Cloud Systems Administrator

A cloud systems administrator develops, maintains and troubleshoots the network connections of cloud computing resources.

Job duties may include the following:
Administrating the cloud system through patches, permissions and service deployments
Monitoring and analyzing network performance to match on-demand requests
Defining and implementing policies for cloud-based systems
Establishing connections to and from various cloud network types and managing firewalls
Clearly communicating with IT and non-IT professionals to ensure effective use of all services

A cloud systems administrator ensures seamless delivery of all cloud services to clients and companies large and small. It’s a mid-level position that requires a lot of teamwork with other staff maintaining the wide range of cloud services offered.

In mid-sized and larger companies, there is a potential for promotion into a senior cloud systems administrator or cloud engineer position that would involve supervising a team of other cloud system administrators or being the architect of new cloud networks.

Because part of the promise of the cloud is scalability, redundancy and relative ease of access for companies without a dedicated IT team, a cloud systems administrator must have a deep knowledge of virtual machine technologies.

In addition, because cloud computing can involve very different types of platforms and software, a cloud systems administrator must be well-versed in the most popular cloud providers, platforms and software suites used by the average business user.

Cloud system administrators will sometimes work with cloud engineers. While cloud systems administrators typically focus on the day-to-day operational efficiency of cloud services, cloud engineers are more involved in the planning and design of cloud architectures.

Cloud engineers are often considered more senior to cloud systems administrators and could be your next move along the cloud computing career path.
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Benefits of Cloud Computing

Cloud computing allows for organizations to more easily achieve standardization and control. And the achievement of true elasticity is a benefit that affords another – minimizing underutilized assets.

Not having to worry about version control is another huge cloud computing benefit. Being able to upgrade easily has long been an issue for organizations. Hardware and software compatibility along with long implementation times are a thing of the past as cloud computing assists in overcoming these issues.

Business process automation is another reason for embracing cloud computing. Adopting cloud computing forces a security-first mindset.

Organizations decide to use cloud computing solutions for several reasons. Reducing the size of their existing data center footprint is one. This can be accomplished by transforming the applications that reside in the data centers to software as a service (SaaS) solutions. Once that has been completed, then the data center footprint size and associated lease decreases.

Another reason is a transformation of an organization’s D/R. Moving the D/R location to the cloud provides the benefit of data center space saving, can add more distance between the primary location with redundancy and save on D/R travel costs. Those are only some of the reasons, but there are many more.
Kill the Stereotypes

April recently did a study for CompTIA that showed girls initially do express a great interest in technology but opt out because they think they don't fit in. “If we can change that perception we are going to see a lot more girls stick with it,” she said. “Every company is in the technology industry now. We need to educate our kids that working in tech is not about working at Microsoft or IBM. You can work in tech in healthcare or fashion, and it excites kids more.”
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Solution Provider Needs to Know About Apple’s

When Apple announced it would require two-factor authentication earlier this year, experts like Dr. Thad Phillips predicted that the move would have a major impact on the industry. Phillips, an IT information security professional and CISO at a healthcare organization in Pensacola, Fla., believes that because we may be seeing more Apple tech in once-dominated Windows environments, there’s plenty for IT pros and solutin providers to navigate, especially when it comes to cybersecurity.

With more than 20 years of experience in IT, Phillips has answered some of the most important questions about what two-factor authentication really means, and what solutions could help bridge the Microsoft/Apple gap in many increasingly mobile workplaces.

What makes Apple’s new security protocol so different?

It offers a centralized ability to log in to applications through face ID and touch ID with biometrics. Biometrics is a step ahead of Facebook and Google, but the big difference is the privacy push that Apple is doing. They are limiting the data sharing that they are giving out to other parties. Because they have integration going for them, they can play an interesting role as a middleman. They don’t want other vendors to know your email address, for example, and [access your] contact information. It’s a huge privacy push.

What are some ways this new protocol could have an impact on overall data security?

From a cybersecurity perspective, Apple is limiting the amount of data it’s storing from users. That’s a really good thing. This will force other companies over time to use stronger security measures, but they will have to be careful from a business model approach – they don’t want to limit data they are collecting like Apple is doing. They will need to go about it in a different way because they don’t want to disrupt the business model.
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Reacting to Cyber-Threats with Dollars Instead of Sense

News of data breaches tends to be followed by an uptick in sales for point solutions related to that type of cyberattack. The reasoning behind this seems to make sense. A string of high-profile data thefts gives the impression that it’s time to implement a data loss protection solution. Then when a string of ransomware attacks hit the following week, businesses search for a malware sandboxing solution that will keep them from getting their computers locked.

This approach presents a number of issues. First, it fails to take into consideration the risk of getting hit by a particular type of attack, and thus the chances that the cybersecurity solution in question will be useful. Risk, not reactivity, needs to drive implementing cybersecurity solutions if a business wants to get value out of them, rather than bloat.

Perhaps more importantly, it neglects to appreciate what goes into deploying the service:
Who manages it?
Who keeps it upgraded?
How does the business actually use it?
How does the security team providing meaningful metrics that confirm the tool is doing its job?

These are questions that need to be thought out beforehand – but they often get lost in the wave of enthusiasm over something new.
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Business Tips Managing Employees

Employees Come First

In the event of a natural disaster, you can’t help your customers if you haven’t first helped your employees, according to Fred Reck, president of InnoTeck Consulting, a solution provider based in Bloomsburg, Pa., a town devasted by torrential flooding of the Susquehanna River in 2013, following Tropical Storm Lee in 2011.

“Not even thinking about disasters, I always say my priorities are my team, customers, and the business—in that order,” Reck said. “We have to support each other. If the team needs help and isn’t getting it, you can’t support your clients.”

Companies that are loyal to employees will find that employees are loyal to them, he added. “Our team was quickly on board and ready to help with recovery efforts. Everyone wanted to be in the office. That’s a proud feeling,” Reck said. “One thing we did was tell everyone to take a five-gallon jug of water home and make sure they had a backup plan for their personal environments too.”

But what if you’re using customized solutions for your small business? Now you must investigate how they will work when moved to the cloud. You’ll need to know how much it will cost to customize the applications to work with the cloud service provide, what happens if you need to change to a new service provider and if the data format be easily transferred. What about data transfer costs associated with downloading large amounts of data from your provider?
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CompTIA A+ vs. IT Fundamentals: How to Choose

How Much IT Knowledge Should I Have?

CompTIA IT Fundamentals gives you a foundation in IT that will help you decide if an IT career might be right for you. If you don’t have any IT experience and aren’t sure where to start, this is the certification for you. It will help you understand the elements and functions of IT and will give you the baseline knowledge needed to start learning job-related skills.

CompTIA A+ is the starting point for a career in IT and focuses on job roles like help desk technician and technical support specialist. If you already have a basic understanding of IT and have been tinkering on your own, you may be ready for CompTIA A+. It’s the industry standard for establishing a career and proves you can think on your feet to perform critical IT support tasks in the moment.
What IT Skills Are Covered?

CompTIA IT Fundamentals covers the foundations of IT concepts and terminology, infrastructure, cybersecurity, database fundamentals and software development.

CompTIA A+ covers the skills necessary for today’s IT support jobs.

CompTIA IT Fundamentals makes it easy for you by using multiple-choice questions to assess your current skills and help you figure out if IT is right for you.

CompTIA A+ takes things a step further with performance-based questions, which test your hands-on skills to prove to employers that you have the skills needed for tech support jobs. Learn more about IT careers with our newly revised career roadmap.
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Cybersecurity with Tech Innovation

CompTIA has published cybersecurity research every year since I joined the team in 2011. It’s a topic we have consistently explored, thanks to the high level of interest and struggles companies have in building an optimal security posture. In previous years, we have focused on specific aspects of cybersecurity, such as the variety of skills that are needed or how businesses are forming cybersecurity teams. This year, we tied these threads together to take a comprehensive look at the approach companies are taking to cybersecurity as they go through digital transformation.

Cybersecurity shifted dramatically in the early days of cloud adoption. Where the primary focus used to be on building a secure perimeter, there is now a multi-pronged approach to accommodate data hosted on external systems. Companies now build cybersecurity plans that include technology investments, policy creation and user education. At the same time, they have been dealing with a new tension that has also existed since the introduction of cloud-first IT—the constant balancing act between technology innovation and cybersecurity.

One of the more interesting data points in CompTIA’s new report is the way that different parts of the organization view this balancing act. By understanding the dynamics involved, security practitioners can help companies build a robust security posture while still aggressively pursuing new technology. Here are four key takeaways executives, business staff and security providers need to understand about the innovation vs. security tug of war.
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Project Management Certification

CompTIA Project+ is more versatile than other certifications because it covers essential project management concepts beyond the scope of just one methodology or framework. However, it does provide a high-level introduction to Agile as part of one of the objectives. Still, if you would like to focus on say Scrum specifically, you would want to take Scrum Alliance’s Certified Scrum Master certification.

Getting a project management certification validates your project management skills and adds value to your resume. You will be able to prove to employers that you bring in-demand and valuable skills to the table, opening yourself up to more job opportunities.

According to PMI, 15.7 million new project management roles will be added globally across seven project-intensive industries by 2020. Getting certified can also help you advance your career and earn more money. PMI found that those holding PMP report earning 23% more than those who don’t. And according to Global Knowledge, the mean salary for CompTIA Project+ certified professionals in the United States and Canada is $99,430 (overall mean is $84,807).

Earning CompTIA Project+ means that you will have the knowledge and skills required to do the following:
Manage the project life cycle
Ensure appropriate communication
Manage resources and stakeholders
Maintain project documentation

Both CompTIA Project+ and PMP require extensive preparation, and rightly so. Employees who invest in career development and learning are seen as an invested and valued asset for their organization. A project management certification validates your desire and tenacity toward developing and honing your personal and professional skills.
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Cybersecurity Jobs That Require Project

Juggling a number of tasks and making sure the end results occur on time and on budget are just a few of the tasks an effective project manager takes on. Project management is an important part of IT; without plans, goals and problem-solving strategies, initiatives and new programs would be virtually impossible to complete. Effective project management is even more important in the cybersecurity field, where lack of organization or planning could mean a compromise of secure systems.

More and more cybersecurity jobs are looking for candidates with strong project management skills. In fact, in a 2019 survey, Burning Glass Technologies found that project management was ranked fourth in a list of top skills desired by companies hiring cybersecurity professionals. The demand for cybersecurity professionals has doubled since 2013, and with that sort of demand, candidates with project management will stand out from the rest.

If you want to work in cybersecurity, you will likely need to be able to manage projects. In fact, here are eight cybersecurity jobs that require project management skills.
Cybersecurity Specialist

When it comes to adapting and staying ahead of cybercriminals, having a cybersecurity specialist on the team is practically a no-brainer. A cybersecurity specialist must keep meticulous details of the methods in place to prevent security breaches, and if one happens, they must analyze the information to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Effective project management skills make a cybersecurity specialist’s job easier, since keeping track of information and details are half the battle in this position.
Incident Analyst

If and when a security breach happens, it’s the job of an incident analyst to do the deep dive to find out why, and to figure out how to prevent it from happening again. Incident analysts are experts in a given piece of software or application and are tasked with getting everything up and running again as soon as possible. With that, it’s imperative that an incident analyst have channels of problem-solving strategies for every contingency; that sort of organization comes from stellar project management training.
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The vision of an integrated system

The vision of an integrated system is getting closer. Program silos are being removed, and technology and operations are becoming more integrated. For users, benefit exploration, application, and service delivery have greatly improved. However, there is room for improvement. On the national stage, policies and standards across programs can be better aligned. At the state level, program success has varied depending on the level of operational and leadership support. Leading states have developed a good rules engine, effective data collection/sharing, and efficient technology. Maintaining a shared vision for holistic system integration will continue to drive progress in this area.“

Denise Winkler, from Microsoft, sees some progress but questions whether the scope of IE programs should be expanded:

“After the passage of the ACA, states envisioned using technology to integrate the delivery of HHS programs focusing on cash, food, and health benefit programs. The goal was to improve service delivery to citizens and improve agency efficiency. Over the last decade, States have made significant improvements including online client portals; lobby management systems; mobile applications; automated work processes and in some cases complete replacement of aging eligibility systems. Despite these successful innovations, not all States have the resources to modernize technology, so service delivery is inconsistent from state-to-state. In addition, this initial wave of modernization focused on case management functionality, powerful tools such as data analytics and artificial intelligence are just being considered. Ultimately, if the goal is improved service delivery shouldn’t programs such as child support enforcement and child protection be included?”

Vijay Ravichandran, of Infosys Public Services, highlights that while some modernization has happened, there is still a lot of work to get to integration:

“What does ‘Integrated Eligibility’ really mean? Is it a finely architected system, coordinated operations across all programs under the umbrella of ‘integration’ or is it one seamless experience for the citizen? The simple answer is ‘all of the above’, and this vision is still a work in progress in most states. Legacy systems (blue screens and all) were theoretically integrated but couldn’t adapt. Modernization efforts driven by the ACA, involving multi-year procurements and implementations have left most states with a modern but disintegrated stand-alone eligibility system. The next step is to assess the current level of maturity and then use accelerated modular procurement to get to full ‘integration’.”

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From the Military to Civilian IT jobs a+ certification

Since enlisting, Kent had pictured himself as a lifetime military man. As he climbed the military IT ranks, though, his desire to build his tech skills was eclipsing his passion for military service. He began to see a civilian tech career as the next step.

When it came time to reenlist, Kent’s CompTIA Security+ had expired. To compound his concerns, he had gone directly from high school to the workforce and then to the military; meaning he still didn’t have a college degree. However, when he began his job search, he was happy to find that his combination of hands-on experience and CompTIA certifications were going to take him far.

While the interview process had been a long one, his whole job search had been a far different experience than in the early part of the decade. Thanks to his military security clearance and his CompTIA certifications, competitive salary offers came his way – and he got to choose the one that best suited his needs.

Kent’s first order of business as he began his new job, was to re-earn CompTIA Security+ to both comply with DoD requirements and keep his knowledge fresh. Having an expired cybersecurity certification got his foot in the door, but it was important to him and his employer that he keep it up to date.

As Kent steps into the next phase of his career, he’s not taking the new comfort he’s found as a reason to slow down; quite the opposite actually. After earning CompTIA Security+ for a second time, he’ll be on his way to higher-tier CompTIA certifications. He also plans to finally get a traditional degree, which will check another box for him and increase his earning power.

Whether it’s a degree in IT, project management or even an MBA, he’s got plenty of room to grow, and an endorsement from CompTIA will help him along the way.

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How to Get Project Management Skills for IT

There is also one newish area of IT that benefits from and fairly consistently uses project management practices – DevOps. DevOps teams are usually made up of IT and cybersecurity professionals who are tasked with supporting the development team(s) of an organization.

Most modern development teams use some form of agile project management, so understanding this is important to not only the developers, but also to those who support them. This is especially true for cybersecurity members of a DevOps team. Understanding project management and the way developers work will allow them to effectively build security testing into the development process.

For all these reasons and more, project management skills add immense value to any organization. Whether you are part of the team or managing it, being proficient in project management will allow you to add more value and help your team achieve its goals.

The CompTIA Project+ certification allows you to demonstrate that you have the related skills and knowledge to assist your team and organization even beyond your core IT or cybersecurity skills. CompTIA Project+ is specifically designed for professionals who coordinate or manage small- to medium-sized projects, inside and outside of IT. So regardless of your career track or certification pathway, you should consider adding CompTIA Project+ to your portfolio.
Insecure Cybersecurity

One surprising discovery from the discussion of cybersecurity was that hacks are seasonal. Speakers warned that there is a rise of hacks in January after Christmas, once workers have returned to work and forgotten their passwords. Hodson revealed that Summer19 turned out to be a common password for employees who have returned from their holidays and reset their passwords—in other words, a hacker’s magic key.

But even with the high-profile data breaches we have witnessed this summer, businesses are investing heavily in the prevention of cyber breaches without considering how they would recover if they did suffer one. Without a tested recovery plan, businesses are setting themselves up for failure. The speakers equated it as being the same as investing significant amounts of money into your wedding day, then losing your wedding photos because they weren’t backed up.
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Cybersecurity Experience Levels

All of this information is good to keep in mind while you are exploring a career in cybersecurity. Now let’s get a little more specific – what cybersecurity experience level is right for you? We’ve filtered through the information provided by CyberSeek by career level.
Entry-Level Cybersecurity Roles

Entry-level cybersecurity jobs require these skills the most, according to CyberSeek:
Information security
Information systems
Network security
Linux

The four entry-level cybersecurity job roles – cybersecurity specialist/technician, cybercrime analyst/investigator, incident analyst/responder and IT auditor – list information security as a top skill requested. If you are experienced in information security, then you already have the foundation for an entry-level cybersecurity career.

IT certifications can validate the skills you have and demonstrate to employers that you can do the job. CompTIA Security+, Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) can be a good place to start in the entry-level category.

CompTIA Security+ is the only one that assesses baseline cybersecurity skills through performance-based questions. It emphasizes hands-on practical skills, preparing security professionals to problem solve a wider variety of issues. If you don’t already have CompTIA Security+, consider the benefits it could bring to your career.

Entry-level cybersecurity roles in this track have an average salary of $93,250, so know that this is a fair salary if you transition into a cybersecurity role.
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Benefits of Embedded Linux in IoT Development

Embedded development is much different than desktop application development. Embedded servers and sensor interfaces may not offer the same easy access to hardwired ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth that traditional computers do. But the ability to use the same Linux source code across multiple applications makes Linux the operating system of choice for the development and integration of Linux and IoT.
Robotics and 3D Printing Save Money

3D printing has enabled Royal BAM Group to deliver more material, faster, as well as create more affordable building options. Despite using an expensive bit of kit, the material itself is created much faster and without the need for additional partners so it can be delivered at a more cost effective price.
What's Next in Construction Technology

The construction industry is already seeing results with new technology, a sure sign that there's more innovation to come. Because of the sheer magnitude of projects, the amount of people working on them and the complexity of each task, the construction industry is ripe for the continued adoption of emerging technologies that can streamline processes, bolster abilities and create bigger and better projects than ever before. This is just one sector, and Capper closed his keynote by encouraging those in the audience to work with their companies—in any industry—to welcome the adoption of new technologies.

Cybersecurity Foundation for the Cloud

The technology Brady helps deploy for clients — and the conversations he has around it — has been changing. Where just a few years ago he might have been assessing an in-house server to see what problems NetScout’s solution could solve, now the conversation is often about clients leveraging – or looking to leverage – the cloud.

“The cloud is definitely the biggest difference that I have noticed,” Brady said. “[That’s] where I see a lot of people going.”

As things get more complex with the cloud at the enterprise level – just as they are with consumer technology – cybersecurity is becoming an even bigger priority. Already having CASP+, Brady folds cybersecurity into everything he does, but there are still steps he wants to take to hone his cybersecurity focus.
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What Is Zero Trust a+ network+ security+ salary

Zero trust, a term originally coined by John Kindervag, means what it says: don’t trust anyone who is accessing your network. That means users do not have access until they are approved to do so. The company sets up entitlements that allow them to access what they need – and only what they need – for their work role.

Zero trust is a cybersecurity posture that assumes everyone trying to get in is up to no good. This doesn’t mean that your employees are nefarious, but an employee’s access could be compromised and the person trying to access the network may not be who you think they are.

“We're trusting our end users way too much,” Gravel said. “A system that is managed via a zero trust model reviews the user in finite, contextual ways to ensure they are who we think they are.”

Software-defined perimeter (SDP) systems can be set up to ask the end user contextual questions:
What are you trying to access?
Are you in the right department to be accessing these assets from the cloud?
Do you have the right permissions?
Are you in the correct network space?

Once a user is granted access, they are still limited to what they are supposed to do, and they are not allowed to move laterally or see other assets they don’t have permission to see.
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New CCNA Certification

The made-over CCNA certification can’t beat CompTIA Network+ in imparting the fundamentals of networking as well as business skills for today’s workplace, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable or should be disregarded.

IT pros should pursue any vendor-specific certification they are interested in, but it is advisable that they do so after earning a foundational vendor-neutral networking certification like CompTIA Network+. When IT pros earn certifications in an order where they can build upon what they’ve previously learned, they set themselves up for IT career success.

Innovate or Stay

It’s important to identify the barriers to entry to your industry to determine how stable the industry is to new entrants or external factors. If it’s easy for someone else to copy your business model, you must make sure your offering remains unique. You should examine your business model to find out how easily it can be disrupted by technological advancements and understand whether you need to attack or defend your current marketplace. Your market will constantly evolve and change, as will your customers’ needs, so you need to recognise this and make sure you are adaptable and flexible enough to survive.

Legal Resources

You must organise your legal resources to be sustainable. This includes protecting your intellectual property; making sure your customer relationships are clearly defined and protected; and providing thorough contracts to staff that include exit clauses to prevent staff from stealing clients once they leave your business.
Entry-Level IT Pros Need Vendor-Neutral Certifications

Entry-level IT pros who are just getting started in the industry and want to specialize in computer networking will do themselves a disservice by jumping ahead to get a vendor-specific IT certification before a vendor-neutral one. Diving deep into computer networking topics rather than skimming the surface will provide the foundational knowledge needed for a successful IT career.

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How much does CompTIA Linux+ cost?

To earn CompTIA Linux+ (XK0-004), you only need to pass one exam, and thus buy only one exam voucher. The retail price for the CompTIA Linux+ exam is $319.

Keep reading to learn more about how you can save by bundling your exam voucher with training products. If you’re buying products outside of a bundle, you can click on the ad on this page to save 10% on one voucher or training product.

CompTIA Security+ is one of the most popular IT certifications for 2019, according to Global Knowledge. It said that 4.5% of IT pros intend to earn the cert this year. Many employers require tech professionals to acquire CompTIA Security+ before they can be considered for non-entry-level IT positions of all types.

Global Knowledge noted that CompTIA Security+ can help tech professionals earn up to $110,321 per year. Now that’s a certification that pays for itself.

Other popular IT certs for 2019, as mentioned by Global Knowledge:


Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certified Solutions Architect
Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP)
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Routing and Switching

Business News Daily also listed CompTIA Security+ in its top 5 information security certifications for 2019. It stressed that the cybersecurity skills gap is soaring, with almost 302,000 cybersecurity jobs vacant in the United States today.

Business News Daily touted CompTIA Security+ as a valuable IT certification due to its vendor-neutral nature and ability to equip IT pros with high-level tech skills and expertise in a variety of disciplines related to security.

Other top IT certifications, as listed by Business News Daily:
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
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Cybersecurity Governance, Regulatory and Compliance

Cybersecurity professionals must ensure their tasks comply to IT regulatory standards that affect their daily work. For example, CompTIA CySA+ now includes a compliance and assessment domain because security analysts must understand how to help their employers comply with and maintain government regulations to avoid fines. Growing job roles such as compliance analyst demonstrate the importance of regulatory compliance.
Scalability with Ease

As scalability has matured and evolved over the years, developing for multiple board types and processor architectures from a single source code base has become very easy. Today, adding a new processor architecture is a simple two-step process.
The first step is to add the processor architecture in dpkg as shown below:

$ sudo dpkg --add-architecture ARM && apt update
Once the processor architecture is added and the package database updated, we need only add the specific compiler and utilities for the specific ARM compiler required, so adding the ARM64 architecture is a one-line command as follows:

$ sudo apt-get install binutils-aarch64-linux-gnu gcc-aarch64-linux-gnu

If you are using Eclipse or NetBeans integrated development environment (IDE), you can add these to your list of targets and compile your projects for multiple architectures at the same time.
6. More Incident Response

Incident response skills are expanding into embedded/IoT devices, cloud security environments and automation, and that will be reflected in the updated CompTIA CySA+.

For example, many SOCs are implementing automated incident response to help get through the tens of thousands of security alerts they receive each day. A security information and event management (SIEM) system, such as Splunk, can be configured with Phantom, which is a Security Orchestration and Automated Response (SOAR) device. Phantom sends a series of commands to Splunk, called playbooks, which can perform tasks, such as quarantining devices.

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Multivendor Approach to IT Infrastructure

As businesses make decisions on how to build out their IT infrastructure, one of the first choices is whether to use a single vendor for all their computer networking needs or to go with a multivendor model. There are pros and cons to each side, but the growing complexity of computer networks suggests that a multivendor approach will continue to gain traction since different vendors can bring different strengths.

ITIL certifications take second place among the most popular IT certifications. Leading the way is ITIL Foundation, with 93% of all ITIL-certified pros in North America holding this cert.

ITIL Practitioner is the second most popular IT service management certification in North America, followed by ITIL Service Lifecycle: Service Operation, ITIL Service Lifecycle: Service Transition and DevOps Foundation/Fundamentals.
3. Microsoft Certifications

Not surprisingly, Microsoft is third on the list, with 16% of all respondents owning at least one Microsoft certification. The retired Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) and Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) were two of the most popular certifications in this category.

Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE): Server Infrastructure is held by 20% of Microsoft-certified professionals in North America. Microsoft Certified Solutions Association (MCSA): Windows Server 2008 (19%) and MCSA: Windows Server 2012 (17%) aren’t far behind.

For network engineers, supporting and managing these multivendor environments will demand top skills. CompTIA Network+ helps IT pros build these skills and prove them to potential employers. CompTIA IT certifications are vendor neutral, which means IT pros who have them know how to apply their skills to any equipment.

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CompTIA Live Online Training

CompTIA now offers live online training for CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+ that includes instructor-led training, vouchers with free retakes and all three CompTIA CertMaster products. Classes are taught by CompTIA-certified instructors and students can ask questions in the moment and participate in discussions through two-way communication, just like in a traditional classroom. Learn more about CompTIA live online training and see what sessions are coming up.

The CompTIA Tech Career Academy is also currently offering online classes to anyone in the United States. IT-Ready Technical Support is geared toward adults with little to no IT experience and offers tuition support and grants. It focuses on the skills covered by CompTIA A+ as well as soft skills like communication and problem solving. Students receive an exam voucher to get CompTIA A+ and have access to career services to help them land a job once they finish the program. Applications for the online spring classes is open.

Get an IT Certification Anywhere

Starting April 15, 2020, you will be able to register to take CompTIA exams remotely and at any time while maintaining a secure testing environment. If you’re looking to get an IT certification but can’t – or don’t want to – go to a testing center, remote testing may be a good option for you:
Test anywhere: Especially from the security and privacy of your own home.

Test anytime: Remote testing can be conducted 24/7, so you can schedule your exam at a time that works best for you.

Test securely: Online proctoring is done under the same secure monitoring conditions as in a test center.

Learn more about CompTIA remote testing and sign up to receive alerts about the offering.
How to Get into IT with Online Training

Online IT training is not just for existing IT pros. You can train online – either self-study or in a class – to prepare for your first IT job. Two of CompTIA certifications are designed to give you the baseline knowledge needed to get into IT and get your foot in the door with employers who hire entry-level IT pros:
CompTIA IT Fundamentals (ITF+) can help you see if a career in IT is right for you. It covers many areas of IT, creating a broader understanding, making it ideal for those who haven’t worked in IT. Use CompTIA CertMaster Learn, CompTIA CertMaster Labs or the Official CompTIA Study Guide to learning the fundamentals of IT. Are you a displaced worker? You may qualify for free CompTIA IT Fundamentals+ training. Learn more.
CompTIA A+ is the industry standard IT certification for technical support. If you have some IT knowledge but need a credential to get your foot in the door as a technical support specialist, help desk technician or similar job, CompTIA A+ may be for you. Learn the skills needed for entry-level IT jobs with CompTIA CertMaster Learn, CertMaster Labs, the Official CompTIA Study Guide, CompTIA Live Online Training for CompTIA A+, or the CompTIA Tech Career Academy. Check out our bundles for CompTIA A+ to save money on multiple products.
More Info: jobs that require a+ certification

Advanced-Level Cybersecurity Jobs

If you are an extremely skilled and experienced software engineer, you could be a great candidate for one of the advanced-level cybersecurity job openings. Employers hiring for advanced-level cybersecurity jobs look for the following skills:
Information security
Network security
Cryptography
Project management
Linux

Many of the advanced-level roles have a focus on project management because the further along you advance in your career, the more work you must manage and the more projects you are involved in.

In addition to CISM, GIAC and CISA as mentioned in the mid-level category, Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is a highly regarded certification. Also consider CompTIA’s advanced-level cybersecurity certification, CompTIA Advanced Security Professional (CASP).

The education requirements for advanced-level cybersecurity jobs are 80 percent bachelor’s degree and 11 percent graduate degree.

Another high average is the salary in this pathway – these jobs can pull in $119,500 per year.

Transitioning to a cybersecurity career from software development isn’t a huge stretch. Many of the skills you already have can set you up for success in cybersecurity. CyberSeek is constantly updating its data to provide you the most accurate information for your job search, making it a great resource to help you learn what skills and certifications are necessary for a successful career in cybersecurity!
More Info: comptia a+ certification jobs