TrainACE - IT and Cybersecurity Training Blog

While it is a good feeling simply to have achieved your Security+ Certification, the reality is clear that it is time to start your career and job search in the information technology (IT) field. With a boost to your self-esteem, knowing that you have a respected professional certification endorsed by such major companies as Microsoft, the U.S. Department of Defense and IBM, you can approach your job search with confidence and pride.

(** Updated in May, 2021)

Security+ is the must-have certification for people seeking to get into a cybersecurity career. While there are competing certifications available, CompTIA Security+ is more widely considered the base-line qualification for security-based roles throughout the IT industry.

So, what do you need to know before taking the Security+ exam?

(** Updated March, 2023)

EC-Council's CEH Certification has become the must-have accreditation if you want to become a certified ethical hacker. While you can jump right in and take the exam with limited experience, there are some necessary CEH prerequisites and some recommended ones. Here's a breakdown of what ethical hacking is and our recommended CEH prerequisites.

Professionals who hold the Cisco CCNP certification today qualify for senior networking roles that pay a national average of roughly $109,000, with specialized tracks like CCNP Security commanding averages above $130,000. The CCNP has evolved considerably since its original ROUTE, SWITCH, and TSHOOT exam structure, and understanding today's certification format, career paths, and realistic salary expectations matters for any networking professional deciding whether to pursue this credential. Below is a current breakdown of the most common CCNP-qualified jobs, what they pay in 2026, and the questions most salary guides fail to address.[ziprecruiter][examcert]

The word "hacker" still makes most people think of crime. But a large and growing group of hackers work entirely within the law, attacking systems only with permission so they can find weaknesses before criminals do. For people who hold the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification from EC-Council, that work leads to a range of well-paid careers. The most common are penetration testing, incident response, digital forensics and security analysis. Penetration testing is still where many new ethical hackers start, and plenty later move into engineering, leadership or more specialized roles.

Average Salaries of the Most Common Entry-Level IT Jobs

CISSP-certified professionals qualify for some of the highest-paying and most senior roles in cybersecurity, spanning security architecture, risk management, and executive leadership positions that command median salaries between $127,000 and $150,000 in North America. Earning the Certified Information Systems Security Professional credential from ISC2 signals to employers that you've combined at least five years of hands-on security experience with a rigorous exam covering eight core domains, and that combination opens doors across nearly every industry that handles sensitive data. Understanding which roles CISSP holders actually land — and what those jobs pay in today's market — helps you plan your next career move with real numbers instead of guesswork. coursera

The Cisco ISR-AX, once positioned as a game-changing appliance for branch office application optimization and security, is now fully retired — Cisco's ISR G2 platforms (1900, 2900, 3900 series) that hosted ISR-AX reached end-of-life years ago, with all support services now unavailable as of November 2026. Understanding how branch networking has moved from ISR-AX to today's Catalyst 8000 Edge Platforms helps IT professionals and network architects plan infrastructure decisions that will actually hold up over the next hardware refresh cycle.[cisco]

Combining CompTIA A+ and Network+ certification training remains one of the most efficient ways to break into IT, since it pairs foundational hardware and troubleshooting skills with networking expertise employers across the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region actively seek. Whether you're a recent graduate or making a career change, this dual-certification path gives you both the credentials and the hands-on ability to compete for entry-to-mid-level IT roles in a market that continues to value verified skills over degrees alone.

TrainACE provides PMP (Project Management Professional) certification training in both live-online and in-person formats, giving working professionals a flexible path to satisfy PMI's mandatory 35-contact-hour education requirement. Whether you're weighing a self-paced option or an instructor-led boot camp, understanding today's PMP eligibility rules, exam structure, and training requirements will help you choose the right path before you commit time or money.

CompTIA A+ certification has gone through several major overhauls since the 800 series launched in 2012, with the current version — V15, using exams 220-1201 (Core 1) and 220-1202 (Core 2) — released in March 2025. Understanding this evolution matters for anyone planning to sit the exam, since CompTIA revises A+ roughly every three years and each version reflects real shifts in what entry-level IT technicians need to know on the job.[comptia]

RMF for DoD IT: What Replaced DIACAP and Why It Still Matters in 2026

The Risk Management Framework (RMF) for DoD IT is the cybersecurity authorization process the Department of Defense now uses instead of the old DIACAP system, and it has been the mandatory standard since DoD Instruction 8510.01 took effect in 2014. The term "DIARMF" that circulated in early transition discussions never became the official name — DoD formally adopted "RMF for DoD IT," built on the same NIST Risk Management Framework used across the rest of the federal government. Understanding how RMF works, and how it evolved from DIACAP, is essential for anyone managing DoD system authorizations today.[doncio.navy]