Infrastructure
MCSE: Business Intelligence
MCSE: Private Cloud

MCSE“Is MSCE worth it?” is usually a question its enthusiasts can relate to for the one reason that Microsoft Certifications seem underrated and less threat posing in the recruiter’s niche today, or maybe Microsoft is just best at improving the almighty Windows Operating System

Detailed information

#5 AWS – AMAZON WEB SERVICE

Amazon is indisputably the saving grace in e-commerce websites across America and the rest of the world. In 2015, Amazon introduced AWS which is a cloud-based web hosting service that beats its predecessors; Microsoft’s Azure and Google cloud platform hands down.

AWS

AWS is a fast-rising certification, gaining credibility and popularity with the intent of becoming IT’s most sought-after certification today. AWS covers the required coursework for cloud practitioners, Web Developers, IT architecture, Security operations and virtual storage techs with four main sub-divisions:
– AWS Certified Foundational
– AWS Certified Associate
– AWS Certified Professional
– AWS Certified Specialty

Detailed information

#4 OSCP – OFFENSIVE SECURITY CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL

Just like its name, the OSCP is the most recognized, top-tiered, respected and valued professional red teaming cybersecurity certification. It entails prior successful completion of the PWK (Penetration with Kali Linux) course as well as the 24-hour hands-on exam testing advanced technical knowledge using the latest ethical hacking tools and techniques and conducting penetration tests.

OSCP

The OSCP certification is neither a beginner nor intermediate certification but for professional pentesters, blue/red team, security professionals, network administrators and threat hunters seeking an industry leading certification.
It requires a strong background off networking, substantial usage of Linux OS and comfortability writing/using bash, Perl and Python scripts.

Detailed information

#3 CISSP – CERTIFIED INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECURITY PROFESSIONAL

The CISSP is an independent Information Security IT certification governed by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium or (ISC)², referenced as the “Zenith” of Cybersecurity certifications.

CISSP

The CISSP is an ideal certification for Chief Information Security Officers (CISO), IT Managers, Security Architecture and Engineering, veteran-grade security practitioners and executives who deem it fit to crown their accomplishments with certifications.
The requirements can be cumbersome, one of which includes a minimum of five years of direct full-time security work experience in two or more of the (ISC)² information security Common Body of Knowledge (CBK).

Detailedinformation

#2 CGEIT – CERTIFIED IN GOVERNANCE OF ENTERPRISE IT

The CGEIT is a highly competitive vendor-neutral certification with the primary aim of testing, validating and certifying IT governance skills, proudly managed by an international professional association known as Information Systems Audit and Control Association or ISACA.

CGEIT

The CGEIT aims at testing the abilities of IT professionals in the practice of delivering quality governance. Similar to the CISSP certification, the CGEIT certification also requires proof of at least five years of experience in job domains related to IT governance including Framework for the governance of enterprise, Risk optimization, Strategic management, Resource optimization
and Benefits Realization.

Detailed information

#1  ACTIVE SECURITY CLEARANCE

Bearing in mind that a Security clearance is not a certification, a security clearance in “active” status is usually issued, administered and coordinated by the United States Government. It is a must-have document, before securing all Federal and most state jobs with an exception for individuals who demonstrate an ability to acquire one within a stipulated time (usually 3-6 months post-employment).

Security clearance

Most security clearances are issued by the Department of Defense (DoD) and categorized as Confidential, Secret, and Top Secret with the amount and detail of information varies accordingly with the level of clearance requested.

Detailed information

Conclusion

Information Technology (IT) is a fast thriving career path in the last decade, with the capabilities of improving age-old programs like C, Python, Java and eventually creating a new approach towards data analytics including practices implored in machine learning, AI and IoT thereby opening doors to new inventions within the IT sector in general. The modes of obtaining an IT certification are now seemed straightforward, as opposed to the last decades, where materials, exams were either too expensive, with limited availability, deliberately hardened for segregative purposes or simply optimized for senior positions.