Doing it for the LULZ?
June 21, 2011 at 4:38 pm | Posted in Certification Paths, Cisco, CompTIA, Technical Tips | 2 CommentsTags: (ISC)2, CCNA Security, CISSP, facebook, fbi, hacking, linux+, lulzsec, Security+, server+
Recently, Citibank announced that hackers stole personal information from about 200,000 credit card customers. Over the past year, a number of high profile companies have been attacked, including Sony being hacked for the sixth time. As cyberattacks are reportedly on the rise, the FBI, Commerce Department, and Attorney General are calling for increased cyber-security actions in the U.S.
This frenetic response may seem overwhelming to some outside observers, but to security experts in the IT industry who have decried “lax security policies at high-profile organizations,” this situation comes as no surprise. The sheer frustration that many in the security community have felt for years seems to be finding its outlet at last.
Case in point: LulzSec – the now-infamous hacker group responsible for breaching Sony, Nintendo, PBS, Fox, and the FBI. They targeted Fox because they didn’t like them, PBS because of a FRONTLINE story, the FBI because of their attitude on hacking, and Nintendo and Sony just for fun. When a small security firm out of Nebraska posted a hacking contest for $10,000, LulzSec altered the home page and added this text:
DONE, THAT WAS EASY. KEEP YOUR MONEY WE DO IT FOR THE LULZ
CompTIA Server+ SK0-003 Certification: What We Know Now
March 25, 2010 at 1:57 pm | Posted in CompTIA | 7 CommentsTags: server+
The newest version of CompTIA’s Server+ certification is test number SK0-003. While the CompTIA web site has not announced an official retirement date, we expect the old version of Server+, SK0-002, to be retired by the end of the year.
CompTIA Server+ is an international, vendor-neutral certification for server support professionals with 18 to 24 months of experience with Industry Standard Server Architecture (ISSA) technology. CompTIA Server+ certifies technical knowledge in areas such as RAID, SCSI, and multiple CPUs, as well as capabilities with disaster recovery. Although not a prerequisite, it is recommended that CompTIA Server+ candidates already hold the CompTIA A+ certification.
Here is the objective breakdown and weighting for SK0-003:
System Hardware – 21%
Software – 19%
Storage – 14%
IT Environment – 11%
Disaster Recovery – 11%
Troubleshooting – 24%
At first glance, this blueprint is quite a change from the SK0-002 exam. The General Server Knowledge objective, which had the largest weighting in SK0-002, is no longer included. However, when I more closely examined the blueprint, I realized that many of the same topics are covered. As with other CompTIA exams, I expect that this new version is a reflection of the changes in technology that have occurred since the last exam version.
To obtain the full Server+ Exam Guide from CompTIA, go to http://www.comptia.org/certifications/testprep/examobjectives.aspx. You will need to input some personal information to download the Exam Guide. Note that you can download objectives for all CompTIA exams that interest you with this form. Also note that when you download the Server+ objectives, you’ll receive BOTH the old objectives and the new objectives.
CompTIA candidates can take their tests at Pearson VUE and Prometric testing centers worldwide. While CompTIA has no official announcement yet, there is a great possibility that the new exam will be released internationally in phases as the exam is translated into other languages.
While there are many books available to prepare you for SK0-002, there are currently no books released for the SK0-003 exam. This makes it a bit challenging for us overachievers to get a head start on studying the new objectives, but I expect CompTIA’s Training Materials link to be updated any day now with new references!
Look for my future posts on Project+ and Linux+!
– Robin
CompTIA Certifications: What’s New in 2010 for A+, Network+, Linux+, Server+, Security+, and Project+ Exam Tracks
February 2, 2010 at 3:37 pm | Posted in Certification Paths, CompTIA | 5 CommentsTags: a+, linux+, network+, Project+, Security+, server+
CompTIA has been really busy over the last year or so updating their exams. In addition, they have published a new certification policy for the A+, Network+, and Security+ certifications (but not other CompTIA certs). (For more information on the new certification policy, see this previous blog post and http://www.comptia.org/certifications/listed/renewal.aspx.)
I wanted to take a bit of time to discuss just what CompTIA has done, and what we expect from them over the next year with regards to their major certifications.
A+ Certification
There are currently two versions of the A+ certification: the 600 series and the 700 series.
- To obtain the 600 series A+ certification, a candidate must take 220-601 (Essentials) and then choose from 220-602, 220-603, or 220-604 to complete the certification. Each of the application exams are based on specific skill sets (IT Technician, Remote Support Technician, Depot Technician).
- To obtain the 700 series A+ certification, a candidate must take 220-701 (Essentials) and 220-702 (Practical Application).
- For individuals who already have a previous A+ certification, there is an A+ Bridge exam to upgrade their certification to the 700 series. Candidates would simply take one exam (BR0-003).
Just last week, CompTIA issued an invitation to subject matter experts (SMEs) to update the A+ exams. I expect that this is a just a reseed of the 700 series content and will not result in any real changes to the exam guide. The 600 series started in 2005, and the 700 series in 2009. In my opinion, since we got an entirely new exam last year, we won’t see a complete revamp until 2012, which would tie in nicely with the new recertification policies.
Network+ Certification
The Network+ exam was rewritten in 2009. The old version of the Network+ exam has been retired. Currently, there are two options for the Network+ 2009 certification:
- For individuals who do not hold the Network+ certification, the candidate must take the N10-004 exam.
- For individuals who already have a previous Network+ certification, there is a Bridge exam to upgrade their certification to the 2009 version. Candidates would simply take the Network+ Bridge exam (BR0-002).
Security+ Certification
The Security+ exam was rewritten in 2009. The old version of the Security+ exam has been retired. As with Network+, there are currently two options for the Security+ 2009 certification:
- For individuals who do not hold the Security+ certification, the candidate must take the SY0-201 exam.
- For individuals who already have a previous Security+ certification, there is a Bridge exam to upgrade their certification to the 2009 version (BR0-001).
Linux+, Server+, and Project+ Certifications
Recently, CompTIA also released the beta exams for the new versions of three other certifications:
- Linux+ Candidates who took the beta version have received their score reports. We expect the new version to be released sometime this quarter; CompTIA has announced a date of January 2010. Once the new version is released, candidates will be able to certify using the old Linux+ exam (XK0-002) or the new Linux+ exam (XK0-003).
- Server+ Candidates who took the beta version have received their score reports. We expect the new version to be released sometime this quarter, but there’s been no official announcement yet. Once the new version is released, candidates will be able to certify using the old Server+ exam (SK0-002) or the new Server+ exam (SK0-003).
- Project+ Candidates who took the beta version have NOT received their score reports. We expect the new version to be released sometime this quarter — CompTIA says February 2010. Once the new version is released, candidates will be able to certify using the old Project+ exam (PK0-002) or the new Project+ exam (PK0-003).
We’ve begun pre-development on these three practice tests, and the real writing will start after the betas are released.
Keep watching for updates on the new releases, and happy testing!
- Robin
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