How to Become a Cloud Systems Administrator

Most companies hiring a cloud systems administrator require a bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer or management information systems, or a closely related field, plus 3 to 5 years’ experience in systems administration.

Sometimes a master’s degree in computer science is acceptable for someone with less on-the-job experience. Occasionally an associate’s degree in a computer-related field, or no degree at all, is acceptable, but 7 to 13 years’ experience is often required.

Cloud systems administrators often work their way up from a junior cloud systems administrator or more general systems administrator role, perhaps even starting in a help desk role.

Cloud certifications like CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Cloud+ can help you as you become a cloud systems administrator. Check out the CompTIA Career Roadmap to see what other certifications can help you become a cloud systems administrator.

Many companies are switching their IT needs to cloud computing because of its efficiency and cost savings. Becoming a cloud systems administrator allows you to be on the leading edge of systems technology in heavily virtualized environments, in an IT niche that will grow as more small and mid-sized companies outsource IT departments. Cloud computing offers infrastructure, platforms and software as a service, so administrating these systems provides a novel challenge. If you have a knack for constructing and problem solving, as well as communicating complex things into everyday language, then a career as a cloud systems administrator may be right for you. 

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Cloud Computing Solutions for Business Problems

Cloud computing solves many technology problems. But like any technology solution, it must solve business problems to be seen as useful and justify its existence. Two ways to accomplish this are to improve an organization’s efficiency as well as agility.

Freeing up data center space, moving between CapEX and OpEx, and going digital are three ways that cloud computing has helped organizations.

You have heard that security is a big concern for organizations not wanting to use cloud computing technologies, but have you heard about security being a reason for using cloud computing? Privacy and compliance are two more reasons why organizations are moving to cloud computing solutions.
Shine a Light on Nontraditional Paths

“Increasingly, tech jobs are not what we think of, where people are cordoned off, running the help desk,” April said. If you have people in your own company who came to tech through nontraditional paths, highlight them and let people know that they have internal role models who can help them on their paths.
Glorify Social Skills

Creativity, persuasion, adaptability and time management are the most in-demand job skills, and as companies continue transitioning to virtual offices, people need great social skills to be able to keep up. “With the teams I manage, it’s very important for everyone on the team have social skills,” Woods said. “That’s going to be an important piece for everyone to hone.”
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IoT and Technical Debt: Why It Matters

If you are familiar with industrial control systems (ICS) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), you may find that their development is similar to that of IoT. IoT is more of an evolutionary step in ICS than a revolutionary step: the IoT world is borrowing the same protocols, software development approaches and procedures from the ICS world, which has been networking physical devices for decades. Manufacturers, the oil and gas industry, the energy sector and many other industries have been using ICS and SCADA systems since at least the 1980s.

What does that mean from a practical perspective to the brave new world of IoT? First of all, it explains why early IoT devices have poor, non-updateable firmware, no secure software upgrade paths, little to no authentication and virtually no encryption. After all, most ISC and SCADA systems didn’t, either. Many still don’t.

Many industries are doing their best to apply workaround technologies to their SCADA systems. They can’t update the operating systems or firmware of the software that controls robots, power grids and water delivery systems, so, they install intermediate firewalls, sophisticated security information and event management (SIEM) software and other tools to monitor the issues.

I now refer to IoT as SCADA 2.0. Why not? If IoT is best explained as adding IP addresses to any device, I would image that we should consider IoT an evolutionary extension, really, of what ICS systems have been doing for some time, now.

A lot of folks have started using the term operational technology (OT) as the master concept that contains ICS/SCADA and IoT devices. Yes, operational technology folks started thinking in terms of how to manage dams, pipelines and power grids. But, many of the same principles apply. I would imagine that moving forward, IoT will be discussed as a subset of OT.
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CompTIA Certifications Give You Confidence

Comfort and confidence in a position are big factors in success, and the IDC study indicates that IT pros who get certified before entering their first IT job report being 16% more comfortable with responsibilities related to new technologies than those without.

CompTIA certifications validate a structured, working knowledge of the foundational technologies used across industries. They’re also vendor neutral, giving an overview of the principles behind enabling technologies rather than focusing on commands restricted to a specific of hardware or software.

This means that CompTIA-certified IT pros understand the full picture – the why behind something functioning, not just the how it takes to make it work. Arriving in a position with best practices and vendor-neutral context for technology fresh in their mind, certification holders are in the perfect mindset to see the full technological picture in their new workplace.

Even when technology changes, they’re in a better position to understand the mechanics of how new things function and fit into an existing IT stack. They’re also better positioned to suggest where a new technology might fit – which shows they are primed for taking a step up the job ladder.
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Security Awareness Training

One key element of cybersecurity is security awareness training. End users need to know what they can do to protect their organizations. As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, we all need follow good password practices and be able to detect phishing attacks by identifying suspicious URL and email domains.

But not only do we have to pay attention to the domain and the address of the individual email, we also have to scan the body of the email to see if there is any suspicious behavior inside of it. Hackers practice a method called social engineering, which attempts to manipulate, influence or trick an end user to gain control of IT systems.
Preparation Counts

It’s imperative for the success of a business that everyone in the company be as prepared as possible, said Vince Gremillion, president of Restech, a Metarie, La.-based solution provider that survived through Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

“I would suggest get everybody together and go through a tabletop exercise. Find out if something happens, where would everybody go? What alternative numbers and personal emails can we reach you at? Go through a bunch of scenarios on how to handle as many situations as you can. If one person is unavailable, who takes over? Where does our data come from? Where is it stored? The more everyone knows, the better they will feel and the better prepared you will be if something happens,” Gremillion said. “Today, our building could disappear and we would still be 100% functional.”

Employees may be impacted very differently in a disaster. Some may not even lose power, some may lose their house—or worse. It’s important for the company to support employees through what can be a very difficult time, Gremillion said.

“You need to know what everyone’s personal situation is and how that could impact their commitment to the business. Does anyone have older relatives, special-needs children or pets? That could impact their availability to me,” Gremillion said. That’s OK, as long as you can plan for it, he added.
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How to Get into IT: CompTIA A+

IT is a great field to get into, and it’s relatively easy to get started compared to many other careers. You don’t need a math or science background – or even a college degree – to start your career in information technology. With curiosity, determination, some hands-on practice and the right IT certification, you can start on your path to a successful, fulfilling IT career.
Which IT Certification Is Right for Me?

IT certifications prove to employers that you have the skills they’re looking for. To earn a certification, you’ll need to pass an exam, which may consist of different types of questions or hands-on skills assessments, known as performance-based questions. Performance-based questions require you to perform tasks related to the job role covered by the IT certification.

Most CompTIA certifications are based in job roles, which means they test you on the skills needed for certain IT jobs – therefore proving to employers that you are a qualified candidate. Two great IT certifications for people who want to get into IT are CompTIA IT Fundamentals (ITF+) and CompTIA A+.

But how do you choose – CompTIA A+ vs. IT Fundamentals? We’re here to help you compare these two IT certifications so you can choose the one that will best help you take the next step to getting into IT.

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Gig Work Interest in IT Security

Krautbauer sees the rising gig economy as the biggest ripple in tech’s economic workforce wave. More than one in three Americans are freelancing this year, she said, and people are increasingly make the choice to be entrepreneurs.

“The idea of being their own business is temperature normal for younger workers,” she said. “It’s a bookend of new millennials and those who are 45 plus who have been in the traditional workforce who have the entrepreneurial bug.”

CompTIA’s IT Industry Outlook 2019 counts full-time self-employed tech workers but leaves out members of the IT gig economy—people working on the side for supplementary income—but you can’t ignore the trend, according to Krautbauer. As demand for tech talent keeps labor market tight, the tens of millions of knowledge workers who fall into this category will become increasingly more visible.
More Interest in IT Security

When people aren’t asking Woods about certifications they want to know about IT security, he said. “There’s been a huge interest over the last six months in cybersecurity,” said Woods. IT security is one of the fastest-growing fields in the job market: More than 715,000 workers were employed in cybersecurity-related jobs in the United States in 2017, according to CyberSeek.

“They’ve heard about it through issues we’ve seen with credit card company breaches and they’re asking ‘How do I get in? What are the job titles? What kind of money can I make?’ and of course, ‘Where are the jobs?’” Woods said.

He points potential IT workers in two directions, first to CompTIA certifications. In IT security, where there’s a growing need for workers, half a million people have earned CompTIA Security+ certification. He also points people to CyberSeek, a resource that provides detailed, actionable data about supply and demand in the nation’s cybersecurity job market. To see where the is demand for IT security skills and how much people are making across the U.S
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PMP vs. CompTIA Project+

Professionals across the board, in IT and other departments, are managing more projects than ever before, and having project management skills helps them to streamline processes and ensure they’re crossing all the T’s and dotting all the I’s. But for someone whose primary role is not project management, some of the better-known project management certifications may go above and beyond what is needed to do the job. If you work in IT, marketing, finance or another business role and manage small- to medium-sized projects, CompTIA Project+ may be a good way for you to prove to employers that you have the project management skills needed for your job.
Which Project Management Certification Is Right for Me?

It can be hard to decide which project management certification is right for you. The good news is, project management certifications seem to fall into two categories: those designed for full-time project managers and those designed for people in other jobs who also do project management.

PMP, and other project management certifications like Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) or PRINCE2 Practitioner, are methodology/framework-specific certifications intended for more advanced project management professionals who oversee large projects. If you are a full-time project manager, PMP might be right for you.

However, if your primary role is something else but you also manage projects, CompTIA Project+ can help you understand project management concepts without investing the time and money that major project management certifications require. It is ideal for professionals who manage smaller, less complex projects as part of their other job duties but still need foundational project management skills.
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Ingredients to Business Success

One of Britain’s most influential business women, Baroness Karren Brady, opened day two of the EMEA conference in London, revealing some of the secrets to her success, including how she has led West Ham United to record revenues and attendances in their new home at the Olympic Stadium.

To kick off her keynote, Baroness Brady told the story of how she came to be MD of Birmingham City football club. In 1993, she saw an advert in the paper for a club for sale, went to her boss at the time and pitched the idea of buying. That was a Friday afternoon and by Monday, she was in a press conference announcing her new position to the press. During this press conference, she says the press made remarks about her being a woman and her lack of qualifications, but with clear goals for the club in mind, she convinced them she had the drive and determination needed to succeed.
Success Lies in Culture

After seeing the state the club was in, Baroness Brady realized: “No one at the club had any drive to run it like a business.” Her first job was to transform everything from the way the finance department paid wages to how relationships were being built with suppliers. However, doing this would shake up the way the club had been run and had the potential to ruffle many feathers.

“To have a successful business, you have to build a brand that people trust, believe in and want to work with and for,” she remarked.

To tackle this, she focused on building a culture that centered around better communication and ensuring employees knew their role in the business journey. Key to transforming the club was the fact that her changes were implemented with overall goals in mind and each new process was articulated as a step to achieving these.

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Cyber Attacks So Basic You

Ransomware

Ransomware is a type of malware that holds your personal files hostage. The hacker demands payment – usually in an untraceable currency, like Bitcoin – in exchange for restoring access to your own data. The software spreads from one system to the next and encrypts all hard disk contents. Ransomware is a (mostly un-reported) crime of extortion, and the more valuable your data, the more you are at risk. Get your data back
Phishing

Phishing attackers send mass emails to distribute malicious links or attachments that (if opened) can steal your login credentials and/or your account information. Sometimes, the email even asks you to reset your password – thus handing over access to your account. This is a fairly easy way for hackers to gain personal data, as their success ultimately relies on end user awareness and training. Identify a phishing email
Social Engineering

Social engineering is the number-one way hackers are getting into your systems for credential harvesting and even cryptojacking. Unlike other cyberattacks, this one involves human interaction. Perpetrators will lie or manipulate their way into your organization to gain access to your system(s) under the guise of something legitimate. Once inside, they install malware to pull confidential information or perform certain actions. Explore systems at risk

Ultimately, the only way to know is to test it, see what people are asking, see how qualified the leads are, and determine if it’s something that needs expanding and more investment. If it is, you'll have new opportunities, fewer interruptions and fewer unqualified consults—it should be a massive improvement to your business operations. And if you find a new AI solution is working for you, like web chat, then encourage clients to implement it as well. From your own experience, you’ll know some of the best practices to empower them to get value from it immediately, lowering their risk of trying something new, which is a value-add itself. Just one lead captured for you or your clients can demonstrate the value. It’s a relatively passive way to deliver responsiveness and facilitate business growth incredibly cheaply, and at any scale with very low risk and effort.
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Cybersecurity Attention in Local Government

Recognizing the need for high-level attention the National League of Cities (with the active participation of CompTIA) issued an 18-page report titled “Protecting Our Data: What Cities Should Know About Cybersecurity." This publication is specifically designed for public managers and leaders aimed at America’s 19,000 cities and towns and more than 218 million Americans.

Part of the study centered on the results of NLC/PTI Cyber Security Survey. It was designed to explore gaps and weaknesses when it comes to safeguarding data and cyber security generally.

The most alarming result from the survey dispels the myth that cities, towns and villages are safe from attacks by bad actors. The survey found that 44% of local governments report an attack from a cyber incident hourly (26%) or daily (18%. That number rises to 66.7% over the duration of a year. But what is even more alarming is the large number of local governments that do not know how often they are attacked (27.6%), experience an incident (29.7%) or a breach (41%).

Worse still, while 88.8% of local governments know that most incidents come om external actors, nearly one-third (31.9%) do not know if the attacks were from an internal source or an external one. Even though local governments constantly experience incidents, a majority do not catalog or count attacks (53.6%).

The survey also revealed that 25% of city and town respondents claimed they did not have a cyber security plan designed to protect their information systems from attack as well as have a plan to provide steps for recovery in case of attack? Suggesting there is a need to involve more city officials, when asked “How engaged are your elected officials with regards to your cyber security efforts?. Of those surveyed, 54% responded “somewhat engaged” and 29% of staff responded their elected officials are “not engaged”.
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Types of Network Zones

CompTIA CertMaster Practice

The last resource I used was CompTIA CertMaster Practice. Let me just say, I thought I was ready for the exam until I started taking these practice exams. The questions were tough, and the way the platform is set up, you can't complete a section until you answer all the questions.

I found this tool to be extremely helpful for exam preparation and in reiterating what I had learned. My suggestion is to go through each section and make note cards of the questions you miss. I honestly created more than 300 note cards for this exam.

Now that I have covered what’s on the exam and the resources that I used to prepare, your next question might be ... Did I pass?

The first time I took this exam I did not pass, but the second time I did! So thankfully I am now CompTIA Linux+ certified.

So how do you know what network zones your organization needs? Think about the different types of users and data you have and who needs access to what. Here are some examples of the types of network zones you may want to establish:
Users: Users are a network in and of themselves. Make sure you have correct access privileges on your users in your active directory. Privilege levels should be based on the user’s role in switching administration. How many admins have full access rights? Make sure you have less than a handful.
The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ): This includes the subnetworks that expose externally facing systems – where the handshakes take place on your network. For example, it may include public-facing websites or other resources accessible via the internet. You want to separate things that the public can access from your local area network (LAN) and internal data that needs to be protected.
Guest Network: Guest Wi-Fi should be separate from the corporate Wi-Fi. This may seem like a no brainer, but I find a lot of smaller businesses never bother to set it up. Even residential routers include this feature – you can easily set up a guest Wi-Fi in your home!
IT Workstations: This is the dev network zone for IT. It’s where your IT staff does non-administrative work, and it should be segmented for testing. I would also recommend giving IT a dedicated internet circuit for testing. This can be a best effort, cheaper connection. Don’t let anyone else in the company have access to it aside from IT.
Servers by Department: Do department servers need to talk to one another? Create a public drive and a private drive, and then segment access on the private drives to those within each team or department. This can limit the crawl of malware.
VoIP/Communications: Placing communications systems on their own network zone boosts performance and enhances quality. But in terms of network segmentation security, as communications move toward more APIs unique to your most used software as a service (SaaS) platforms, this network will become a more common attack plane.
Traditional Physical Security: Cameras, ID card scanners, etc., should be in their own network zone. This is not to be taken lightly, as the risk of a physical breach can be more harmful than a digital one. There are a number of real-world examples of this, including in 2017, the closed-circuit camera network in Washington, D.C., was hacked, leaving police cameras unable to function for three days.
Industrial Control Systems: HVAC, for example, like the non-segmented network compromised in the Target breach, should have two-factor authentication and be segmented.
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Mid-Level Cybersecurity Roles

If you’re further along in a systems engineering career and are looking to transition into cybersecurity, in addition to the skills listed in the entry-level category, being skilled in vulnerability assessment is highly desirable.

In addition to the certifications mentioned in the entry-level category, many mid-level job listings request GIAC and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA). In recent years, CompTIA has also released mid-level cybersecurity certifications that are becoming more popular: CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) and CompTIA PenTest+.

The degree requirements for mid-level jobs are higher than those of entry-level jobs. An average of 81 percent of job listings in the mid-level systems engineering track require a bachelor’s degree, and an average of 8 percent require a graduate degree. When it comes to bachelor’s degrees, employers may not require a cybersecurity degree specifically. Another degree – whether technical, like computer science, or non-technical, like history – may be accepted if you have the right skills and experience.

Mid-level cybersecurity jobs that require degrees also command a higher salary. You can earn an average salary of $99,000 a year in a mid-level cybersecurity role.
How to Become DoD 8140 Compliant

Most DoD organizations must be in 8140 compliance. This means that DoD information assurance and cybersecurity personnel must obtain one of the IT certifications listed in DoD 8570.01-m for their job category and level.

The DoD Cyber Exchange outlines the four steps to obtaining a DoD 8570 baseline certification:
Identify your position, level and IT certification requirements within the IA workforce.
Train for your IT certification, following your organization’s protocols.
Request a certification voucher.
Notify your IA manager when you’ve completed your training and earned your certification.
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Cloud Security in 2020

We’ve only seen serious cloud migration and adoption over the past few years, even though people have been talking about the cloud for over a decade. What does this recent cloud activity mean for modern cybersecurity workers? What cloud security skills do you need in 2020?

In many ways, adopting the cloud represents an entirely new technology that we need to secure, test and monitor. According to CompTIA Chief Technology Evangelist Dr. James Stanger, it’s time for security workers to re-invent themselves in the face of actual cloud adoption and migration.

In this presentation, Stanger will investigate some of the major changes we need to consider as the IT industry moves aggressively into the cloud. He will discuss how traditional pen testing approaches are — in some ways — no longer appropriate. He will also talk about how some of the typical security analytics approaches are now under pressure. Stanger will demonstrate some essential new practices, technologies and approaches that are important for today’s cybersecurity worker, including:
IT and security issues and elements that the cloud can eliminate and resolve, including hardware and physical issues.
New problems introduced by cloud computing, including authentication, access control and browser concerns. This also includes — believe it or not — new hardware and physical security issues.
How to evaluate claims about so called “automagic” services offered by cloud providers.
Typical software development lifecycle issues introduced by cloud migrations.
The need to protect data at rest in monolithic and hybrid cloud environments.
Methods for protecting data in transit between cloud and installed/enterprise implementations.
Handling compliance issues regarding data privacy.
Managing insider threats.
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How AI Factors into Zero Trust Security

Zero trust solutions aren’t limited to people; they include managing the access of devices that communicate with one another — powerful cybersecurity tools to have in place as IoT takes legs.

Rather than assigning an engineer to keep an eye on the system all day, machine solutions built with artificial intelligence (AI) monitor activity and send alerts when something is up, freeing up the human side of the workforce to follow up on the serious threats.

“AI is definitely great at eliminating the noise,” Gravel said. “It can give you an idea that a breech is about to happen so you can turn it over to one of your smart people to handle it.”
Threat Intelligence Analyst Salary Range

The median advertised salary for a threat intelligence analyst is $98,000 (Burning Glass Technologies Labor Insights Jobs).
Threat Intelligence Analyst Job Outlook

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment in information security will grow 32 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Job Titles Related to Threat Intelligence Analyst
Threat intelligence analyst
Cyber threat intelligence analyst
Vulnerability analyst
Cybersecurity analyst
Security operations center (SOC) analyst

Cyxtera, has more than 60 data centers globally combined with four types of innovative security software. They use zero trust security solutions that employ SDP to identify each user that wants it, what they’re trying to access and if their role entitles them to do so.

“We’re a company that practices zero trust,” Gravel said. “I’d like to see more companies embrace this standard of not trusting anyone who’s accessing the company jewels and applying permissions accordingly.”
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CompTIA Network+ Benefits

To say CompTIA Network+ is a boon to IT pros is an understatement. It gives them the knowledge to resolve major or minor networking issues regardless of vendor or tool. But it is also beneficial for enterprises.

Because those who have earned the IT networking certification understanding complex computer networking topics, it stands to reason that they will be more efficient and make fewer mistakes than candidates with a vendor-specific networking certification. This equals cost savings for enterprises.

Conversions

It’s essential to measure the rate of conversion in your business and analyse how you process clients through the lead and opportunity to deliver a price that converts the sale. You can generate leads in several ways, including: pay-per-click; sales calls; LinkedIn; referrals; networking; and outbound marketing.

Every time you achieve a lead, you have paid money to get them into your business. It’s important to map out the steps involved to determine how and when you lose opportunities. By designing your sales pathway from inquiry through sale, you can improve inefficiencies. If your business doesn’t have a strong sales process, you are completely at the mercy of your clients’ buying process, so it’s essential your business invests time to improve this area.
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How can I train for CompTIA Linux+

understand what topics are covered and get examples of questions that you might see. You can also work through the self-paced Official CompTIA Linux+ Study Guide.

A full suite of CompTIA CertMaster training products are available for CompTIA Linux+, including CompTIA CertMaster Learn, CompTIA CertMaster Labs and CompTIA CertMaster Practice. All are available for purchase from the CompTIA Store.

CompTIA A+ is one of the better-known IT certifications out there. Robert Half listed it among the most valuable IT certifications and said it can jumpstart your IT career by giving you critical foundational skills like troubleshooting, providing technical support and working with hardware.

Robert Half also stated that CompTIA A+ is especially helpful to those wanting to gain basic knowledge of the following IT disciplines:
Mobile devices
Networking
Security
Operational procedures
Various operating systems

Every IT pro has to start somewhere. For those ready to get into IT, earning CompTIA A+ will pay off in spades.

Other valuable IT certifications, as mentioned by Robert Half:
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE)
How much time will I need to prepare for CompTIA Linux+?

The amount of time you’ll need to prepare for CompTIA Linux+ depends on your background and IT experience. We recommend having 9 to 12 months of hands-on experience working with Linux operating systems before getting certified.

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Cybersecurity Defense and Threat Intelligence

Five years ago, the emphasis was on capturing network traffic and reacting to the findings. This task is still employed, but cybersecurity professionals must be more proactive with their defense and threat intelligence. It involves monitoring for application security and predicting/searching for incidents before they arrive at the security operations center (SOC). Growing job roles covered in CySA+, such as threat hunter, bring new techniques for finding incidents outside of the SOC.

Bad actors are hacking more networks, but networks are holding up better than ever, thanks to five solid years of global investment in cybersecurity. Since the historic cyberattacks of 2013 - 2014, most organizations realized that cybersecurity is a necessary investment. Companies have hired certified and experienced cybersecurity professionals.

It sounds like science fiction, but when you get the concept you realize this is the byproduct of IoT—in order for devices to be discoverable and manageable, we need to understand what they are and how they are performing in the field. A digital twin is a digital representation of a physical system or device that lives in the real world. And that concept can be applied to everything—such as the overall layout of an oil field operational system and all of the pumps, transmission lines and refining stations, and all of the packaging and transport capabilities.

But you will also find that the concept of a digital twin applies to simple devices. One of the best ways I heard it explained was this: Imagine that you buy a bicycle. The bike comes with an owner's manual that gives you general instructions for how to maintain or repair it if something goes wrong. Those instructions are based on the idea that every bike from that manufacturer purchased by any customer in any scenario is identical—you use the same set of instructions to fix your bike that I would use to fix mine.

But during this time, the software development process has become a larger risk. Cloud services made it easier and faster to develop software. Software and IoT devices were released before adequate cybersecurity testing. Think of the rash of home surveillance hacks. To help solve the problem, organizations are hiring application security analysts, who are cybersecurity analysts focused exclusively on software.

CompTIA CySA+ will cover more application security analyst skills, while CompTIA Security+ will cover cybersecurity best practices for the software development life cycle (SDLC).
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Separation of Cybersecurity vs. IT Infrastructure

IT departments are breaking into two teams, or two departments, to accommodate the increase in regulations. Cybersecurity is breaking apart from the traditional IT infrastructure team due to separation of duty requirements in nearly all regulations.

As companies grow in size and become more regulated, they separate the cybersecurity from IT infrastructure to ensure the security controls are implemented, audited and reported to the regulatory agency. The cybersecurity team often works in a separate security operations center (SOC).

For example, if your company is regulated, you will probably be required to enforce a security control to back up all information systems. Although they are separate teams, the cybersecurity and IT infrastructure teams work together to get the company in compliance:
The cybersecurity team determines what the company needs to do to comply with the regulation and assigns the work to the IT infrastructure team.
Then, someone on the IT infrastructure team, like a systems administrator, completes the work.
The cybersecurity team would ensure the task is done, provide proof that it’s complete, ensure the backup is secure and report completion of the security control to the regulatory agency.

Many security controls revolve around penetration testing and cybersecurity analytics. For example, another common security control is continuous monitoring of information systems. Continuous monitoring is usually completed by a security analyst on the cybersecurity team, who monitors the network using a security information and event management (SIEM) system such as Splunk or IBM QRadar. If the security analyst receives a SIEM security alert that indicates a compromised user laptop, the security analyst might create a help desk ticket for an infrastructure IT support technician to quarantine the infected system.
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Skills Needed for Cybersecurity

Learn About the Other CyberSeek Pathways and Feeder Roles
Systems Engineer
Financial and Risk Analysis
Software Developer
Security Intelligence

If you have any of the following skills, highlighting them on your resume and during interviews can help position you as an excellent candidate for the almost 300,000 cybersecurity jobs in the United States that fall into the networking feeder role pathway.
Information Security
Information Systems
Cryptography
Information Assurance
Security Operations
Risk Assessment
Python
Risk Management

Cybersecurity Degree Requirements

Your education level is also important, and you may be surprised to see the degree requirements for the jobs on this pathway:
18 percent do not require a bachelor’s degree
75 percent require a bachelor’s degree
7 percent require a graduate degree
Cybersecurity Experience Levels

All of this information is good to keep in mind while you are exploring a career in cybersecurity. Now let’s get a little more specific – what cybersecurity experience level is right for you? We’ve filtered through the information provided by CyberSeek by career level.
Entry-level Cybersecurity Roles

Entry-level cybersecurity job roles require these skills the most, according to CyberSeek:
Information Security
Information Systems
Network Security
Linux

In fact, all four entry-level cybersecurity job roles list information security as a top skill requested. If you are experienced in preventing unauthorized access and use of information, you have a leg up on other candidates.

IT certifications can validate the skills you have and show employers that you’re the right person for the job. CompTIA Security+, SANS/GIAC Certification and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) can be a good place to start.

CompTIA Security+ is unique as the only one that assesses baseline cybersecurity skills through performance-based questions. It emphasizes hands-on practical skills, preparing security professionals to problem solve a wider variety of issues. If you don’t already have CompTIA Security+, consider the benefits it could bring to your career.
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How much time will I need to prepare for CompTIA A+?

The amount of time you’ll need to prepare for CompTIA A+ depends on your background and IT experience. Whether you attend a bootcamp, take a class or study on your own, if you have no experience, you’ll want to allot at least 120 hours of study time plus additional time for hands-on practice of the skills covered by the exams. You can do this on the job, on your own or with a tool like CompTIA CertMaster Labs. If you already have IT experience, you may not need as much time to prepare as someone who is new to IT. Download the exam objectives to see what you already know and what you might need to work on, and read more about how to prepare for an IT certification exam.

DoD Directive 8570 was issued in 2005 to identify, tag, track and manage the information assurance, or cybersecurity, workforce. It also established a manual that includes an enterprise-wide baseline IT certification requirement to validate the knowledge, skills and abilities of people working in cybersecurity roles. It was replaced by DoD Directive 8140 in 2015, which expands upon it.

Note: The DoD used the term information assurance to describe cybersecurity in 2005, but the term has since changed to cybersecurity in most cases.

The purpose of DoD Directive 8570 was twofold:
Establish policy and assign responsibilities for DoD Information Assurance (IA) training, certification and workforce management.
Authorize the publication of DoD 8570.01-m.
Get Ready to Get CompTIA A+

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, CompTIA Tech Career Academy 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.

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