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CBT
Nuggets Newsletter - January 2003 Important Reminder: January 31, 2003 is the last day you can purchase the SQL 2000 Admin and/or Cisco CCNP-Switching videos at the new release price. Click here for the new release message with the discount codes. In this issue: C. Supplemental Training Resources The Nuts & Bolts of CompTIA's Security+ "The state of security hasn't improved in process or technology over the past 5 to 10 years. We're still crawling..." says Jeff Recor, Security+ Cornerstone Committee member and president of Olympus Security Group LLC. Considering the technological advancements and growth of e-business over the past 5 years, proper security measures and skilled security professionals are imperative to the overall success of business today. CompTIA's Security+ has a mandate to spread a base level of knowledge to IT professionals, and expedite the maturity of the security profession. According to David Foote, president of IT workforce research firm, Foote Partners LLC, "There's a huge information security job boom ahead. There's going to be a land rush for talent starting in the first half of 2004". The writing on the wall is there; those already employed in the IT industry and those getting into the IT industry are seeing the 'job-security' in the security field. The widespread acceptance of CompTIA's Security+ is impressive. This is the first global vendor-neutral standard for countering the growing threat of IT/IS security. Corporations, including Microsoft and Cisco, are contemplating making the Security+ certification a prerequisite for their respective security training. Furthermore, Security+ training is a great launching pad for more senior level security certifications such as CISSP and Checkpoint's CCSA. Security+ training lays down a foundation in the following five areas: general security; communications; infrastructure; cryptography; and operational/ organizational security. The target audience is someone who has at least 2 years of networking experience and a direct interest in security related tasks. According to a Foote Partners' survey of 30,000 IT professionals, security salaries have out-performed overall IT salaries over the past two years. CBT Nuggets has begun producing a line-up of security training. With Security+ slated for release in April and CISSP tentatively scheduled for release in late 2003 or early 2004, CBT Nuggets will have a solid Security offering. Monster.com Senior Contributing Writer, John Rossheim, reports that you'll most likely get a raise in 2003. Considering that the vast majority of tech workers either had their wages cut or frozen in 2002, this comes as welcome news. In 2002, salary increases were the lowest they have been in 29 years - according to an annual survey conducted by Phoenix research firm WorldatWork. All reports are pointing toward 2003 bringing a 3.6% to 3.9% salary increase for industry professionals. Although these percentage points are not as high as one would hope, it is a definite step in the right direction. Results are consistent in a separate study conducted by Janco Associates where a survey of 204 large companies concluded the mean compensation for IT positions will rise 3.8 percent in 2003. From all vantage-points, salaries are slowly rebounding from the gradual decline over the past 2 years. Current and aspiring technology professionals need to remain optimistic as 2003 begins to unfold. As technology continues to push at its own borders without a hint of slowing, the most logical recourse is to continually increase your personal knowledge and experience. Investing in your own skills is the one sure way to become the indispensable IT professional. Supplemental Training Resources What are the best supplemental training resources available on the market today? Do I need additional products to reinforce my training? These are the million dollar questions posed to the staff at CBT Nuggets on a daily basis. The answer is "No, you don't need additional resources to pass the exams and be an effective and productive IT professional. The CBT Nuggets videos are designed to be your one comprehensive source"; but realistically, any amount of training that you acquire (assuming that the material is technically accurate) can only help in your career development and in your continuing education. To that end, we've put together a list of supplemental resources, headlined by a new CBT Nuggets offering, that can help you in your career.
CBT
Nuggets News: Complete VB.NET Series Instructor Garth Schulte has completed 24 of 69 videos. We expect to release this series in April. SQL Implement/Design We've posted a date of May for this series completion. Instructor Jeff Abbott has begun work on it. |