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CIN TTT Essentials Series: CompTIA AI Essentials & AI Prompting

Just finished the AI TTT ondemand, Nick Pierce did a great job. Really believe this is going to be a cornerstone of IT going forward.
If you are an instructor the TTT videos are a must see. Lots of good information and ideas for teaching and engaging your students

Holding AI Accountable

Mr. Pierce mentioned in his CIN TTT AI Essentials course the idea of holding LLMs responsible.

Here is an interesting legal suit that will set some legal precedent --


OpenAI, Microsoft face wrongful death lawsuit over ‘paranoid delusions’ that led former tech worker into murder-suicide​

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CIN The Pulse: Preparing for Post-Quantum Cryptography

Join us as CIN kicks off 2026 with a webinar discussing Post-Quantum Cryptography! As quantum computing progresses into reality, traditional, trusted, and time-honored algorithms and methods have kept our daily activities safe are increasingly under pressure. This includes the RSA public-key cryptography algorithm, the Digital Signature Algorithm, the Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange, and Elliptic Curve Cryptography. In other words, the things that protect your very identity are at risk of being compromised, prompting the need for new, quantum-resistant solutions. Join CompTIA's Chief Technology Evangelist, Dr. James Stanger, as he talks with NIST's Bill Newhouse to hear more about his activities in helping organizations around the world prepare your attack surface for Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC). They will discuss how organizations are taking a more mature approach to their operations. This includes truly embracing automation, improving processes, as well as using a generation of cryptographic protocols that can better safeguard the sensitive information we handle.

Topics will include:
  • A quick overview of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)
  • The impact of PQC on how we do things today
  • A practical overview of post-quantum issues and readiness: What we've learned from past rollouts
  • Migrating to post-quantum encryption
  • Determining if your problem surface is ready post-quantum cryptography

What: CIN The Pulse: Preparing for Post-Quantum Cryptography
When: Thursday, January 15, 12:00 - 1:00 pm CST
Who: James Stanger, Chief Technology Evangelist, CompTIA and Bill Newhouse, Cybersecurity Project Lead, NIST
Where: ON24
Register Here
06689 CIN ThePulse Banner-SM.png

I did it!

While I spend most of my time teaching cybersecurity, most people know me as a Microsoft guy. I was a Microsoft MVP, a Technology Evangelist with Microsoft Canada, and a Fast Track Engineer with Microsoft (both as a contractor). I have probably delivered a thousand lectures on Microsoft technologies... to over ten thousand students and event attendees.

A month ago I received an email from a company I train for asking if I would deliver Linux+. I was surprised, but if I am going to follow my own advice (you only grow when you are outside of your comfort zone) then I have to try new things. I spent a couple of weeks studying and preparing for the exam, and the Saturday before the class was scheduled I passed.

I was surprised by the class. Firstly I was surprised by how comfortable I was in Linux. But also, I was surprised by how much fun I had teaching it! I had a small class (4 students) who were all mostly new to Linux, and I realized early that by showing them 'This is what we do in Linux... compare it to X in Windows' they were able to better understand a lot of concepts that they thought were foreign.

This morning I received my Evals, and while there were a few things the students didn't love (they were unimpressed with a lot of lab glitches), the Instructor scores were through the roof. I was thrilled!

There are some topics I will likely never teach. I was told when I first got my MCT that I could probably 'fake my way' through a lot of courses, but if I was not really a SQL Server expert that I should never try to teach SQL Server because they will know. I'll never forget that. I was worried a month ago that if I was going to make it through a week of Linux+ I would likely be faking it. It turns out that I know it a lot better than I thought I did, and I was not at all faking it. I had fun because I could go off the slides and just talk through demos... a lot more interesting than Death By PowerPoint.

I am not walking away from the Microsoft ecosystem. I have worked hard to learn it as well as I do, and frankly I think I teach it better than most of my peers. However I will definitely be spending more time in the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) that is a convenient feature of Windows 11, and will also be building a few more Linux servers in my lab environment (still built on Hyper-V). It will help not only for my Linux+, but also for my cybersecurity deliveries.

Pacing Course Excel Doc for Net+, Sec+?

Hi everyone,

I'm teaching A+ right now, so I have access to the Excel doc through the Resources to see the different ways I can set up how we teach the class and the time frame we'd like to work with. Another bootcamp hired me and wants me to suggest some schedules for them. I don't have access to the Net+ and SEc+. Is there a means to get the Excel doc for those other two certifications?

Thanks!

The Ginger Hacker Initiative Silent Auction 2025

Auction is LIVE Check it out !

LINK :


Join Us in Empowering the Next Generation of Cyber Defenders! 🔐At The Ginger Hacker Initiative, our mission is simple but powerful to help aspiring cybersecurity professionals break into the field through mentorship, scholarships, and access to training resources. We’re thrilled to announce our Online Silent Auction running On December 13th, 2025! 🎁The event will culminate in a 4-hour livestream finale on December 13th, where we’ll celebrate our donors, showcase items, and raffle off some exciting prizes live!All proceeds will directly fund certification scholarships, mentorship programs, and educational materials for those breaking into cybersecurity.Your support can make a real impact in shaping the future of this vital industry. Together, we can create opportunities for students, veterans, and career-changers to build meaningful cybersecurity careers.


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A+ netwrok+ Security+ challenging areas

Hi All,

We are looking to focus some of our training in 2026 and I'd be interested to know if you as a community have identified specific concepts with the domains for A+ Network+ and Security+ that always cause learners problems.

eg in A+ and Network+ we often find that our learners struggle with the DNS concepts more than most others.

Do you find there are key subjects you always have to go over or explain in more details across the above three certifications.

I appreciate this is a little vague but I would value the community's thoughts and feedback.

Many thanks

Mark
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Extend Certmaster Access from This Past Linux+ TTT?

@Stephen Schneiter Is there any way possible to extend access to Certmaster for Linux+ from the TTT to like 12/31/2025? Many of us activated early (not knowing it would cut off quickly) and I want to be able to finish but the cutoff is 12/13/2025. I want to make sure I'm learning exactly what my students will experience on the Certmaster platform. I'm almost done, but need a little more time (like some others who joined the TTT session).

Is this possible at all?

Do the Linux+ vouchers seem possible before New Years?

Need a Gift Idea - Be sure to SKIP this one

Krebs had a great posting regarding the Superbox, supposedly, to provide free streaming access to just about everything you can imagine. But...when it's free, YOU are the product. The sad thing about it is that folks are going to probably buy these things up. Meanwhile, it might be an interesting toy for a cyber class to look at in a sandbox.

Pretty wicked this thing, though.

Read about it...and tell me what you think.


/r

Linux+ XK0-006 vs. 005...?

Fellow trainers, we all have our strengths and weaknesses. While I have used Linux for many years, I have never been overly proficient. I am taking the exam tomorrow, and I want to ask... how different will this exam be from the previous version? Is there anything I should be worried about? I ask because I had previously prepared for the previous version but never got around to it, and now I am nervous going into the exam.

Thanks in advance!

Students Keep Asking for Social Media Postings

Over the last 8 months, I have found that direct instruction is the only thing that has proven effective, but I'm having such a challenge getting students to just FINISH their course. Their always so excited in the beginning. They pay for a monthly on-demand instruction, but I login and check their progress and after the 1st month. I don't see them logging in. We're not big enough to do 1:1 instruction continuously. It also doesn't bring enough revenue.

I'm trying to boost engagement and have only found genuine interactions on YouTube and LinkedIn. I have tried Discord after so many people requested discord, but students don't even interact there. So many people use TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, but after 2 weeks on those platforms. I deleted the account and deleted the apps from my phone. It was insane the amount of dings and pings happened all day and night and trying to keep up with social media attention spans is not something I want to spend my time doing.

I want people to FINISH there courses and then move on to greater things, but retention and focus has been a real headache and what get's me is people sign up and pay month to month faithfully, but they never login and LEARN. It's driving me nuts.

I need help - urgent

I need help. Starting tomorrow, I have to deliver Course 701 for my company because the trainer who normally teaches the course is unavailable. My company has registered as a Learning Partner with CompTIA, but the registration has not yet been confirmed. I have successfully passed the exam to prepare for the course. However, I now urgently need (by tomorrow) the PowerPoint materials for it. Who can help me?
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  • Question
Compcert Courses -- Where's The Beef

I'm wondering if these "CompTIA Compcert courses" that are not tied to actual CompTIA certifications are going to result in opportunities for instructor work, teaching classes that at best result in a "certificate of attendance"? In my decades of teaching as well as selling new courses to employers, students, and curriculum committees, that path has been made much more successful because of the recognition of CompTIA as a "Certification Issuer".

Thoughts?

Steve

Three CompTIA Certification's in the Top 10 of Robert Half 2026 Salary Guide

"Three CompTIA certifications (A+, Cloud+, Security+) are in the top 10 list of hottest certifications in the 2026 Salary Guide From Robert Half. "Candidates with in-demand certifications like those listed below can often command higher starting salaries, notably in sectors experiencing active hiring and strong demand for specialized skills," according to Robert Half. "

https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/insights/salary-guide/technology

A hat tip to CompTIA's Brian Matzelle who posted this on LinkedIn.

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