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In October, CompTIA announced the release of new tests, the 800 series, that will replace the 700-series exams that had been the basis of CompTIA’s A+ certification, the certification that covers entry-level technicians. The 700 series will remain in use through August 31, 2013. Until then, candidates can choose either series as a testing option for the A+ designation.
The Department of Defense last changed its approach to cyber security, or, in DoD parlance, “Information Assurance,” in 2006, when Defense Information Technology Security Certification and Accreditation (DITSCAP) was replaced by Defense Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process (DIACAP). The small change in name, with “Technology Security” replaced by “Assurance,” said little about the reason for the change in system, but one intent of DIACAP was the promotion of consistency and standardization, all in the hope that cross-service reciprocity and cost savings would follow.
Researchers at security company FireEye have revealed an advanced persistent threat targeting the U.S. defense and aerospace industries and likely originating in China. Named Beebus after an early sample, the campaign's attacks come in continuous waves over time against strategically chosen individuals. According to an unnamed inside source, the Beebus campaign began in early 2012 when FireEye noticed suspicious activity on the systems of some its defense and aerospace clients. Of 261 discovered attacks, 123 targeted unmanned aerial vehicle or systems vendors. The most recent exploit used a Deloitte industry analysis report sent in a weaponized email. Researchers believe that the campaign has so far touched 214 servers with 60 unique IP addresses.
IT professionals preparing for the new MCSA certification will find a stronger emphasis on Active Directory. Microsoft Active Directory, or AD, is a database management system that can be replicated across logical network partitions called domains. The AD stores configuration information such as user login credentials and contains objects representing users, groups and computers. Administrators can group these objects into units according to business requirements and centrally manage them through group policy objects. They can also use AD to push software and desktop configuration updates to user systems. While AD has long been a central component of Windows Server, significant updates have expanded its role in the MCSA exams.
On January 27, the Washington Post reported that the Department of Defense plans to expand its “Cyber Command,” a force dedicated to defending U.S. computer systems, by a factor of five, from 900 to 4,900 members. Although a formal announcement had not been made, Pentagon sources indicated that an increase in numbers was not the only change on the agenda. The Cyber Command would also undergo a shift in focus, with the new structure adding acknowledged offensive capabilities to a command that had previously been characterized as exclusively defensive.
Microsoft has retooled its MCSE certification for IT professionals to include a major focus on the cloud. The company made the changes in response to the growing movement of IT resources to cloud-based solutions. According to Microsoft-sponsored research, cloud computing may create 14 million jobs and generate 1.1 trillion in revenue by 2015. The new MCSE certificate holder is expected to have more comprehensive knowledge of both on-premises and cloud resource technologies.
The term “honeypot” or, as it sometimes appears, “honey pot,” came to computer security from the world of espionage, where it referred to an agent who would be sexually available to a target. If all went as planned, the target would be compromised, either by sexual blackmail or because the relationship led the target to share secret information.
There is no doubt that the CCNA certification exam is considered one of the most daunting exams in the networking certification field. This exam has more first time failures than almost any other. In this post we explore some things that can help you prepare yourself better before sitting in front of that Pearson VUE testing station for the CCNA exam.
A huge portion of modern society uses some form of digital technology on a daily basis. Many conveniences on a national and personal level have been made possible due to this technology, but also opens up a Pandora's box of a whole new set of problems as well. The cyber battlefield grows more dangerous as organized hackers and other cyber threatening criminals set out to exploit the conveniences produced by the digital age for their own gain. There is an ongoing challenge, therefore, creating cyber security or defenses to protect the country from attacks; but have, on many occasions, been successfully breached to raise considerable concern even among the most savvy cyber security agencies in the world.
A necessary step in becoming a successful Network professional is tackling the Cisco Certified Network Associate exam. After administering CCNA training courses for many years to hundreds of students, TrainACE’s lead instructor, James Younger, has found that a big trip up for many is understanding the topic of subnetting. James has created a tutorial introducing viewers to the basics of subnetting. Having a strong foundation in this skill will not only set you up to pass the CCNA certification exam, but also for a long, successful networking career. Once you have completed this “Introduction to Subnetting” video, you can further your knowledge by downloading another free, more Advanced Subnetting Video. These easy to follow videos will help explain subnetting in terms that will make sense to viewers.
The term advanced persistent threat (APT) was originally used to describe complex, ongoing espionage perpetrated by foreign governments. However, today, APT typically refers to a category of cybercrime directed toward businesses or government entities. APTs are usually online attacks used to achieve goals beyond those that can be met by a single security breach, but some may involve malicious activity conducted onsite. Compromised computer systems are continuously monitored by the attackers or added to a stable of slave computers to be used to achieve some future goal. APTs are most often perpetrated by employing some form of malware, and IT technicians defend against APTs by installing antimalware software and hardware firewalls.