The three pillars of cybersecurity:
1) People
2) Processes
3) Technology

These three elements/components do interconnect to form
a strong security framework!

Is this covered in any of the CompTIA cybersecurity related courses?

Hello CINners,

When I'm listening to presentations at cybersecurity events,
there are some common terms that are used, such as:
- vulnerability
- threat
- attack surface
- attach vector

Just to name a very few.

Can you define these terms without having to launch your favorite
search engine? Do you have a definition in your brain, that would
allow you to articulate to the someone, what the term means?

I'd like to have you define one (or all) of the terms that I have listed,
based on your understanding. Just imagine that you're in conversation
with someone, and you spit out one of those terms, and the other
person ask you to define the term.

Now if you're going to lookup the term(s) using some search engine,
or dig into some book, and then pass that on to me, don't waste that
bandwidth

Hi @Stephen Schneiter , may you kindly check for me as I haven't received the DataX voucher.

Thanking you,

We're looking for experienced trainers/mentors to join our team and teach a variety of CompTIA IT / Cyber / Cloud / PMP / CSM / Azure certification courses, including:

• CompTIA A+
• Network+
• Security+
• Cloud+
• PenTest+
• CySA+
• PMP
• CSM
• CISSP/CISM

About Us
We are a well-established post-secondary tech training school located in Tampa, FL. Our mission is to empower students to achieve their tech career goals. With consistent cohorts throughout the year, we provide a supportive and flexible teaching environment providing consistent teaching gigs throughout the year.

What We're Looking For

• Experienced Instructors: Prior hands on experience in the field as well as teaching, training, and mentoring experience in all of the above.
• Certifications: Must hold current certifications in what you will be teaching.
• Flexibility: In-person trainers are preferred, but we’re open to remote options for the right candidate and can work around your schedule as we have day and evening cohorts
• Engaging Educators: Trainers who can inspire and guide students, ensuring strong engagement and high pass rates.

Why Join Us?

• Flexible Scheduling: Work around your other gigs or commitments.
• Competitive Pay: Starting at $30/hour with opportunities for increases/bonuses based on performance, student engagement, and pass rates.
• Future Growth Opportunities: We’re expanding our course offerings in 2025 to include ITIL, Scrum, and PMP, AWS, Agile. If you’re certified in these areas, we’d love to chat!

Next Steps
If you’re interested in being part of our team or would like to learn more, please reply.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Dear all,
Please, I am looking for some instructor materials for the A+ course. But I am unable to find it.

Anything will help to deliver- PPTs, Ebooks, labs, demos;s.

Please can anyone help me with that?

This lab has no internet access... lab can't be completed!

PearsonVue has the CA1-005: CompTIA SecurityX Certification Beta Exam listed under "Other exams." When I attempted to register for it, it stated "Scheduling for this exam will begin in the future." Apparently, registration doesn't start until May 17, 2024.

My current CASP+ doesn't expire until 2028 because I used my CISM to renew it, so I don't need it right away. Plus, I'm an Adjunct Instructor for CompTIA so I can get a free voucher when the exam goes live. I'm posting this so that others can take advantage of the beta exam.

Hello, I'm searching for an CompTIA A+ instructor to teach our online courses to our students in Cape Town, South Africa.

I wanted to know if any Career Center Instructors that cover the Network+ and Security+ curriculum uses a Capstone project to help the students go more in depth and hone their strenghts and weaknesses. Do you have any documentation that you would be willing to share to get me started. I was thinking of having the Networking students create and harden, and have the Cyber students try to pick it apart and find weaknesses.

Thanks in advance for pointing me in the right direction.

Hello CINners,

Have you been to the Dark Web? How did you get there?
I'd like to pay it a visit.. What's are the logistics? What is
the process? What are the mechanics? What's the address?

I'm looking for responses from those who have ACTUALLY
been. Please don't provide me a response that you retrieved
from your favorite search engine!!!!

Thank you

@Stephen Schneiter thank you for your efforts and your passion to make sure these platforms is functioning effectively.
Please with your tie schedule, can you give us updates when cloud + voucher is to be distributed.

Recent postings relating to changes at CompTIA had me thinking about the great days of the late '90s and early 2000s. I recall with fondness Microsoft's AATP program. Googling the program, I found a useful history of the program, well worth reading. Back in the good old days, many of us in the academic world sought that Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) designation, with access to free exam vouchers and no charge for gaining the MCT designation. The cool thing was that for those of us who held the MCT designation, we were grandfathered, gaining the CompTIA CTT designation without taking a written exam or providing a teaching demonstration.

Things changed and at some point Microsoft started charging an annual fee in order to retain the MCT designation. That is when I decided to no longer carry that designation. My recollection was the fee was $500. Research indicates that "The MCT Program Fee was waived in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This waiver to the standard MCT annual fee remains in effect." Some of you may want to consider joining up to spice up your resume, given the cost elimination.

This of course has me thinking about the CTT+ designation that is, at least from what I've been able to find, no longer available (based on this posting on CIN).

Hello CINners,

What would you say are the top 8 cyberattacks that have occurred in 2024 thus far?

Of those top 8, which is #1?

@Stephen Schneiter i have not received my voucher for N+ please.. All my colleagues have gotten. Please update.

Does this look like a good depiction of these three levels of the web?

I've been avoiding an online bickering with someone on Reddit. Thought I'd put it to my co-teachers instead.

The gist of it:

• Person A asks "I have read the exam objectives, but what takes priority based off of the older exam?"
• I respond that we cannot divulge such information due to our NDAs; we cannot say what the exam focuses on or covers.
• Person A responds that they're not looking for dumps or cheat sheets, just for guidance on which topics to focus study on.
• I counter again that this is still contrary to our NDAs: everything on the objectives is fair game and the objectives provide weighting per objective.
• Person B chastises me, saying "Instructors and fellow learners can absolutely make suggestions on topics that should be focused on, like Linux file permissions".

That's where I cut out and decide not to continue.

Me personally I hard disagree with B, because that would still be using my inside knowledge to steer someone's learning. I know exactly which topics were focused on in the exams I took, but I'm not going to tell because that laser focuses the students the "the right" parts of the exam. Sure the exam objectives are supposed to be evenly used, but from experience I know certain topics will get priority.

So what's your take on this?

Hello CIN Community!

I'm reaching out to connect with fellow instructors who share a passion for making a difference in underserved communities, particularly those at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). As members of the CIN, we have a unique opportunity to collectively empower those communities with the skills and certifications needed to excel in cybersecurity and IT.

I'm currently working on an initiative to develop and support cyber range and training programs for local HBCUs in Baltimore, MD. The long-term goal is to scale these programs across all 100+ HBCUs. The goal is to create immersive, hands-on experiences that span foundational IT skills to advanced cybersecurity certifications, leveraging CompTIA's courseware and certifications as a central part of the curriculum.

If you're interested in contributing to this vision or if you know of any similar programs in the space, I'd love to hear from you. Specifically, I'm looking to:

• Identify CompTIA Instructors interested in partnering on or mentoring for these programs
• Gather insights from those who may already be involved in similar initiatives
• Source any existing resources, best practices, or ideas that would help make this program impactful and sustainable

Together, we can help bridge the IT and cybersecurity skills gap and open new doors for talented students in these communities. Please reach out here or via a direct message ([email protected]) if you're interested or have resources to share. In the meantime, I will be scouring the forums for ideas and similar discussions.

Looking forward to collaborating,

Brandon Royal, MSCy, CSIE, GSTRT, CISSP

I am eager to attend

Thoughts?

Hello CINners,

I can see why I'd want to use a VPN when I'm away from home.
However, I ain't thinking about using a VPN when I am at home.

Is there anyone in the community that uses a VPN, when on their
home Internet connection - simply because the OS on the computer
is Windows?

Greetings!!

@Stephen Schneiter

I wanted to follow up regarding my request to update my email for my CIN membership. It’s been some time since I initially reached out, and the change still appears to be pending.

Hello! I am looking to purchase a few Tech+ vouchers. Are those available yet? I can't find them on the Academic store or the CompTIA store. Anyone have an idea of when they will be available? I am a bit leery that I am doing the curriculum and there is not cert to buy. It was a big sell to run this course!

Thank you

SAN FRANCISCO, MIAMI, and DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Nov. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- H.I.G. Capital ("H.I.G.") and Thoma Bravo are pleased to announce the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire the brand and world-leading information technology (IT) certification and training business and products of the Computing Technology Industry Association ("CompTIA").


CompTIA is a global leader in IT certifications and trainings, focused on promoting industry growth and skills development across the $5 trillion global IT ecosystem and its 38 million professionals. It provides comprehensive education, training, certifications, and market research, across areas including cybersecurity, emerging technologies, networking, cloud computing, and technical support. As the largest vendor-neutral credentialing program for technology workers, CompTIA has awarded over 3.5 million globally recognized certifications to professionals across the full range of technology companies. It also maintains a strong global partner program with thousands of academic institutions, non-profits, job corps centers, and other organizations, focused on developing and certifying the next generation of technology talent. Following the closing of the transaction, CompTIA will operate as a for-profit company under H.I.G. and Thoma Bravo's ownership. Its existing membership-based, 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization will be separated from CompTIA and continue its mission of service to the IT industry.


"We are thrilled to be joining forces with two leading, experienced investors in the technology space, whose expertise and resources will allow us to expand our impact on the global IT industry," said Todd Thibodeaux, President and CEO at CompTIA. "Through this transaction, we will be well-positioned to accelerate and expand the rollout of products and services to train the highly skilled workers of the future, and further strengthen our reputation across the industry as the leading provider of certifications and trainings."


"The Association's Board of Directors is very excited to be working with H.I.G. Capital and Thoma Bravo in this transformational process for the Association and also for the CompTIA business," said Tracy Pound, Chair of CompTIA's Board.

"This transaction will allow the Association to chart an expanded course of service to the global IT industry while making a substantial new commitment to charitable impact," added Scott Barlow, Vice Chair of CompTIA's Board.

"We are delighted to partner with Todd and the rest of the CompTIA team," said Matthew Robinson, Managing Director at H.I.G. "We look forward to embarking together with management on CompTIA's next phase of growth as a business fully dedicated to advancing the careers of IT professionals globally."

"Global education is continually evolving to become more skills-based, and CompTIA is powering that shift with partnerships spanning academic institutions, private enterprises, government entities, and training delivery partners," said Matt Hankins, Managing Director at H.I.G. "CompTIA's educational training content and certifications are enabling people across the world to gain entry and advancement in the IT space to unlock personal earning potential."

"The technology landscape is evolving quickly, and it is more important than ever that IT professionals have the skills needed to solve not only today's challenges, but also those expected to emerge in the future," said A.J. Rohde, Senior Partner at Thoma Bravo. "We view our investment in CompTIA as an important opportunity to capitalize on this growing need while investing in the development of the industry as a whole."

"CompTIA is a trusted name in IT, with significant partnerships across sectors and industries," said George Jaber, Principal at Thoma Bravo. "We look forward to working with CompTIA to invest in further developing its suite of industry-leading training and certification products, creating the next generation of resources that the industry needs while upholding CompTIA's global reputation."

The transaction is expected to close in early 2025 and is subject to customary regulatory approval.

Macquarie Capital, Ropes & Gray LLP, and Polsinelli LLP are serving as advisors to H.I.G. and Thoma Bravo. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is serving as exclusive financial advisor to CompTIA and Husch Blackwell LLP is serving as legal advisor.

About CompTIA

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is the world's leading information technology (IT) certification and training body. CompTIA is a mission-driven organization committed to unlocking the potential of every student, career changer or professional seeking to begin or advance in a technology career. Millions of current and aspiring technology workers around the world rely on CompTIA for the training, education and professional certifications that give them the confidence and skills to work in tech. For more information, visit comptia.org.

About H.I.G. Capital

H.I.G. Capital is a leading global alternative investment firm with $65 billion of capital under management.* Based in Miami, and with offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco in the United States, as well as international affiliate offices in Hamburg, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Bogotá, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Dubai, and Hong Kong, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to middle market companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/value-added approach:

• H.I.G.'s equity funds invest in management buyouts, recapitalizations, and corporate carve-outs of both profitable as well as underperforming manufacturing and service businesses.
• H.I.G.'s debt funds invest in senior, unitranche, and junior debt financing to companies across the size spectrum, both on a primary (direct origination) basis, as well as in the secondary markets. H.I.G. also manages a publicly traded BDC, WhiteHorse Finance.
• H.I.G.'s real estate funds invest in value-added properties, which can benefit from improved asset management practices.
• H.I.G. Infrastructure focuses on making value-add and core plus investments in the infrastructure sector

Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 400 companies worldwide. The Firm's current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $53 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at hig.com.

*Based on total capital raised by H.I.G. Capital and affiliates.

About Thoma Bravo

Thoma Bravo is one of the largest software-focused investors in the world, with approximately $160 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2024. Through its private equity, growth equity and credit strategies, the firm invests in growth-oriented, innovative companies operating in the software and technology sectors. Leveraging Thoma Bravo's deep sector knowledge and strategic and operational expertise, the firm collaborates with its portfolio companies to implement operating best practices and drive growth initiatives. Over the past 20+ years, the firm has acquired or invested in more than 490 companies representing approximately US$265 billion in enterprise value (including control and non-control investments). The firm has offices in Chicago, London, Miami, New York and San Francisco. For more information, visit thomabravo.com.

I'd like to get some input from the CIN community regarding Cyber Threats.
What do you see as top ones???