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.

What Is Malware Analysis? A Complete Guide for IT Security Professionals

Malware analysis is the process of examining malicious software to understand how it behaves, how it spreads, and how to stop it. It remains one of the most valuable skills an IT security professional can develop. Nearly every major security breach traces back to some form of malicious code, whether that's a virus, worm, Trojan, or increasingly sophisticated fileless attack. Security researchers now track over 450,000 new malware and potentially unwanted application samples every single day, making the ability to quickly identify and neutralize threats more critical than ever.

CASP+ has a new name. CompTIA’s advanced cybersecurity certification is now SecurityX, with the current exam version CAS-005 launched on December 17, 2024.

That name change is the first thing the old article needs to fix. People still search for CASP+, and many resumes still use the older name, but the certification to talk about in 2026 is CompTIA SecurityX.

The purpose has not changed much. SecurityX is still built for experienced cybersecurity professionals who want to prove they can design, implement, and defend enterprise security systems. It is more technical than a management credential, and it is not meant for beginners.

Computer forensics is no longer just about pulling files from a seized laptop. In 2026, digital forensics sits inside incident response, cloud investigations, mobile device analysis, malware review, insider-threat cases, fraud investigations, and legal discovery.

That is why salary data can look messy. A “computer forensics” job in a police lab may pay very differently from a digital forensics and incident response role at a defense contractor, bank, consulting firm, or managed security provider.

If you are looking at the CISSP, the real salary question is not “What does the certification pay?” It is “What does the certification help me qualify for?”

That distinction matters. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not track CISSP-specific salaries. ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, and Payscale can be useful snapshots, but they mix job postings, self-reported pay, title inflation, remote roles, and employer salary bands. For a cleaner 2026 answer, it is better to triangulate: use BLS/O*NET for the occupation baseline, ISC2 for CISSP-holder salary context, and CyberSeek for demand.

Computer Networks Explained: How Devices Connect, Share Data, and Reach the Internet

Last updated: 2026

Cloud security training deserves a place at the top of every tech firm's agenda for one simple reason: the cloud attack surface is growing faster than the security workforce. Recent analysis puts the global cybersecurity talent shortfall at roughly 4.8 million professionals, while cloud security guidance from major vendors keeps emphasizing the same point: organizations are responsible for securing the identities, data, workloads, APIs, and configurations inside their own environments.

MCSE Skills Still Matter, but the Credential Path Has Moved

The MCSE name carries a lot of history for Windows Server, infrastructure, messaging, database, and cloud administrators. The exam path itself has been retired, but the underlying skills are still valuable when they are tied to modern Microsoft environments.

Administrators now need to show they can manage hybrid infrastructure, cloud resources, identity, security, automation, monitoring, and business continuity. That makes a role-based path more useful than chasing a retired credential label.