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Learn how ten-year-old twins, Zara and Zenubia, are using Microsoft Power Apps to turn their ideas into reality.
CompTIA A+ first launched in 1993, and since 2001 has been refreshed every three years to ensure the topics covered keep pace with what’s happening in IT. Employers, subject-matter experts and IT pros working in the field guide us in what they look for in help desk technicians, technical support specialists and other jobs related to CompTIA A+ to make sure we’re covering the skills that are needed in today’s world. With the launch of the new CompTIA A+ came many questions, so we’ve set out to answer them here. Keep reading to learn more about the CompTIA A+ Core Series (220-1001 and 220-1002), and post any additional questions in the comments to keep the conversation going.
The CompTIA A+ Core Series (220-1001 and 220-1002) provides a foundation for a number of different IT jobs and helps entry-level IT pros prepare for the jobs of the future.
In addition to topics you might traditionally associate with tech support, the new CompTIA A+ has an increased emphasis on cybersecurity, including malware, as well as cloud technologies, virtualization, the internet of things (IoT), network protocols and troubleshooting.
It also covers the basics of scripting so that help desk technicians and technical support specialists understand what they’re looking at when they encounter code.
CompTIA A+ continues to emphasize problem solving within a technology context. Employers want IT pros who can think critically and approach problems systematically to find a solution. Having CompTIA A+ shows employers that you have the hands-on skills and proof of your ability to solve technology problems.
Start by downloading the exam objectives and practice tests to understand what topics are covered and get examples of questions that you might see.
TechSherpas 365 offers a full suite of training solutions for both self-study and instructor-led learning:
If you like to solve technical issues and work with people, then help desk technician may be a good next step for you.
A help desk technician’s responsibilities include:
A help desk technician must have both hard and soft skills because the position requires a strong technical understanding as well as the ability to communicate clearly with others. For example, when a user has a question, the help desk technician must be able to diagnose the IT issue as well as explain the solution to the user.
You have many training options to help you prepare for your CompTIA A+ exam, including self-study materials, virtual labs, videos, online classes and in-person career prep classes. In 2020, TechSherpas 365 is bringing its IT-Ready Technical Support program to classrooms, so that students get the training they need to earn CompTIA A+ and launch their IT careers on the help desk.
While a formal education may help you get the job, a college degree is not necessary to become a help desk technician. IT certifications will prove that you have the skills to handle the job. CompTIA A+ is a widely recognized certification held by help desk technicians.
The median salary and wage for computer support specialists are $52,160 per year and $25.8 per hour (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
From 2014 to 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an increase of 12 percent for computer support specialists, with 88,000 net new jobs expected during that 10-year period.
Will your next move be help desk technician? If so, check out CompTIA A+ Boot Camp to get you there.
Let’s face it- We’re living in a virtual world, now, more than ever before. Social distancing is the new norm, and everything from gym classes to conferences to happy hour with friends is being taken online. Current climate aside, Instructor-Led Virtual Live Training (VLT) has been around for decades, and in recent years it has surpassed other delivery methods to become the leading learning option for IT professionals. Major technological advancements in the past 5 years, including widespread adoption of the Cloud, as well as changes to how people work and live, have contributed to the rising popularity of VLT.
There are a multitude of reasons an increasing number of IT pros are choosing VLT as their preferred learning method. Since 1995, TechSherpas 365 has provided virtual training to thousands of students. We’ve surveyed our students and instructors and compiled a list of the Top 5 Advantages of Virtual Live Training:
1) Best of All Worlds
2) Convenience & Ease of Attendance
3) Seamless Technology
4) Enhanced Features
5) Social Engagement
TechSherpas 365 offers 100s of IT courses in today’s most popular software and technologies such as Amazon Web Services, Cisco, CompTIA, Google, Microsoft, VMware and more. All of our instructor-led dates offer the VLT attendance option. Don’t allow the current climate of ‘social distancing’ to prevent you from upgrading your tech skills, experience and certification… Join thousands of other IT professionals and register for your next training course via Instructor-Led Virtual Live Training (VLT)… Get Trained, Get Certified, Get Going!
Has your organization purchased a Microsoft Software Volume Licensing agreement? If so, you may be eligible to redeem Microsoft Software Assurance Training Vouchers (SATVs) and get free training for select Microsoft courses.
Remember: SATVs can only be redeemed for Microsoft Official Courseware (MOC) with an authorized Microsoft Partner like TechSherpas 365. If your organization doesn’t redeem its SATVs, you could be leaving free training dollars on the table!
Microsoft has announced plans to change, and eventually retire, Software Assurance Training Voucher (SATV) benefits. More information, including the expiration timetable, can be found in our blog article “Microsoft Software Assurance Training Voucher (SATV) – Update“.
How Do I Know if My Company Has Microsoft SATVs?
How Does My Company Redeem SATVs?
How Does My Company Use SATVs to Purchase Training?
What Kind of Training Can Be Redeemed with SATVs?
Do SATVs Expire?
Redeem your SATVs today, and maximize the ROI on your Microsoft technologies investment.
Microsoft is updating Software Assurance benefits beginning in February 2020 to ensure Software Assurance stays relevant and useful to customers. With this change in direction, some Software Assurance benefits will be retired or changed to eliminate redundancies and better align Software Assurance benefits across Microsoft’s products and services portfolio. The changes made also simplify benefit redemptions and replace outdated implementation mechanisms. While each customer experience is unique, all customers can benefit from the ability to optimize their business performance through Software Assurance.
Microsoft is investing in new ways to help organizations deploy, train, and get support for the products and services they buy. Because those new ways overlap with some dated and underused Software Assurance benefits, and the redemption process for some benefits are cumbersome and outdated, Microsoft is retiring those overlapping and outdated benefits.
The changes will start in February 2020 and will gradually be implemented by January 1, 2022.
February 1, 2020:
February 1, 2021:
January 1, 2022:
Beginning February 1, 2020, the changes apply to all contracts regardless of status—midterm, new, and renewal. There is still time to use the benefits already accrued, customers will still accrue deployment planning days, training days, and support incidents until February 2021. Deployment planning days and training vouchers can be used until January 2022.
Customers can continue to redeem any accrued training days as vouchers until January 1, 2022. Azure content will be removed from the voucher course list beginning February 1, 2020.
Azure Customers: Contact us today to assist with redeeming your existing Azure training vouchers before they are no longer available for redemption in February 2020. If your business or organization has identified an Azure project that is soon to kick off, please contact us today to talk about our Azure training solutions.
Non-Azure Microsoft Customers: Training vouchers will expire in January 2022, but don’t wait to schedule training. Contact us today to discuss a plan to redeem your vouchers before they expire.
According to McAfee’s Economic Impact of Cyber Crime (February 2018) cyber criminals adapt at a fast pace. The scale of malicious activity across the internet is quite astounding. The figures are frightening on a monthly or yearly scale, let alone daily! Cyber criminals are constantly finding new technologies to target victims. With the introduction of Bitcoin, payment and transfers to/from cyber criminals is untraceable.
McAfee reports that one of the major internet service providers (ISP) sees 80 billion malicious scans a day
Symantec’s Internet Security Threat Report details that lifestyle apps are the main targets. The majority of these apps leak phone numbers. Further sensitive information like device location is also being made accessible. It would be completely impossible to monitor or check each of these apps for vulnerability issues. It’s essentially an open ticket for cyber criminals to do their worst.
In the first quarter of 2018, Google Play had over 3.8 million apps on their store.
In the top 10 most malicious file extensions, Microsoft Office took the number 1 spot. Emails are a common way for cyber criminals to attack their victims. Emails are used on a daily basis around the world. If you see an email containing a .doc or .xls file extension, most users would relate it to Microsoft. Microsoft being a reputable company means people are more likely to open an attachment.
According to Cisco’s 2018 Annual Cybersecurity Report, 38% were Office formats
The majority of smart home devices are connected via an external network. If the router you’re using doesn’t have decent security protection, you could be opening up your home to a cyber attack. With smart home devices becoming more prevalent, criminals are finding new ways to exploit vulnerabilities.
According to Trend Micro, The U.S., accounted for 28% of smart home device incidents. The U.K. and China followed with 7% each
Varonis’s 2018 Global Data Risk Report is quite terrifying. 6.2 billion files were analysed. These files contained credit card information, health records, etc. 21% of these files were open for global access. Furthermore, 41% of companies have more than 1000 sensitive files open to everyone.
By 2020, CSO Online predicts ransomware attacks will be quadruple. The healthcare industry gets attacked more than most industries. Thankfully not all attacks will be successful. Healthcare industries should not give into demands and ensure their data is safe and backed up. Phishing emails are particularly common and often where cyber attacks originate from.
In the 2017 Official Annual Cybercrime Report, it’s estimated that cyber crime will cost $6 trillion annually by 2021. In 2015, that figure was $3 trillion.
Cyber crime is now becoming more profitable than the global trade of illegal drugs!
That’s almost one-third of all emails, according to Verizon’s 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report. Phishing emails no longer take the same approach they used to. Do you remember seeing an email from your bank, Apple, PayPal etc. asking for sensitive information? With the figures that high, it’s no wonder cyber criminals are preying on email victims.
So many of us receive these emails each day and 12% are clicking on the links/attachments contained within them
The Cybersecurity Breaches Survey 2017 shows U.K. businesses are more aware of cyber issues. However, it also shows that a large percentage of businesses aren’t seeking any advice or potentially protecting themselves from threats.
79% of medium firms sought advice whereas only 50% of micro firms did
It may seem like passwords are dying, due to encryption etc. but according to Cybersecurity Media, they’re not. It’s predicted that 300 billion passwords will be used by 2020. That takes into account humans and machines! That’s an awful lot of passwords, all of which require cybersecurity protection. If not, that’s 300 billion potential threats, worldwide.
Yes, even a president can get hacked! In 2017 Emmanuel Macron’s emails were hacked. His emails were posted online just days before he was due to go head to head against his opponent. 9GB worth of data was posted to Pastebin. Macron’s campaign confirmed it had been hacked.
The world has gone mobile, and so have fraudsters. 60% of fraud comes from mobile devices; of that figure, 80% comes from mobile apps. Once a cyber criminal has access to your mobile, it can access your mobile banking app and initiate multiple levels of cyber crime. Fraudulent transactions are now over double the value of real transactions.
In 2016, Norton by Symantec reported over 2.5 million people were victims of cyber crime in UAE. Despite reports stating that awareness of cyber crime was high, people are still engaging in online behaviour that is deemed as risky. People know they should be aware of links and protect their information. 70% of those people still click on information that they aren’t 100% sure of. Millennial’s seem to be the most affected group of people.
53% of millennial’s experienced cyber crime in the last year
In 2015, Symantec reported the Netherlands as having the lowest cyber crime rate. Only 14% of the population were affected. Although 14% is still high, compared to other countries, it wasn’t! Indonesia, for example, was subject to the highest cyber crime rate in the world.
59% of the population fell victim to cyber crime
Have you ever thought how much your personal data is worth to you? Well, to some, it could sell for as little as $0.20, up to $15. Credit card information and account information can be accessed and purchased much more easily than you might think. The value of information is dependent on the type of details included. For example, credit card details are more valuable than other information. As well as this, it’s also dependent on how easy it would be to resell the information. If it’s too difficult, the value of personal data decreases.
Coincheck is one of the biggest Bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchanges in Asia. In January 2018 it reported that it had lost $530 million due to hacking. Due to the incident, Coincheck seized and stopped all sales and withdrawals of it’s cryptocurrency at the time. The cryptocurrency used for the exchange was called NEM. Coincheck deal with other cryptocurrencies too.
Cisco investigated 130 organisations in it’s Cisco 2017 Annual Cybersecurity Report. It found that 75% of companies were affected by adware. Adware in itself is a nuisance, but it can also facilitate further malware or virus attacks. Adware presents itself in the form of advertisements. Whether you’re using your device on or off the internet, adverts can be displayed. Often if you’re trying to perform an internet search, the results direct you to other websites or marketing pop-ups to obtain your personal data.
Although not every ransomware demand is paid, the average demand value is $1,077. Since the last report, this shows an increase of around 266%! When victims are faced with a ransom amount, they often pay up. We rely on the internet for daily activities, for personal and work. We rely on the internet to connect our devices, and even our homes with the introduction of smart home products.
Demands are significantly increasing because we’re so reliant on the internet. As ransomware attacks increase, we can expect the demand values to increase as well
Over 55% of China’s computers are infected with malware. Since 2014, that figure increased by nearly 30% more! Even with people being more and more aware about cyber crime, it’s clear to see it doesn’t stop attackers. Taiwan follow closely with 49% of their computers being infected. Of all the malware across the world, Trojans were the cause of the most infection. Trojan’s are malicious programs that provide a back-door kind of entry to computers.
Once hacked, attackers can access personal information, passwords, and infect other devices connected to the same network
Encryption is a process which involves encoding a message, information, or program. Encryption allows only authorised people to access it. For example, a document that may be readable in normal circumstances would appear completely illegible when encrypted. In order to access encrypted information, it must be decoded first. Hackers are of course aware of how best to hide their tracks. 90% of them use encrypted traffic to disguise what they’re doing. If we, as users, used encryption to the same level, it would be much more difficult for cyber crime to take place.
For me, this is one of the most terrifying statistics. Research suggests that most businesses take up to 197 days to notice breach of their data. ZDNet reports finance firms can take an average of 98 days! Due to the amount of time it takes for companies to realise a data breach, attackers are able to obtain even more information. Think about it, imagine what a cyber criminal can obtain over a 6 month period. Certain industries are of course more vulnerable to attacks, due to the data they hold.
83% of finance companies incur over 50 attacks per month. Once data has been stolen, it gets sold on the black market
Source: Original report can be found on VPN Geeks.
In our recent post we have already discussed two areas of Microsoft skills that are sometimes confused with each other: Microsoft 365 and (Microsoft) Office 365. If you want to build your career as an IT professional around Microsoft products, you are probably already familiar with the differences and similarities in that respect. Today, let us have a closer look at career options and further educational possibilities depending on your current level of expertise.
When you research the job market for positions that involve Microsoft 365 skills, these are the type of job offers you might find (depending on your skill level and location):
Since Office 365 is used in all kinds of job descriptions, there is an even broader range of options, some of them naturally being in similar areas as the above.
We have already addressed the generalist and specialist approach with regards to Microsoft skills. While there can be advantages as well as disadvantages associated with either option, there is also a third: Professionals with this combination of skills are often referred to as “generalizing specialist” or “T-shaped“.
This means that this person is an expert/specialist in a single field (the vertical part of the “T”). The difference to a “regular” specialist is that this one also possesses the ability and sufficient knowledge to collaborate with other experts in other disciplines (the horizontal part of the “T”). In the context of recruiting, this is considered a very desirable trait in a potential future employee. Within the area of IT, the term “T-shaped” is also common for cross-skilled team members in the context of agile software development.
Back to the subject of Microsoft, this could mean that your expertise (vertical) falls under the Microsoft-related skills (Microsoft 365/Office 365), but that you are capable of collaborating with other IT professionals in different/related fields.
Whether you want to further your expertise in Microsoft 365 and/or Office 365 or just starting in the field, we at TechSherpas 365 are your competent partner with our Microsoft training courses and certification programs.
If you already do consider yourself a Microsoft 365/Office 365 expert but want to improve on the horizontal part of your T-shape, take a look at our course catalog to find the right learning solution for you.
Sources and further reading:
https://www.hrzone.com/hr-glossary/what-are-t-shaped-skills
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-shaped_skills
https://www.indeed.com
As an IT professional, practicing your Microsoft 365 and Office 365 skills can be an integral part of your daily work. You might specialize in Microsoft or simply consider it one part of your well-rounded IT expertise. In case you are not there yet, let us talk about how these Microsoft products can form the foundation for an IT career.
If you keep informed with what is going on in the world of Microsoft, you are of course aware of this, but just for the record: No, your Office 365 skills are not quite the same as the ones for Microsoft 365. Office 365 with its applications and services is actually one part of the Microsoft 365 offer. We have already given you an overview of what Office 365 is all about in two earlier blog posts:
Microsoft 365 is a bundle that includes Office 365, plus the operation system (currently Windows 10) and additional mobility and security tools (Enterprise Mobility + Security).
As a professional (or aspiring professional) you might have already been confronted with the question of becoming a generalist (a basic to intermediary level of knowledge in a wide range of subjects) or specialist (particular expertise in one area/subject) in your chosen field.
Especially in the beginning of your career, this is not necessarily a conscious choice, and it also can change during the course of your career. In the context of IT this means that you might start out as a generalist by getting a working knowledge of various subjects/systems. At some point though you might find an area of special interest for you and decide you want to learn more about it and reach a higher level of knowledge/skills. At TechSherpas 365 we offer you a wide range of IT classes and certification training courses for all levels.
It is also possible that you develop additional expertise due to the work you do on a day-to-day basis.
Conversely, you might start out with extensive knowledge and skills in one special area and then decide later to broaden your knowledge by learning more about additional software or systems. In connection with Microsoft this might mean that you are an Office 365 expert and then decide to get a working knowledge about the other areas of the Microsoft 365 bundle.
Enhance and broaden your Microsoft 365/Office 365 skills with our various Microsoft training courses and certification programs. We will talk more about your career and learning options with Microsoft in our next post.
Sources and further reading:
https://www.cleverism.com/ultimate-career-choice-generalist-vs-specialist/
The new Microsoft Certifications are now more role-based. We are sure that you have probably already heard of this since it is likely you keep up with world of Microsoft. Today we would like to give you an overview of what that means in connection with the Microsoft Azure cloud certifications, and which exams you are going to have to take in order to earn this certification.
In general, there are three levels of Microsoft certifications:
There are now several role-based Azure certifications corresponding with these three levels:
There are many good reasons for choosing TechSherpas 365 as your competent partner to build your Microsoft Azure expertise. We are a “Microsoft Gold Partner” for offering learning solutions with the highest level of expertise and competence regarding Microsoft technologies.
We offer a wide range of Microsoft Azure related training courses across all three levels from Fundamentals to Expert. Whether you are just starting out or want to take your Azure skills and IT career to the next level: We have the right learning solutions for you!
One of the benefits of our learning methods is that many of our courses can be taken in the form of a boot camp, which allows you to achieve your certification goal within just a few days. You also usually have a choice between our In-Classroom Learning (ICL) and Virtual Live Training (VLT), depending on whether you prefer the classroom experience or learning from the comfort of your own home/office.
Simply contact us for more information!
See also:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learning/certification-overview.aspx
https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RWtQJJ (Download)
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learning/browse-all-certifications.aspx
https://www.nigelfrank.com/blog/microsoft-certifications-a-comprehensive-guide/
TechSherpas 365 is a Microsoft Gold Partner for learning solutions. This represents the highest level of competence and expertise with Microsoft technologies.