COMPTIA TO CELEBRATE 2019 TECH CHAMPION AWARDS ON FEBRUARY - CompTIA Certifications

CompTIA will present the 7th annual CompTIA Tech Champion Awards on February to three leaders focused on driving innovation, job growth and advancements for the information technology (IT) industry.

The 2019 CompTIA Tech Champions are Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Congressman David Schweikert (R-AZ) and Stephen T. Cobb, technology thought leader and Senior Security Researcher at ESET.

The Tech Champion Award is given annually to one member of the House of Representatives, one member of the Senate, and one executive from industry who has exemplified leadership in the technology sector.

The Awards dinner will be held at the 2019 CompTIA DC Fly-In, a two-day event that brings together technology executives, business owners, tech councils and policy makers from across the country.

Senator Gary Peters

Senator Gary Peters has been at the forefront of the technology industry’s most pressing issues since joining the Senate in 2014 and serves as co-chair of the Senate Payments Innovation Caucus. But his passion for small business and entrepreneurship started long before then.

After election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008, Peters helped write and pass the Small Business Jobs Act -- which has resulted billions of dollars in new small business lending activity and millions of jobs.

In the Senate, Peters has worked across the aisle to advance legislation that will foster a skilled workforce, including a bill signed into law last year that strengthens career and technical education training programs. He also introduced bipartisan legislation to help train and retrain high-skilled cybersecurity workers in the federal government. And Peters led efforts to introduce the AV Start Act, which is a crucial framework for advancing the safe development and deployment of autonomous vehicles.

Congressman David Schweikert

Congressman David Schweikert co-chairs the Congressional Blockchain Caucus where he’s leading efforts to educate lawmakers on how blockchain can be implemented to solve some society’s most vexing challenges. He has been a proponent of legislation and regulation to drive technology advancements, not curtail them.

He’s also introduced bipartisan legislation to modernize tax laws for cryptocurrencies, and to establish a 10-year plan to accelerate the development of quantum information science and technology applications.

Congressman Schweikert has supported legislation that promotes research for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math programs and streamlines federal investments at the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. He also participates in the annual Congressional App Challenge that encourages students across the nation to create their own apps and pursue careers in tech.

Stephen T. Cobb

For more than 30 years, Stephen T. Cobb has been a leading international voice on data privacy and information security. He is an entrepreneur who has sold two IT startups to publicly-traded companies – InfoSec Labs to Rainbow Technologies and ePrivacy Group to Symantec.

Cobb is one of the first people to earn the Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP) qualification.

An author of more than a dozen textbooks, Cobb has dedicated his career to ensuring that students fully understand the fulfillment and opportunities available in an IT career. He has helped organized annual Cyber Boot Camps for middle school and high school students and has spoken about information security and data privacy issues in a dozen countries.

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Completing the Trifecta of CompTIA Certifications

Over the next 20 years, I would hold numerous jobs managing complex IT environments, customer support functions, sales and marketing teams, and ultimately, business operations for tech companies.

My First CompTIA Cert

After landing at CompTIA, following the successful sale of a business unit I managed, I was reintroduced to the tech certifications that my colleagues from many years ago held: CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+. Since my role was focused on industry and not skills certifications, I did not give them much thought other than, “It would be interesting to see if I could pass one of those exams.”

Once I settled into my new role, I got my first CompTIA certification: CompTIA Certified Technical Trainer+ (CTT+). As someone who speaks in the industry on a regular basis, I thought this would be a good certification to get. I was immediately challenged by the material and the high standard for passing the course. With reassurance and persistence, I passed both the performance-based and knowledge-based exams. I was hooked and ready to try something even more challenging.

Building an IT Foundation with CompTIA Certifications

CompTIA A+ comprises two exams, and despite lots of confidence that I would easily pass the exam with a brief refresher, I was quickly challenged by the deep understanding required of computing hardware and the vast array of software used to harness it. After a lengthy preparation period, I wrote both exams.

Proctored, high-stakes exams are very stressful. The clock starts counting, and you have minimal time to answer each question. In addition to multiple-choice questions, simulations challenge you to apply and demonstrate competency. When you finish the exam, you are left with adrenaline pumping and an uneasy feeling of uncertainty on how you did. I let out an audible sigh of relief both times when I learned that I passed the exams. I was now CompTIA A+ certified and ready for an even bigger challenge.

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CompTIA Network+ follows up on the core skills covered by CompTIA A+ with a more technical exam. This material was tough, challenging me to know the open systems interconnection (OSI) model in detail, build out all types of networks, and work at a binary and hexadecimal level, among many other things.

After extensive preparation with CompTIA CertMaster, I thought I was ready for the exam. I reviewed the first 10 questions and my heart sank not knowing the answer to many of them. I started to sweat.

As I worked through the questions and simulations, a voice in the back of my head kept saying, “You don’t know this. You’re going to fail.”

I pressed on, leveraging what I did know to rule out incorrect answers and moving quickly through questions where I did know the answer. I completed the exam with seconds to spare, not having any time to review. I was certain I had failed. Feeling dejected, I completed the demographic questions at the end.

When I saw that I had a passing grade, I laughed out loud for a minute from stress relief. The exam proctor looked at me wondering what was wrong with me. Challenged and succeeding, I was now CompTIA Network+ certified, and boy had I earned it.

Completing the CompTIA Trifecta

CompTIA Security+ was the latest step in my journey. I had experience with IT security throughout my career but largely relied on security experts to support my efforts. After being humbled with my experience with CompTIA Network+, I buckled down.

Combining CompTIA CertMaster Learn for Security+ with published study prep materials, I dove into a deep well of cybersecurity. Cryptographic functions – hashing, symmetric and asymmetric encryption, and KPI became my nighttime reading material.

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CompTIA Certifications Level For Cybersecurity with a Security Intelligence Background

Entry-level: Cybersecurity Specialist/Technician

Cybersecurity specialist is a great starting point for a cybersecurity career. They guard an organization’s networks to help protect them from cyberattacks, and if an attack does occur, cybersecurity specialists fight it. They need to be creative and adaptable to ever-changing attack techniques. If you’re passionate about protecting networks and fighting off threats, a career as a cybersecurity specialist could be a great fit for you! Check out these quick facts about cybersecurity specialists:

Average Salary for Cybersecurity Specialists

$75,000

Total Number of Job Openings for Cybersecurity Specialists in the United States

7,792

Degree Requirements for Cybersecurity Specialists

15 percent do not require a bachelor’s degree

58 percent require a bachelor’s degree

27 percent require a graduate degree

Top Certifications Requested for Cybersecurity Specialists

• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
• GIAC
• CompTIA Security+
• Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)

Top Skills Requested for Cybersecurity Specialists

Information security

Information systems

Information assurance

Network security

Vulnerability assessment

Mid-Level: Penetration Tester

A penetration tester, sometimes known as an ethical hacker, thinks like a malicious attacker, but uses their skills for good to protect an organization’s networks. Have you ever heard the phrase, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em? This perfectly describes a penetration tester – they test their networks by staging attacks to ensure they are as strong as possible. A career as a penetration tester can be very exciting – how often does one get to act like a bad guy at work and get paid for it? Check out what it has to offer and what it takes to get started:

Average Salary for Penetration Testers

$102,000

Total Number of Job Openings for Penetration Testersin the United States

9,826

Degree Requirements for Penetration Testers

• 6 percent do not require a bachelor’s degree
• 72 percent require a bachelor’s degree
• 22 percent require a graduate degree

Top Certifications Requested for Penetration Testers

• GIAC Web Application Penetration Tester (GWAPT)
• CISM
• GIAC
• CompTIA Security+
• CompTIA CySA+
• CISA

Top Skills Requested for Penetration Testers

• Information security
• Penetration testing
• Linux
• Vulnerability assessment
• Python

Advanced-Level: Cybersecurity Engineer

As you work your way up in cybersecurity, you can aspire to become a cybersecurity engineer. Cybersecurity engineers build and maintain a system that’s safe against cyberattacks. They focus on fixing and protecting these systems and stay up to date on new technology so they can keep their system secure. Cybersecurity engineers will work closely with and manage roles like the cybersecurity specialists and penetration testers we touched on earlier!

Average Salary for Cybersecurity Engineers

$108,000

Total Number of Job Openings for Cybersecurity Engineers  in the United States

40,998

Degree Requirements for Cybersecurity Engineers

• 11 percent do not require a bachelor’s degree
• 67 percent require a bachelor’s degree
• 23 percent require a graduate degree

Top Certifications Requested for Cybersecurity Engineers

• GIAC Web Application Penetration Tester (GWAPT)
• CISM
• GIAC
• CompTIA Security+
• CISA

Top Skills Requested for Cybersecurity Engineers

1. Information security
2. Network security
3. Linux
4. Information systems
5. Python

In Conclusion

If you work in in security intelligence and want to switch to cybersecurity , the pathway of cybersecurity specialist to penetration tester to cybersecurity engineer is just one of many you can take. A career in cybersecurity provides many possibilities, and you have the choice to do what will make you happiest and most fulfilled. Your experience in security intelligence has prepared you for a successful cybersecurity career – be confident in your established skills, develop additional skills where you may be lacking and earn a few applicable certifications, and you’re on your way to a thriving career in cybersecurity.

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Six Can’t Miss Tech Attractions in Austin - CompTIA Certifications

Austin has long been known as a tech tub, and CompTIA AITP’s recently published Tech Town Index, which ranked 20 parts of the U.S. based on their viability to tech, bears this out – Austin placed third on a list stacked with steep competition. It’s hard to think of a big-name tech company that doesn’t have a presence in the city, and the latest company to expand its presence there is Apple, which announced today plans to build a $1 billion campus in the city.

We’ve all heard of Austin’s biggest tech draws. The city’s South By Southwest (SXSW) conference and festivals have grown into a flagship event where brands and marketers congregate to debut all sorts of new technology central to the future of culture and commerce. It’s hard to think of a big-name tech company that doesn’t have a presence in the city.

But beyond that there are – of course – plenty of lesser-known tech spots here. To get the inside scoop on the city’s tech touchstones, we got in touch with Austin resident and channel pro Matt Lowen, alliance manager at Verenia, and frequent Austin visitor Aaron Tiensivu, consultant II at Microsoft. Check out these under-the-radar gems of the local tech world.

Go Inside the Indie Video Game Community

The indie video game world is booming with developers who grew up on classic games now possessing the technology and the knowhow to turn the storylines in their heads into the shoot-em-ups, roleplaying games and MMORPGs they love. Austin’s Juegos Rancheros collective is at the heart of Austin’s indie video game scene, and Lowen has gotten a lot of insight and had a ton of fun hanging out with developers at the group’s monthly Q&A/bar sessions.

“Juegos is more convention than trade show,” Lowen said. “It’s for creators to show off their labors of love and for fans of the craft to experience and love it as well.  Plus, beer.”

Stock Up on Classic Consoles

While today’s video games offer players jaw-dropping complexity and immersion, many of us still dig the classics from earlier, simpler eras. If you’re visiting Austin and want to pick up some games you never got around to beating in the ‘80s, Tiensivu recommends Game Over Videogames. At this Austin-based franchise, you know you’re dealing with people who have put in their hours playing Ninja Gaiden and remember a day when the pause button was the only way to save a game. And their selection goes way deeper than familiar Nintendo and Sega systems. You might see stuff like Neo Geo, Super Famicom, Atari 5200s or any of the other legendary hard-to-find machines that were the stuff of your dreams back in middle school.

“Think all of the old game systems of the past, even the rare ones, and they have them in stock with original manuals and games,” Tiensivu said.

Geek Out on Next-Gen Photo Gear

If you’re the kind of digital photography enthusiast whose wonkishness goes way deeper than what a high-end phone camera is going to offer, then Austin’s Precision Camera & Video is the spot to go and geek out. There’s plenty of gear, contemporary and retro, and a knowledgeable staff with whom you can talk lenses, lighting and the like. And if you’re an early-adopter to the 3-D printing trend, there’s some hardware on hand to help you make and fine-tune your creations.

Entertain – and Teach – Your Tech-Savvy Kids

If you have kids and want them to have as fun and educational a time as you do when you’re checking out Austin’s tech offerings, you can’t miss The Thinkery. Formerly known as The Austin Children’s Museum, The Thinkery provides kids with innovative, high-tech learning experiences. Hands-on exhibits about fluid dynamics, electronics and the like might spark your kids’ interest in tech or even gets them interested in what you’re doing in IT.

Check Out DIYers on Tech’s Bleeding Edge

Makers, hackers, builders and any other type of DIY creator you can imagine congregate at Austin’s ATX Hackerspace, a spot with the tools to facilitate everything from robotics and electronics projects to arts and crafts. Drop by one of their open house events to see how some of Austin’s artists are combining the latest creative technologies with good old-fashioned imagination.

Best Spots to Work Remote

Whether you’re visiting Austin for a conference, working on a project or just visiting for kicks while working remotely, you’re going to need two things – coffee and Wi-Fi. And as anyone who works from home even on occasion knows, not all environments are as ideally set up for remoting as others. What are the places that’ll get you caffeinated to your heart’s content and streamline your workflows? 

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