Enterprises increase demand for security expertise, but find their staffs in short supply

FEBRUARY 27, 2008 | There is a wide gap between the IT security skills that organizations want and the corresponding skills that workers bring to the job, according to a survey published today by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). Security is at the top of the list of the technology skills that are most important to organizations today, according to the survey of more than 3,500 technology professionals in North America, Europe, and Asia. But there is a significant gap between what they want and what they can get, the survey indicates. Among organizations surveyed in nine countries with established IT industries (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, U.K., and U.S.), 73 percent identified security, firewalls, and data privacy as the IT skills most important to their organizations. But just 57 percent said their IT employees are proficient in these security skills, a gap of 16 percentage points. The gap is even wider in five countries where the IT industry is still emerging (China, India, Poland, Russia, and South Africa). Among respondents in these countries, 76 percent identified security as the top skill their organization needs; but just 57 percent said their current tech staff is proficient in security. That’s a difference of 19 percentage points, CompTIA noted. The telephone and online study was conducted by the Center for Strategy Research Inc., a Boston-based market research firm, during the fourth quarter of 2007. — Tim Wilson

By Neill Hopkins

The road map to a successful career in information technology is as varied as the people and job roles in the industry. From technicians to CIOs to professors, the path to an IT career includes twists, turns, redirections and fresh starts.

Daniel Stevans, senior computer service technician for BancTec in northern New Jersey, started tinkering with computers when he was 12.

“I always had access to second-hand computers,” he said. “I enjoyed the troubleshooting, and I was very, very good at it. It’s second nature to me.”

For Wade Johnson, IT came after more than a decade working in the construction industry. Read the rest of this entry »

By: Jeremy Otsap

The following would be my advice to any IT neophytes looking to start their networking certification paths — and, hopefully, a successful career. Read the rest of this entry »

MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional)
Like I even had to list this one. This will probably always be number 1 for the next 1,000 years. There are over 2 million people with this certification.
CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate)
This one comes in 2nd as most network administrator jobs right now are IP related and they are in more demand at higher professional level as compared to Microsoft Certifications. Read the rest of this entry »

Computer forensics specialists in demand as hacking grows
(By Suzanne Monson) Today’s real-life crime-fighters battle villains more sophisticated than those the comic-book character ever faced and these modern-day crooks often set their sights on threatening business, government and national security using computers. Read the rest of this entry »

Computer forensics is again in the hot-seat, with an article by Simon Sharwood appearing in a recent edition of MIS - Cyber sleuths on the trail of foul play.

Sharwood explains that computer forensics is essentials for detecting security incidents and proving (in court) that they have occurred. Read the rest of this entry »

A+ training and certification as provided by Knowledge Center at www.KnowledgeCenterInc.com differentiates those individuals with proven skills from those who only claim to have skills. A+ certification is an accepted indication of a computer technician’s knowledge of entry-level IT skills. A+ training and certification signifies that an individual has demonstrated a certain level of knowledge in computer support services and that the individual is able to support both computer equipment and computer users. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re reading this it means you are interested in some type of computer certification and employment. So am I, which is why I decided to do some research and organize it all into this blog. Read the rest of this entry »

So you’re almost ready to take that big Microsoft Exam for that certification. You’re really nervous about passing and worried about blowing all that money on the exam, right? Well don’t be. The Microsoft Learning Group has a program called Second-Shot which allows you to re-take the exam if you need a Mulligan (that’s a do-over in golf). Read the rest of this entry »

What’s the Logical Progression from A+ Certification? Well I did some research and the obvious answer is the Network+ Certification of course! The Network+ is a one exam certification from CompTIA which shows that the certified individual has demonstrated knowledge in computer networking situations and fundamentals. That means that if you’ve got one of these you should be able to install or expand an existing network, manage preventive maintenance and document it, and pretty much solve basic network issues through troubleshooting. Read the rest of this entry »