Friday Watercooler: My Divorce from Windows

Sometimes it feels like I'm shuffling a deck of cards, but with laptops:
I know what you mean. I have a wide array of machines that I have for different purposes, testing, and such - I think I have about 10-15 at any given time. Sometimes bouncing between different systems gets confusing, but for me, it's one of the few ways I have to stay sharp - although I'm staying Debian for pretty much everything. I probably should acclimate to Fedora and Arch - baby steps.

DataSys+ beta results released today

I passed as expected as well. This was my first time taking a beta exam, and the only thing I didn't like was waiting for...(checks watch)...6 months and a few days for my score report. I had a pretty good idea where I scored well and where I may have needed more work on test day but didn't get to check for surprises until this morning. Normally I'm not surprised at all by the items I've missed when reading a score report, but since I didn't study in advance for this one I may have missed some items I'd normally consider strengths.

I wouldn't hesitate to participate in another beta. While the exam was longer than usual, I don't recall it feeling repetitive nor wandering into trivial 'gotcha' sorts of questions, which says a lot for the quality of the question pool that was developed.
I've taken multiple beta exams. As Tom Petty once sang, "The waiting is the hardest part."

But they're a great experience. You get to see a wider bank of questions. The only challenge is that there are no training materials available yet, unless you're taking the beta for the new version of an exam. Even then, there are always new topics which you must research independently to be successful.

So far, I've passed both versions of Data+ and DataSys+. I have a voucher for DataAI. Is there anyone here who has taken it and can speak about that exam?
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Instructor Opportunity - NewYork City

Manasa V Karunasekarareddy

IT - Program Manager | 📊 Senior Business Analyst | 🗂️ Senior Project Manager |
2w • Edited
https://www.linkedin.com/in/manasa-v-k/
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📢 Instructor Opportunity – Grant-Funded IT Training Program
We are running a grant-funded IT training program and are looking for qualified instructors to teach:

🔹 CompTIA Linux+
🔹 CompTIA Security+
🔹 ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) – Level 1

The ideal candidates should:
✅ Hold the relevant industry certifications from CompTIA
✅ Have at least 4–5 years of teaching or training experience
✅ Have experience designing and developing curriculam
✅ Possess strong subject-matter expertise
✅ Be able to prepare students for certification exams
✅ Demonstrate strong communication and classroom-management skills
✅ Be available to travel to the training location and teach in person each day during the program

If you are a certified and experienced instructor interested in this opportunity, please send your resume and cover letter to:

📧 [email protected]

Do we know when the CompTIA Sec+ TTT is happening?

This is one TTT I'd really like to sign up for, so do we know when it is going to happen?
I'm already signed up for the sneak peek.
Dan
What: CIN TTT Series: Security+ V8
When: November 03 - November 19, 2026 (Six sessions), 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM CDT
Who: Brian Ford
Where: ON24

CIN TTT Series Security+ V8

Join the CompTIA Instructor Network and special guest @BrianFord as he Leads the Security+ TTT series using the CompTIA CertMaster Learn content. Brian will cover the exam objectives and provide hands on examples as you strengthen your cybersecurity analytics skills. We will discuss how to cover the content with students and suggest various labs to let students gain hands-on experience as they prepare for certification.

The new CompTIA Security+ (SY0-801) represents the latest and greatest in cybersecurity, covering the most in-demand skills related to current threats, automation, zero trust, IoT, risk – and more. Once certified, you’ll understand the core skills needed to succeed on the job – and employers will notice too. The Security+ exam verifies you have the knowledge and skills required to:

What: CIN TTT Series: Security+ V8
When: November 03 - November 19, 2026 (Six sessions), 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM CDT
Who: Brian Ford
Where: ON24
Register Now
View attachment 2788
Registered bum (y)
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CIN TTT Series Security+ V8

Join the CompTIA Instructor Network and special guest @BrianFord as he Leads the Security+ TTT series using the CompTIA CertMaster Learn content. Brian will cover the exam objectives and provide hands on examples as you strengthen your cybersecurity analytics skills. We will discuss how to cover the content with students and suggest various labs to let students gain hands-on experience as they prepare for certification.

The new CompTIA Security+ (SY0-801) represents the latest and greatest in cybersecurity, covering the most in-demand skills related to current threats, automation, zero trust, IoT, risk – and more. Once certified, you’ll understand the core skills needed to succeed on the job – and employers will notice too. The Security+ exam verifies you have the knowledge and skills required to:

What: CIN TTT Series: Security+ V8
When: November 03 - November 19, 2026 (Six sessions), 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM CDT
Who: Brian Ford
Where: ON24
Register Now
View attachment 2788
Again here we go more deep

CIN Sneak Peek: SecOT+ V1

I ho
Join us for a Sneak Peek into the new CompTIA SecOT+ certification. We will be joined by Dr. James Stanger and John Cusimano who will discuss why CompTIA is offering this new certicication and the indsutry demand along with the job skills that go with it.

CompTIA SecOT+ validates your skills to secure and manage operational technology (OT) systems in manufacturing and critical infrastructure. This certification is designed for experienced professionals who need expertise in OT risk assessment, compliance, threat intelligence, architecture, and incident response. CompTIA SecOT+ is scheduled to launch on or around December 8, 2026,

Skills covered with SecOT+:
  • OT safety and systems: Demonstrate safety, control, and architecture skills unique to OT.
  • Risk and compliance: Assess risk, manage compliance programs, and align cybersecurity to business objectives in OT.
  • Analyze and respond to threats using OT-specific frameworks, historical attack knowledge, and indicators of compromise.
  • Build, harden, and operate secure OT architectures—including physical, network, hardware, and software security.
  • Perform asset management, vulnerability assessment, and security monitoring in industrial setups.
  • Prepare and execute OT-specific incident response—including for physical and cyber-physical events.

What: CIN Sneak Peek: SecOT+ V1
When: October 22, 2026 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM CDT
Who: James Stanger and John Cusimano
Where: ON24
Register Now
View attachment 2792
I hope learn alot from CompTIA SecOT+ viewpoint. My PhD is based on Cybersecurity Critical Infrastructure (ICS OT}.

CIN Sneak Peek: SecOT+ V1

I
Join us for a Sneak Peek into the new CompTIA SecOT+ certification. We will be joined by Dr. James Stanger and John Cusimano who will discuss why CompTIA is offering this new certicication and the indsutry demand along with the job skills that go with it.

CompTIA SecOT+ validates your skills to secure and manage operational technology (OT) systems in manufacturing and critical infrastructure. This certification is designed for experienced professionals who need expertise in OT risk assessment, compliance, threat intelligence, architecture, and incident response. CompTIA SecOT+ is scheduled to launch on or around December 8, 2026,

Skills covered with SecOT+:
  • OT safety and systems: Demonstrate safety, control, and architecture skills unique to OT.
  • Risk and compliance: Assess risk, manage compliance programs, and align cybersecurity to business objectives in OT.
  • Analyze and respond to threats using OT-specific frameworks, historical attack knowledge, and indicators of compromise.
  • Build, harden, and operate secure OT architectures—including physical, network, hardware, and software security.
  • Perform asset management, vulnerability assessment, and security monitoring in industrial setups.
  • Prepare and execute OT-specific incident response—including for physical and cyber-physical events.

What: CIN Sneak Peek: SecOT+ V1
When: October 22, 2026 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM CDT
Who: James Stanger and John Cusimano
Where: ON24
Register Now
View attachment 2792
I really was waiting for long time. now here we go

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