9 Essential IT Job Skills for 2015

The IT industry is in a time of transition these days, with cloud computing, the bring your own device (BYOD) phenomenon, and a host of other factors putting pressure on IT professionals on every rung of the corporate ladder. While industry turmoil creates stress for a lot of system administrators on the career front, that disruption also creates opportunities for those that want to invest time and effort to learn in-demand IT skills.

Over the last few months I’ve spoken with HR consultants, hiring experts, and employers across the career spectrum to try and spot what the in-demand skills are for IT professionals these days. What follows is a list of nine of the hottest IT skills, especially for Windows Server-focused system administrators.

1. Windows PowerShell

The word “PowerShell” has been used so frequently at recent Microsoft conferences and events that you could be forgiven for shouting “drink!” every time that word is mentioned. In case you’ve been living behind a server rack for the last few years, you’ll know that Windows PowerShell is a command-line-based task automation framework that can — using just a few lines of code and a handful of PowerShell cmdlets — make tedious IT tasks more manageable.
Microsoft is pushing PowerShell knowledge as a vital IT skill, with Microsoft’s Jeffrey Snover telling me in an interview at TechEd 2014 that his advice to IT professionals concerning PowerShell knowledge would be to “…get with the program.”
Not all system administrators are on board with PowerShell, as one told me at that same TechEd Conference that if he “…wanted to spend all my time at the command line I would have been a Linux administrator.”
Command line criticisms aside, PowerShell is quickly becoming a must-have skill for any IT professional that has to manage anything in the Windows Server stack, which translates into PowerShell-savvy candidates getting a leg up on their CLI-phobic peers for career advancement.
http://www.abcotechnology.edu/MCSA-2012-Server-Infrastructure/Installing-Configuring-Windows-Server-2012-Exam410

2. Cloud Computing: Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and the Google Cloud Platform

Years ago, many IT professionals were wary of the cloud, afraid to move IT resources into a datacenter owned — and managed — by someone else. While cloud services aren’t infallible— see our coverage of the Microsoft Exchange Online outage in the Summer of 2014 for evidence on that point — usage of them is becoming much more ubiquitous in IT departments everywhere. Forrester Research has even gone as far to recently claim that cloud adoption is in “hyper-growth” mode, stating that CIOs need to “Shift into the driver seat, or others will.”
While the cloud isn’t a solution for every problem, IT professionals that become in-house experts on deciding what should (and should not) be moved to the cloud are enhancing their value to the organization. You don’t want to be “that guy” that refuses to trust any IT resources that he can’t physically see and touch. The best solution is to become knowledgeable about cloud infrastructure as a service (IaaS) offerings like Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, and the Google Cloud Platform, then use that information to help educate business stakeholders on what will (and won’t) work for your business in the cloud. Knowledge is power, and a knee-jerk refusal to learn about the cloud could have severe ramifications for your career.

3. Security

“IT security is crucial, and demand for security professionals has really come to the fore,” says John Challenger, CEO of IT placement firm Challenger, Gray, and Christmas. “We’ve all heard about the hacking at Target, and the never-ending stream of bad news related to IT security breaches.” Challenger says that he’s seen increased demand for specific IT security careers — like Chief Information Security Officers (CISO), Network Security Engineers, Security Administrators, and Systems Security Analysts — but also increasing demand for security skills and experience in other disciplines as well.
IT professionals interested in adding more security credentials to their resume can pursue certain security certifications, like the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) certifications offered by ISC2. Other possibilities include certificate programs offered by the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), including the Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK), which can help IT staff get up to speed on the best practices and latest trends in cloud security.
http://www.abcotechnology.edu/Computer-Security-Training

4. Compliance

Another career segment of the IT industry boasting rapid growth is compliance, according to John Challenger. Most mid- to large-enterprises must abide by a host of regulatory demands, ranging from Sarbanes-Oxley to the The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS). All of these rules and regulations need IT staff to interpret and implement them, which has resulted in a boom in IT careers specifically related to making sure that corporations and their IT infrastructures are in compliance with state, federal, and — where applicable — international law.
Challenger says that some large enterprises have office floors full of compliance employees, particularly in banking and health care sectors. Sample job titles in this area include Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), Director of Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance, Corporate Compliance Office, Risk Analyst, and more. A recent article over at the Wall Street Journal about the booming demand for compliance professionals drives the point home, so IT professionals looking to learn marketable skills may want to brush up on the lucrative intersection between compliance and IT.
http://www.abcotechnology.edu/courses_home.html

5. Office 365 and Google Apps

Another segment of the IT industry experiencing stratospheric growth is the market for cloud-based email and productivity software, headlined by Microsoft Office 365 and Google Apps for Business. For many organizations, having an on-premise mail server — either in the form of Microsoft Exchange or some other email server platform — isn’t the most cost-effective solution. Both Office 365 and Google Apps can fill email and productivity software needs for many organizations, and the move to those services requires IT professionals that know how to migrate from legacy systems to these new cloud-based alternatives.
While Microsoft and Google may be battling server and mailbox for market share in this segment, IT professionals that know the advantages and disadvantages of each platform will be in the best position to advise their employers, and learn valuable skills on how to manage these platforms in the process. Both Microsoft and Google also offer certification programs geared towards their respective platforms, which I’ve linked below.
http://www.abcotechnology.edu/courses_home.html

6. Mobile App/Device Management

During a keynote address at the 2014 Microsoft World Partner Conference, Microsoft COO Kevin Turner mentioned a statistic — almost in passing — that reveals just how much of an impact mobile devices have had on the world of IT over the last few years. Turner mentioned that Microsoft still enjoys a 90% market share on desktop PCs, but also stated that — when you factor in smartphones, tablets, and other devices — Microsoft’s market share of all computing devices drops to a humbling 14%.
So what does that mean for the careers of Microsoft-focused IT professionals? It means that learning how to research, purchase, deploy, manage, and secure the plethora of mobile devices that today’s modern knowledge worker brings to the office is fast-becoming a must-have skill for every IT professional. Whether you’re using Microsoft’s Enterprise Mobility Suite, Windows Intune, or VMware’s Airwatch, getting up to speed on the tools and services that will help you manage all these mobile devices is a must. http://www.abcotechnology.edu/courses_home.html

7. IPv6 and Virtual Networking

Two big changes have swept over the world of computer networking in the last few years: The arrival of IPv6 and the rise of virtual networking. Knowledge of the former is a must for any network administrator, and one can make the same case for the latter as well.
While knowledge of IPv6 is arguably the more fundamental of the two IT skills, virtual networking is quickly becoming a requirement as well. Network virtualization promises to do for hardware networking what server virtualization did for physical servers, and is helping make on-premise IT even more flexible and responsive. Both of these technologies help enable the rapid advance of cloud computing services, so a network administrator who has a strong working knowledge of both is well-positioned for the future.
http://www.abcotechnology.edu/courses_home.html

8. Virtualization: Hyper-V and VMware

Despite all the hullabaloo about cloud computing, many IT departments are still looking for help in managing their on-premise virtualized environments. As David Davis notes in his opinion article about why you should choose VMware over Hyper-V, VMware administrators are always in demand, and that “…virtualization experts are finding that there are many more job openings for those with vSphere knowledge than with Hyper-V knowledge (which results in higher pay).”
http://www.abcotechnology.edu/courses_home.html

9. ‘Soft’ Skills

While all of the aforementioned skills are important, many IT hiring managers I’ve spoken with over the years place a great deal of importance of the so-called “soft” skills, which are classified as good communication skills, a strong work ethic, being a willing team player, and having strong character attributes.

Los Angeles is the next Silicon Valley, how does this effect your career?

Hey Angelinos, here’s another reason to get certified in Technology in 2015 - “Los Angeles is to become the next Silicon Valley”; Are YOU ready for your Career Upgrade?

Powered by video and fed by stars, a startup boom in west Los Angeles is giving California a second high-tech mecca

Los Angeles County was home to 368,580 high-tech jobs in 2014, more than other regions that boast strong high-tech sectors, according to figures released by Mayor Eric Garcetti and local economists.

The Los Angeles area had more high-tech jobs than Boston-Cambridge, New York City and Santa Clara County, according to the Los Angeles Economic Development Center’s “High Tech in L.A.” report funded by JPMorgan Chase & Co. “This watershed study puts the exclamation point on what we already knew anecdotally, but hadn’t yet quantified about L.A.’s high-tech and innovation revolution -- namely, L.A. is innovating and applying technology at an unprecedented rate to create thousands of new, well-paying high tech sector jobs and to transform its leading industries, such as entertainment, health services, aerospace and manufacturing,” said Bill Allen, president of the LAEDC. 

“We have two things we hold dear here,” says Tradesy co-founder and CEO Tracy DiNunzio, 35. “Catered food delivered for all meals and being close to the ocean. “Such is life in Silicon Beach, a stretch of roughly four miles from Venice to Santa Monica that has become the heart of Los Angeles’ fast-growing tech scene. Thanks in part to Hollywood’s proximity and a climate that sells itself, there are some 800 startups in the area that have attracted about $1.3 billion in venture capital since 2011, according to a report from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association. Silicon Beach’s ranks include social-media companies like Whisper and Snapchat, which reportedly turned down a $3 billion acquisition offer from Facebook in 2013. And that’s not the only attention the area has drawn from its namesake 400 miles to the north. Google occupies 100,000 sq. ft. of Venice office space, including some in the iconic Frank Gehry–designed Binoculars Building. Facebook opened an office in nearby Playa Vista in 2012.

All this has helped turn a patch of sun-soaked coast better known for beachfront promenading into an unexpected model of growth for the new digital economy. A 2012 report from the business-data organization Compass ranked L.A. as the third largest tech ecosystem in the world, behind only Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv. And as startups multiply along the Pacific Coast Highway, developers have scrambled to meet the surging demand for housing and office space and the increasingly high prices they command.

Silicon Valley still dwarfs all other domestic tech sectors–Internet companies in and around Palo Alto drew $3 billion in venture capital last year alone–but the explosive growth of Silicon Beach is the latest sign that some of the features that lured tech companies to Northern California are beginning to be replicated elsewhere. Innovations in open-source software and cloud storage make launching a tech company anywhere easier and cheaper than ever.

“There’s all this stuff I can take off the shelf that used to require hundreds and hundreds of people,” says Michael Heyward, the 26-year-old CEO of Whisper, an app that allows users to post anonymous messages on a social network. The company, which just leased a 14,000-sq.-ft. Venice home once owned by Anjelica Huston, raised more than $20 million in venture capital last year. “I think great companies can get funded anywhere,” says Heyward. “Silicon Valley does not have a monopoly on good ideas.”

We shouldn’t be surprised that the LA-led Southern California region is once again emerging as the next Silicon Valley. After all, the region boasts three structural advantages.

1. Entrepreneurial culture. Southern California has long been a place where independent minds come together to collaborate and create, where visionary entrepreneurs build lasting companies. We’ve seen it in aerospace, apparel, and entertainment and now increasingly in technology. The innovative thinking and design talent has found an outlet in the Internet to impact a new set of industries, including commerce, games, video, and data. Los Angeles is different than New York and Boston, where professional service industries and corporate headquarters still shape the tone for the region. In those cities, big companies often overshadow entrepreneurship and creative endeavors. In Los Angeles, entrepreneurship is pervasive. New York is home to 45 Fortune 500 companies. Despite its comparative size, Los Angeles is home to only 5. Moreover, according to a recent Kauffman Foundation study measuring levels of new business creation across the United State, Los Angeles had the highest rate of entrepreneurial activity from the period between 2011 and 2013. Simply stated, people don’t come to Los Angeles to work for big companies, they come to LA to create them. 
2. Significant technical talent. With a heritage of engineering and technical innovation, Los Angeles continues to develop technical talent. Universities in Los Angeles produce more engineering graduates than any other county in California—including in Silicon Valley. These graduates provide the skill and energy that is vital to the growth of technology companies. In addition, LA is increasingly attracting graduates and other experienced technologists from across the country and the world. More venture capital is invested into software in the region than any other sector—more than three times the amount invested into media and entertainment. Google’s significant presence in the region is composed of a majority focused on technical and product. And the company is rapidly growing in LA.
3. Availability of capital. There are strong investors emerging in LA to partner with entrepreneurs building technology companies in the region. While entrepreneurs in both New York and New England can find local capital partners, entrepreneurs in Los Angeles have an advantage in their proximity to the Valley. By far the largest concentration of venture capital firms are in Silicon Valley. And as the venture capital industry has consolidated over the last decade, the concentration of capital in Silicon Valley has increased even more. According to the NVCA, of the 38 firms that successfully rose new funds this past quarter, five accounted for nearly 80% of the total dollars raised. All five were either based in Silicon Valley or had a significant presence. 

The bottom line is this: through the cycles, the structural advantages enjoyed by Los Angeles and the surrounding region has it once again attracting more venture capital than any other outside of Silicon Valley. It is these same dimensions that create a long-term advantage. Lasting technology companies from ActivisionBlizzard to Qualcomm were built in Southern California. Amazing entrepreneurs are building the next slate today.

For information on technology training and certifications visit http://www.abcotechnology.edu

Eight Search Engine usability tips to improve your website’s ranking

Eight Search Engine usability tips to improve your website’s ranking

When analyzing your website’s search engine rankings, most of the emphasis has been placed on developing excellent content. The phrase “content is king” is found in numerous articles, which discuss search engine optimization. Unfortunately the concept of usability is rarely discussed. Usability is important and the major search engines are emphasizing this idea. Panda 4.0 is mainly about content, but several aspects of the Panda 4.0 2014 update focus on usability. In this article we will provide eight solid suggestions, which you can use to improve the user experience for your webpages.
1. Find accessibility issues
Google Webmaster Tools is the best place to search for any accessibility issues your website could possibly have. This free software will help you understand what is going on with your website.

A partner to Google Analytics, Webmaster Tools is more focused on the technical aspects of your website.
Google discovers your site’s content by sending out what is often known as a ‘spider’ to crawl your site’s pages. This bot moves around from link to link, cataloguing and/or indexing what it finds. When the spider attempts to look at a page, your server will return a HTTP status code in response. This code gives the Google spider key information about your page.
Once you are logged into your Webmaster Tools account you can check to see if Google’s spider has found any crawling errors on your website. For example, it may find a ‘404 error’ which means ‘your page is not found’.

2. Simplify your URL structure

Having a good site structure will greatly improve your chance of ranking well in Google’s results. By making your URL structure clear will simply allow search engines to easily find your most important content as well as helping your users to enjoy an excellent user experience.

I recommend using a simple structure. All of your important content should be positioned within two clicks of your homepage when this is possible.

Your users will likely assume that your most important content is close to your homepage, as will search engines. Successful search engines are designed to copy user behavior.

3. Create an XML sitemap

Another way to let Google know which pages you consider important is by creating an XML sitemap.

An XML sitemap is a text file that maps your site and makes sure search engines crawl and index your pages on your website efficiently. Google has a free XML sitemap and I’ve personally observed that when a website adapts Google’s XML sitemap their rankings greatly improve. It stands to reason because the sitemap is created by Google.

Your sitemap will communicate other useful information to Google – such as which pages you consider to be the most important and which have been changed recently.

4. Check your robots.txt file

A standard method of communicating with Google’s spider is to use a Robots.txt file.

This is a text file that allows you to tell search engines which of your site’s pages you want to crawl and which not to index. If your site already has this file, it’s usually found at yoursite.com/robots.txt

Here is an example of what your robots file may say:

User-agent: *

Disallow: /

The “Disallow: /” line tells the spider not to crawl the site. In practice this means you’re instructing Google not to include any of your pages to be indexed in their search results.

5. Identify duplicate content

Duplicate content is a very important SEO issue.

Google may not show your pages in its results if it finds multiple versions of a page. This means your site is likely to suffer.

A common example of duplicate content is as follows:

www.yoursite.com www.YOURSITE.com

You may believe these are one of the same but this is not necessarily the case. Google could see each version as a separate page. This would cause a problem with your rankings.

Other common duplication examples are listed below:

I. Architecture

Duplicate content is common on ecommerce sites. This problem commonly occurs when a product on the site is placed into more than one category with the site’s architecture not correctly setup to accommodate this properly.

Although this may make sense to a user, from a search engine’s point of view it is classed as duplication.

ii. HTTP vs HTTPs

HTTPs session can also cause duplicate content. HTTPs pages are secure, often for logins, shopping baskets and payment transactions – they provide an encrypted connection, making them more secure than a typical HTTP page.

If a page is accessible via both HTTP and HTTPs this may cause duplication issues.

iii. Pagination

Another error is when content is spread over multiple pages. This is common on ecommerce sites that offer lots of products.



It is possible that Google will view these long blog posts as duplicates.

iv. URL capitalization

Capitalized letters in the URLs are another cause of duplication problems. Examples as follows:

www.example.com/abc
www.example.com/ABC
www.example.com/Abc

This issue can easily be resolved.

v. Click and session tracking

Some websites create ‘sessions’ for reasons such as tracking customers’ behavior. Such instances include when ecommerce sites create a session when a user is adding a product to their shopping cart. This session allows the user to continue shopping and browsing the site while maintaining their product(s) in the shopping cart.

A new URL will often be created when a new session has been created to allow the website to track the users’ activity. This makes it a duplication issue.

6. Use redirects correctly

There are a number of reasons why you may redirect content:
•When moving an old site to a new domain
•Directing traffic from one page to another
•Moving traffic from an expired page to an existing page
•Broken links on a page that you want to move to an alternative

There are a few different ways to redirect pages and it is advisable that you do so to avoid wasting traffic and losing your position in Google’s search results.

7. Check your internal linking

Internal links on your site will be an important factor in your site’s overall SEO. Links are not only a good navigational source for users but they also tell Google which of your pages are important.

Make it as easy as possible to help Google understand the purpose of each link. Here are the different kinds of links you will find:

II. Nofollow

The purpose of a Nofollow link is to tell Google that this link should be given no SEO benefit (for example, an advertorial). Adding this code in the HTML prevents the link from receiving any benefit.

All you need to do to create a Nofollow link is to add rel=”nofollow” in the HTML code. It is recommended to Nofollow a link in the following situations:
•The link is a paid advertisement
•The links are in a comments or forum section of your site
•You’re linking to a site that may not be entirely reputable

I have seen links that have inappropriately had a Nofollow tag added to them. As a result, link value is lost.

ii. JavaScript or flash links

Links using JavaScript or Flash are not crawled in the same way as HTML links. While Google does not have the ability to read most JavaScript links it is still recommended to use HTML where possible as JavaScript can still make it difficult for search engines to find your content.

8. Structured data (rich snippets)

Rich Snippets are a good way of helping your website to stand out in Google’s search results. These enable Google to show additional information, including images, as part of your listing.

Pages that use structured data, such as authorship mark up (example below) receive higher click through rates from Google than pages that don’t. Similar to listings with images – they attract approximately 25% more clicks.

Rich Snippets can be used to mark up the following:
•Events
•People
•Places
•Local Businesses
•Products
•Offers
•Reviews
•Music

The results of adding structured data to your pages increases your visibility and generates more traffic. If you want to learn more about rich Snippets, visit:
www.schema.org.

Search Engine is not rocket science. Learn to optimize your website today. Calll ABCO Technology at: (310) 216-3067 Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM. If you want to email our team for a class schedule, please email to:
info@abcotechnology.edu
Start optimizing your website today.


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Ecommerce classes, Google’s product feed

Google Product Feed

Did you know that Google has a large portion of their website where they sell products? Naturally they do, you laugh to yourself, they have everything… with all joking aside, this is a serious topic for your business, because it can help you increase sales for your website, and that should be your goal.
Google Product Optimization Factors

As usual, Google is very tight-lipped about what it takes to get products to the top of Google’s Product Search. To clarify, we are discussing this in the following article.

Here are the main factors to just only having your products show up, but excelling in the Google product search index.

Product Title
Just like regular search engine optimization, you are going to want to strategically place your keyword in the title. This will increase your chances for ranking for that term.

Product Description
Product description is another factor for Google Product search engine optimization. Make sure your description also contains the keywords you would like to rank for.

Product Price
Price is a fairly significant factor in this equation. If your price is low, it will result in your product ranking higher.

Feed Attribute Data
Within your Google Product feed, whether it’s programmed in XML or CSV, you have the option of adding certain fields that identify your product. Some of these fields are mandatory and some are not, but the more accurate and information rich identifiers you list the more information Google will have to rank your product.

Product Identifiers

Category
You must choose from one of the four categories. Each category requests certain information.
• Media (i.e., Music, Movies, and Video Games): Must list UPC, EAN or JAN see types of unique product identifiers
• Books: ISBN (Either ISBN-10 or ISBN-13. Exceptions apply for books published before 1970.)
• Apparel: Type of Brand
• Custom made goods: Lucky, no identifiers are required at the moment
• All Other: You need to list at least 2 of the following: UPC, EAN, or JAN, Brand or MPN

The more data fields you fill out the better!

Fresh Google Product Feed Data
Google wants to see this feed refreshed and resubmitted on a regular basis. Make sure you set up a feed refresh, automatic crawl and submission process for your feed. If you do this once a week or so you should be in good shape.

Reviews of your Google Shopping Products
Getting positive reviews is one of the most important factors. This also plays a role in organic search engine optimization in some ways, so you really can’t go wrong with reviews. Those being the case, reviews are very important to Google Product optimization. In particular, the Google product search engine likes Google Checkout reviews.

Google Product Reviews
As you will come to learn, Google Product SEO is a project within itself. However, with a little work in this area you could be making more sales online before you know it.

Learn to promote your website or business online. ABCO Technology has an excellent curriculum of Ecommerce Classes. Call us Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 6 Pm or email us at:
info@abcotechnology.com

Start beating your competition today!

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DOD 8570 Definition & TRAINING IN LOS ANGELES

It pays to be both cleared and certified
DOD 8570 cyber security professionals are in high demand in numerous businesses and organizations including government, private industry, education and science. Protecting proprietary data is vital to any business or organization working in the information technology security field. A key question asked by many of our students concerns how can they find a fulfilling career in the information security industry? The following article will answer this question by explaining the DOD 8570 security clearance as it relates to information technology.

Beginning in 2003 the United States government began to implement information assurance qualifications. Persons who were trusted to protect proprietary data were considered as information assurance professionals. In 2005 the DOD developed the 8570 information assurance security clearance. The Department of Defense in 2011 required anyone charged with the job of protecting classified information must have the DOD 8570 clearance. We will describe the information technology certifications, which will be considered valid for DOD 8570 classification.

What is Dodd 8570?
Department of Defense Directive 8570 (DOD 8570) provides guidance and procedures for the training, certification, and management of all government employees who conduct Information Assurance functions in assigned duty positions. These individuals are required to carry an approved certification for their particular job classification. Dodd 8570 certifications are among those required for Technical and Management jobs working with companies who are under contract to the United States government.

Who is affected by Dodd 8570?
Any full or part-time military service member, contractor, or local nationals with privileged access to a Dodd information system performing information assurance (security) functions -- regardless of job or occupational series.

•Office of the Secretary of Defense
•Military Departments
•Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
•Combatant Commands
•Office of the Inspector General of the Dodd
•Defense companies & Agencies
•Dodd Field Activities
•All other organizational entities in the Dodd
Dodd 8570 Requires:
•By the end of CY 2010, all personnel performing IAT and IAM functions must be certified.
•By the end of CY 2011 all personnel performing CND-SP and IASAE roles must be certified.
•All IA jobs will be categorized as 'Technical' or 'Management' Level I, II, or III, and to be qualified for those jobs, you must be certified.
How can you benefit from this information?
Information technology professionals who have DOD 8570 clearance will be placed at the top of the list when applying for jobs with companies who are government contractors. Some firms advertise openly for DOD 8570 cleared professionals. Other companies will simply list an information technology position and place 8570 candidates at the top of the list. You can find companies advertising for DOD 8570 professionals at:www.indeed.com, www.monster.com andwww.careerbuilder.com. After viewing the job titles listed on these web sites, you will soon discover DOD candidates are in high demand. Obtaining a DOD 8570 clearance will place your application into a new category, which is not known to the general public.

What are the top certifications for DOD 8570 clearance?
The top three certifications under DOD 8570 are CompTIA’s A+, Network+ and Security+. The government considers the CompTia certifications to be mission critical because CompTia is vender neutral. A vender neutral certification makes a security professional highly flexible because the government can purchase computers from any vender and be assured the employee is cleared to work on that particular machine or network

Companies wanting to hire information assurance professionals value the Certified Information Systems Security Professional certification as critical to 8570 security standards. The CISSP is a management level certification. The CISSP receives its credibility when a candidate holds the CompTia certifications of A+, Net+ and Security+, which were listed above.

The Cisco Certified Network Associate is next on the list for DOD 8570 because holders of this Cisco certificate are certified to protect routers, which serve as an organization’s gateway to the Internet. Governments are moving to voice over IP, which increases the importance of protecting router information.

Industry and government organizations are now under considerable pressure to improve efficiency. The DOD 8570 added the Project Management Professional certification as a key component for 8570 clearance. Project managers have access to entire divisions of companies and agencies while they work on assigned projects.

Finally the Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert completes the list for DOD 8570 standards. Numerous government agencies and defense contractors are using Microsoft’s cloud network to store and manage their critical data.

ABCO Technology in Los Angeles, California offers the essential certifications for DOD 8570. Classes are offered year round.

Call ABCO Technology today for information about DOD 8570 training and clearance. You can reach us by phone at (310)-216-3067 Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 6 Pm.
To contact us by email please email to:
info@abcotechnology.com

Start your security career path today. Let us help you to obtain the best certifications and DOD 8570 clearance.

DOD 8570 Definition & TRAINING IN LOS ANGELES
It pays to be both cleared and certified
DOD 8570 cyber security professionals are in high demand in numerous businesses and organizations including government, private industry, education and science. Protecting proprietary data is vital to any business or organization working in the information technology security field. A key question asked by many of our students concerns how can they find a fulfilling career in the information security industry? The following article will answer this question by explaining the DOD 8570 security clearance as it relates to information technology.

Beginning in 2003 the United States government began to implement information assurance qualifications. Persons who were trusted to protect proprietary data were considered as information assurance professionals. In 2005 the DOD developed the 8570 information assurance security clearance. The Department of Defense in 2011 required anyone charged with the job of protecting classified information must have the DOD 8570 clearance. We will describe the information technology certifications, which will be considered valid for DOD 8570 classification.

What is Dodd 8570?
Department of Defense Directive 8570 (DOD 8570) provides guidance and procedures for the training, certification, and management of all government employees who conduct Information Assurance functions in assigned duty positions. These individuals are required to carry an approved certification for their particular job classification. Dodd 8570 certifications are among those required for Technical and Management jobs working with companies who are under contract to the United States government.
Who is affected by Dodd 8570?

Any full or part-time military service member, contractor, or local nationals with privileged access to a Dodd information system performing information assurance (security) functions -- regardless of job or occupational series.

•Office of the Secretary of Defense
•Military Departments
•Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
•Combatant Commands
•Office of the Inspector General of the Dodd
•Defense companies & Agencies
•Dodd Field Activities
•All other organizational entities in the Dodd
Dodd 8570 Requires:
•By the end of CY 2010, all personnel performing IAT and IAM functions must be certified.
•By the end of CY 2011 all personnel performing CND-SP and IASAE roles must be certified.
•All IA jobs will be categorized as 'Technical' or 'Management' Level I, II, or III, and to be qualified for those jobs, you must be certified.

How can you benefit from this information?
Information technology professionals who have DOD 8570 clearance will be placed at the top of the list when applying for jobs with companies who are government contractors. Some firms advertise openly for DOD 8570 cleared professionals. Other companies will simply list an information technology position and place 8570 candidates at the top of the list. You can find companies advertising for DOD 8570 professionals at:www.indeed.com, www.monster.com andwww.careerbuilder.com. After viewing the job titles listed on these web sites, you will soon discover DOD candidates are in high demand. Obtaining a DOD 8570 clearance will place your application into a new category, which is not known to the general public.

What are the top certifications for DOD 8570 clearance?
The top three certifications under DOD 8570 are CompTIA’s A+, Network+ and Security+. The government considers the CompTia certifications to be mission critical because CompTia is vender neutral. A vender neutral certification makes a security professional highly flexible because the government can purchase computers from any vender and be assured the employee is cleared to work on that particular machine or network.

Companies wanting to hire information assurance professionals value the Certified Information Systems Security Professional certification as critical to 8570 security standards. The CISSP is a management level certification. The CISSP receives its credibility when a candidate holds the CompTia certifications of A+, Net+ and Security+, which were listed above.

The Cisco Certified Network Associate is next on the list for DOD 8570 because holders of this Cisco certificate are certified to protect routers, which serve as an organization’s gateway to the Internet. Governments are moving to voice over IP, which increases the importance of protecting router information.

Industry and government organizations are now under considerable pressure to improve efficiency. The DOD 8570 added the Project Management Professional certification as a key component for 8570 clearance. Project managers have access to entire divisions of companies and agencies while they work on assigned projects.

Finally the Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert completes the list for DOD 8570 standards. Numerous government agencies and defense contractors are using Microsoft’s cloud network to store and manage their critical data.

ABCO Technology in Los Angeles, California offers the essential certifications for DOD 8570. Classes are offered year round.
Call ABCO Technology today for information about DOD 8570 training and clearance. You can reach us by phone at (310)-216-3067 Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 6 Pm.

To contact us by email please email to:
info@abcotechnology.com

Start your security career path today. Let us help you to obtain the best certifications and DOD 8570 clearance.

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Demand for Internet Security Professionals continues to increase

On August 28, 2014 the news was filled with stories about United States banks being hacked by government sponsored hackers believed to be from Russia. Reports stated at least five major U.S. banks have been hacked.
Jamie Dimon chief executive officer for Chase bank told reporters that the bank had been the victim of a major hack attack. Mr. Dimon went on to say that Chase bank currently employs 1,000 information technology professionals strictly devoted to the task of network security. Mr. Dimon told reporters the bank will be doubling the size of this security work force over the next 18 months.
Bank of America, Wells Fargo and U.S. Bank were also hacked. Professionals representing these banks stated their cyber security teams would be doubled and possibly tripled in size over the next two years.
Major hospitals, insurance companies and even universities are under cyber-attacks from government sponsored hackers.
Cyber-attacks are now a major weapon of war in the twenty-first century. Russia is in a dispute with the world regarding the country’s activities in the Ukraine. Russia along with other countries believes a cyber-attack will cause more destruction than an invading army under certain circumstances. The need for companies, organizations and governments to defend against these attacks is now a key component for survival in this century. The need for Internet professionals who understand cyber security will continue to expand.
If you are a network administrator, want to become one or own a company having critical data that needs protection the field of cyber security is essential to the future of your business.
Types of Internet Security certifications available.
The information technology field has many certifications, which will help you protect your network. At the beginner level CompTIA offers an excellent curriculum to introduce you to cyber threats and some excellent strategies to reduce them. CompTIA’s course provides students with a strong overview of the field.
The CISSP or Certified Internet Systems Securities Professional is your next step on the ladder to becoming a cyber-security professional. Organizations and companies large and small highly value this certification. Students will learn the finer points of Internet Security.
The Certified Ethical Hacker is at the top of the list. In this course students learn how to think like a government sponsored hacker. The course will show you several solid strategies, which network security professionals use to defend a network against a hacking attack.
The old folk song, which said “for the times they are a changing” echo throughout the field of cyber security. Gone are the teenage hackers with nothing but time on their hands. The teenage hacker has been replaced by highly trained professionals who are sophisticated.

ABCO Technology located at 6733 S Sepulveda Blvd. in Los Angeles teaches all of the certifications mentioned in this article. Call our team from 9 AM to 6 PM. Monday through Friday at (310) 216-3067. You can email us for a schedule of current classes to: info@abcotechnology.com
Bring your security skills up-to-date today!

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