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Theory vs. Labs: Which One Do You Never Skip?

I can tell you that in my 35 years, I still don't make $200k, and certainly not in 90 days. Probably couldn't do that without doing something very illegal.

But to get back to the OP's question, the one thing I put into every lecture is "heart". If students don't have the heart to train, stay hungry, and keep punching the bag to get those certs, they don't belong in the field. When I say this, I look for the "head nodders" and the "eye-rollers". That tells me all I need to know about how receptive they are.

/r
Certifications were originally intended to validate a candidate's experience and knowledge. They weren't intended to be checklist items for newbies trying to impress recruiters. Over time, all of the certifications have been devalued. I see people pass the CISSP with less than the mandatory five years of experience. It used to be the gold standard, but how can it still be when newbies are passing the exam.

And then they wonder why they can't get hired with a stack of certs they crammed for.

Theory vs. Labs: Which One Do You Never Skip?

that's the exact same problem I have seen! Everybody wants to finish quick and make $200,000 in 90 days.
I can tell you that in my 35 years, I still don't make $200k, and certainly not in 90 days. Probably couldn't do that without doing something very illegal.

But to get back to the OP's question, the one thing I put into every lecture is "heart". If students don't have the heart to train, stay hungry, and keep punching the bag to get those certs, they don't belong in the field. When I say this, I look for the "head nodders" and the "eye-rollers". That tells me all I need to know about how receptive they are.

/r

New to CompTIA Instructor Network As Well !

Welcome to the community, Danny! Glad to have you on.

As I just said to Andrew, explore the community, jump into some conversations, reply, post, you know the drill.

I had thought about exploring the law enforcement side of Cyber - got a couple books on my shelf about criminality, to help understand what drives the bad guys from a psych perspective. It might be good to hear some of that out here.

Anyway, welcome aboard! See you in the threads.

/r
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Where to Find Security+ 701 Instructor Guide PDF and PPTs?

The instructor access keys are good for about three months after activating. My code for SecurityX dropped out this past week, so I'm trying a couple other things.

My only gripe about CertMaster is that I'm an audiophile - I learn by hearing and I like to listen to text on mobile, while driving around. Interestingly, I did CASP and Cloud, primarily by audio - had to have a PDF reader for those. For CM, it's much more difficult for audio. Not impossible, but a pain.

/r

New to CompTIA Instructor Network As Well !

Hello everyone, I know Andrew Crotty (Ginger Hacker) just introduced himself, so I thought I'd do the same! I have been working with Andrew at The Ginger Hacker Initiative and am a Cybersecurity Engineer at an MSSP. I'm a big fan of CompTIA and hold 7 active certifications! I come from a law enforcement background and am excited to give back to the community. Looking forward to collaborating with everyone here!


Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn as well! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannypmayer/

New to CompTIA Instructor Network !

Hello everyone! My name is Andrew Crotty, and I’m excited to join the CompTIA Instructor Network. I’m a cybersecurity professional with over a decade of experience across military, government, and private-sector environments currently serving as a Cyber Network Defense Analyst and the Founder of The Ginger Hacker Initiative, a nonprofit focused on helping individuals break into cybersecurity through mentorship and certification support. I’m passionate about teaching, community building, and empowering the next generation of cyber professionals, and I look forward to learning, sharing, and collaborating with you all.

Discord: https://discord.gg/gh6KFVYG

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-crotty-377b3466/
Welcome to the party, Andrew! Glad to have you and looking forward to hearing more about what you have happening, out here on the boards.

In the meantime, take a couple minutes, jump into a few conversations and let's get to know you better!

Good to meet you!

/r
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New to CompTIA Instructor Network !

Hello everyone! My name is Andrew Crotty, and I’m excited to join the CompTIA Instructor Network. I’m a cybersecurity professional with over a decade of experience across military, government, and private-sector environments currently serving as a Cyber Network Defense Analyst and the Founder of The Ginger Hacker Initiative, a nonprofit focused on helping individuals break into cybersecurity through mentorship and certification support. I’m passionate about teaching, community building, and empowering the next generation of cyber professionals, and I look forward to learning, sharing, and collaborating with you all.

Discord: https://discord.gg/gh6KFVYG

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-crotty-377b3466/
Welcome!
Great background.
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New to CompTIA Instructor Network !

Hello everyone! My name is Andrew Crotty, and I’m excited to join the CompTIA Instructor Network. I’m a cybersecurity professional with over a decade of experience across military, government, and private-sector environments currently serving as a Cyber Network Defense Analyst and the Founder of The Ginger Hacker Initiative, a nonprofit focused on helping individuals break into cybersecurity through mentorship and certification support. I’m passionate about teaching, community building, and empowering the next generation of cyber professionals, and I look forward to learning, sharing, and collaborating with you all.

Discord: https://discord.gg/gh6KFVYG

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-crotty-377b3466/
Welcome, feel and share what you have with us joyfully!
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CIN Exclusive Live Stream Event - Instructor Toolbox Session

Join us for our next CIN Exclusive live-stream event!

Get ready to participate in a hands-on, practical cyber exercise with CompTIA, Cubic, and Cloud Range Cyber. For the next CompTIA Learning session, we’ll be conducting a cyber range exercise focused on protecting critical communications infrastructure. This will be a workshop, so prepare yourselves to interact with experts as you learn unique skill combinations that solve today’s critical issues. Throughout the session, AWS and Cubic will outline critical ways to manage, improve, and secure Mission Partner Environment (MPE) networks and communications. They will outline ways to cope with Denied, Degraded, Intermittent, and Limited (DDIL) environments, for example. All the while, we will all work hand-in-hand in a cyber range. We’ll be working inline and in real-time with experts who will help you learn the skills to help unify and secure edge and cloud for better communications and outcomes.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:
  • Describe the critical infrastructure attack surface at the tactical edge for enterprise and cloud environments
  • Discuss typical and asymmetric attacks that occur
  • Identify critical, hands-on security analytics methods for protecting communications
  • Create new cross-skilling pathways and learning opportunities with confidence
This session will last roughly three (3) hours. We will divide the action into three parts. In the first 30 minutes, AWS and Cubic will outline the opportunities and problems that today’s tech workers need to solve. We will then delve into a cyber range where you can hone practical skills and identify future learning pathways for you and/or your group.

Candidates can earn CEUs for the following certifications:
  • CompTIA A+ ce
  • CompTIA Network+ ce
  • CompTIA Security+ ce
  • CompTIA DataSys+ ce
  • CompTIA Linux+ ce
  • CompTIA Cloud+ ce
What: Skills for protecting mission-critical infrastructure: A hands-on workshop
When: Wednesday, October 29, 2025 8:00 PM CST
Where: Room: Hawai'i Convention Center 302AB
Who: Dr. James Stanger, CompTIA, Bri Frost, Cloud Range, Jason Stutt, Cloud Range, Yuri Sidorov, Cubic

Livestream Registration Here
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CIN TTT Series: Data+ V2

Our next TTT series will focus on the CompTIA Data+ V2 certification. Join CIN and special guest @Kwabena Fred as he Leads the Data+ TTT series. Fred will cover the exam objectives and provide hands on examples as you strengthen your Data 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 CompTIA Data+ certification exam covers the following domains.
  • Explain data concepts: Database types, data structures, file extensions, and data types.
  • Identify data sources: Databases, APIs, website data, files, logs and repositories.
  • Recognize infrastructure concepts: Cloud, on-premise, storage, and containerization.
  • Identify data tools: Coding environments, BI software, and analysis platforms.
  • Understand AI concepts: Identify AI models, natural language processing, and robotic automation.
What: CIN TTT Series: Data+ V2
When: October 28 - December 4, 2025 (Ten sessions), 1:00 - 3:00 PM CDT
Who: Frederick Anaafi
Where: ON24
Register Now

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Yay registered!
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