Jill West said:

How many of you are getting a lot of pushback from students on being required or advised to work with and learn AI in your courses?

I expected and received some pushback from other faculty, and my school is actually doing a pretty good job (I think) of working with those issues. What I didn't expect is for so many students to be resistant to AI, not because they're afraid of new technology, but because they're concerned about the impact of data centers on the environment and local communities. (And I understand the argument that many of these data centers aren't being built primarily for AI, but there's so much media coverage of AI that the general public is making this association regardless.)

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I'm just starting my initial CySA+ program now, so I don't have student experience on this topic yet.

However, I have observed college aged students taking a harder stance against AI. My oldest was interested in web development until they realized they would be required to use AI. At which point they changed their course of study. University students in my state have mounted campaigns against even smaller things like having AI read names at graduation ceremonies. It's a very unpopular technology in my state where we have water restrictions being enacted and a huge data center being proposed. As always, water is a scarce resource in the west and these data centers are known to be thirsty.

I wonder how people further into their careers are feeling about it? Are they pushing back against being encouraged to learn AI?

I tend to agree with Greg's point of view about the reality of AI, but we'll see where we land between the desires for "no AI" and "AI all the things".

Registered and looking forward

Looking forward to this one registered

Congratulations

Congratulations!

Congratulations!

You can renew your certification either by taking the newest version of Security+ or by earning a higher-level certification such as CySA+, PenTest+, or SecurityX. Another option is to earn CEUs through additional certifications. CompTIA provides the full list here:
https://www.comptia.org/en/resources/ce/renew-options/renewing-security-multiple/

One important detail: not every non-CompTIA certification fully renews Security+. Depending on the certification, you may receive anywhere from 5 to 45 CEUs. Typically, only larger industry certifications such as CISM or CISA provide enough CEUs to fully satisfy the renewal requirements on their own.

If you decide to follow the training and education route, CompTIA also provides a detailed breakdown of approved activities here:
https://www.comptia.org/en/resource...-higher-education/security-educational-units/

Use that list strategically to build your CEUs over time. Don’t wait until the last six months before expiration to start looking for CEUs. Start early and spread them out. For example, my Cloud+ expires near the end of 2027, and I already completed the 50 required CEUs. My SecurityX expires in summer 2027, and I already have 65 CEUs completed. Also remember that the vast majority of possible CEU's alternatives are not free, so plan ahead financially as well. In your case, you need 50 CEUs total, so a good strategy would be to complete at least 20 CEUs per year rather than trying to rush everything at the end. The $50 dollar fee can be paid either yearly or in one payment of $150 close to your renewal date. I will pay mine in full in January 2027.

Do we know when the changes to exam will be available for instructors to take the updated exam?

Also check with NetcomLearning: netcomlearning.com

Anthropic put there school online and they are free. There are

Anthropic put their school online, and they are free. There are whole tutorials on YouTube, there are free Udemy courses, LinkedIn learning, Allison app for free goes over all the domains. even has one.....aws has one...git hub

I attended two different cybersecurity conferences in the last week and a half. BSides Tampa at the USF campus in Tampa and poweredUP Tampa Bay Tech Fest at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg. I made a ton of contacts at both. Networking is absolutely critical, especially for contractors.

tir.and said:

Speaking of AI I think it would be interesting to see something on use of AI in teaching, I am sure people are already finding some use for it but a more comprehensive overview and/or a case study would be very nice indeed.

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I just attended two different cybersecurity conferences in Tampa Bay and both had multiple discussions about the growth and use of AI in industry.

If you're not already using it, you're already being left behind.

Congratulations

Congratulations

Stephen Schneiter said:

Join us for the CIN TTT series covering the next release of the CompTIA CySA+ certification. Our guest instructor, @Nick Pierce , will lead us through the eight-session series covering the exam objectives and provide hands on examples as you strengthen your cybersecurity analysis 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.

CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) is the premier certification for cyber professionals tasked with incident detection, prevention, and response through continuous security monitoring. It validates a tech professional's expertise in incident response and vulnerability management processes, emphasizing the critical communication skills necessary for effective security analysis and compliance.

Skills covered in this series:

• Enhance security operations processes, differentiate threat intelligence and threat hunting, and identify malicious activity using appropriate tools.
• Conduct vulnerability assessments, prioritize vulnerabilities, and recommend effective mitigation strategies for vulnerability management.
• Apply attack methodology frameworks, perform incident response, and understand the incident management lifecycle to handle security incidents effectively.
• Utilize communication best practices to report on vulnerability management and incident response, providing stakeholders with actionable plans and meaningful metrics.

What: CIN TTT Series CySA+ V4
When: June 8 through July 1, 2026, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm CT
Who: Nick Pierce
Where: ON24
Register Here
(Please note, registering will automatically register you for all 8 sessions. You will be able to add each session to your calendar on from the confirmation email.)

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Thank you @Stephen Schneiter.
Registered.

Jerry Naidoo said:

When you have passed an exam, I recall us receiving an email from CompTIA to confirm a few details before they mail a complimentary certification kit. I just saw this on their website:

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Is the certification kit no longer free? I remember there was a discussion about the wallet cards being discontinued but not about being charged a fee to receive the physical certificate (unless you received one and then would like to order a replacement certificate).

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The free train has stopped at the pay now station.

BrianFord said:

While certification cards and kits are a thing of the past, people who have earned a CompTIA certification will want to know how to prove that to a prospective employer. An exam score report is not proof that someone earned a certification. Candidates can download and provide an official, secure PDF copy of any individual certification (or all active certifications) directly from their CompTIA (Certmetrics) account. Candidates can also share verifiable digital badges (often through platforms like Acclaim/Credly) that display active status, issue dates, and skills verified.

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This is what actually matters.

Registered! Thank you @Stephen Schneiter !!! This TTT was very HIGH on my radar!!!

AutoOps+ wasn't even on my radar. After looking through the preview today. I definitely think I might smash this exam!

jasoneckert said:

AutoOps+ looks intriguing!

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I logged in and saw a technical preview on Certmaster. The course looks super promising!!!

Hello,

Yes this seem to be a challenge most times

but understand that networking is crucial if you need to be active as a trainer. Also ensure your certs are up to date. Another thing to do is certify a little bit across bother within same core area of interest.

My 10 cents

Thanks

Registered. Thank you @Stephen Schneiter