Watch out for brain dump test prep sites

Watch out for brain dump test prep sites

In the crowded IT professional market, where having more than a passing familiarity with open source software can open doors to better jobs, few people will argue the benefit of acquiring open source training and certification. But watch out where you get your training information from. Many people choose to become certified in open source software in order to increase their professional marketability or simply for their own edification. Though certification program creators typically recommend against it, most will allow people to sit for a certifying exam without requiring pre-test coursework. There are various methods of preparing for a certification exam, with the most popular being online, textbook, and hands-on study.

Find out more about the hazards of using brain dumps at NewsForge.com.

Boot Camp Training: Pros and Cons

Boot Camp Training: Pros and Cons

The boot camp model of training, whether it’s for information technology knowledge, martial skills or proficiency in some other area, is marked by its rigorous methods. Rather than a couple of hour-long classes spread out over a few days or a self-paced e-learning module that can be digested in bits at random, the boot camp is very deliberately unremitting. Its daily schedule usually runs according to solar rhythms — that is, from dawn until dusk, and sometimes longer — and offers only a few respites for participants. Additionally, programs such as these typically cram loads of information into a few days or weeks.

Find out more about the boot camp option Here.

Wireless network security testing

Wireless network security testing

All security administrators have 802.11-based wireless in their environments, right? Actually, many Windows administrators would be inclined to answer "no" or "in limited areas" to this question, which seems reasonable with all the "no wireless" and "limited wireless" policies I've seen lately. Policies or no policies, though, the truth is that most organizations have more wireless systems -- especially more unsecured wireless systems -- running than they ever bargained for. There is planned wireless connectivity in training rooms, reception areas, and satellite offices as well as unplanned/rogue wireless in the form of Windows laptops running in ad-hoc mode and an access point set up by an employee for the sake of convenience. Or, there could be a malicious attacker running an "evil twin" access point to lure wireless users into his den of iniquity.

Learn more about wireless security testing by clicking...

Book Review: Ubuntu Unleashed

Book Review: Ubuntu Unleashed

I've just finished two reviews on Ubuntu related books (The Official Ubuntu Book published by Prentice Hall, August 2006 for The Linux Tutorial site and Ubuntu Linux for Non-Geeks published by No Starch Press, August 2006 for Linux Magazine...appearing in the October 2006 edition) so I wasn't really interested in chapters titled "What is Ubuntu", "Installing Ubuntu" or "The X Window System". To some degree, all Linux distro instructional texts must cover the basic information about what Linux is and how it works so I'm not trying to be cynical. However, when you've read the same material in book after book, it tends to get old after awhile. I was more interested at what made this book different. What makes Ubuntu "unleashed"? My first clue that this book was different came from the back cover where it states: "User Level: Intermediate-Advanced". That was a surprise. Much of the reason why Ubuntu is among the darlings of...

CompTIA: Nearly 60 Percent of Techies on Job Hunt

CompTIA: Nearly 60 Percent of Techies on Job Hunt

More than half of IT professionals are open to new employment opportunities, according to new research from technology industry association CompTIA. Out of about 1,000 respondents to the organization’s survey, 58 percent are looking for new jobs, and four out of five tech workers seeking new openings said their search is somewhat or very active. However, Neill Hopkins, vice president of skills development, CompTIA, said this wasn’t necessarily indicative of an uncompromising resolve on the part of these workers to leave their organization but rather to change their current circumstances.

Read the rest of this report Here.

Linux Laptop Tips from Mark Shuttleworth

Linux Laptop Tips from Mark Shuttleworth

I do use Ubuntu on my laptop, and travel a lot. My laptop is both my primary working environment and my primary development environment. I also have a desktop machine, which runs Kubuntu, and which I use for development at home over the weekends. NetworkManager is (mostly) my friend. When it works on your hardware it's a blessing, though every now and then it can get itself into a horrible jam. The primary missing feature for me, now, is the ability for it to recognise "locations" and configure printers accordingly. I'm a Thunderbird fan and use that rather than Evolution. The best tip I can give anyone is to try the Quick File extension for Thunderbird. It was developed in response to a bounty I put out some time ago, and has made my life much, much better in dealing with several thousand mail folders.

Read the rest of Shuttleworth's tips and trick on using Ubuntu on the laptop at...

New A+ Exams Launch Sept. 30

New A+ Exams Launch Sept. 30

Two of the exams in the Computing Technology Industry Association's new lineup of tests for its revamped A+ certification are scheduled to go live Sept. 30. Registration for the A+ Essentials exam (220-601) and what CompTIA calls the 220-602 exam is now open at Prometric and Pearson Vue testing centers worldwide. According to the organization, these two are "the exam option that maps most closely to the current A+ [certification]." CompTIA said that registration will open later this month for its upcoming 220-603 and 220-604 exams. To earn the new A+, candidates must pass Essentials plus choose one of the other exams, each of which focuses on slightly different technician job roles.

Read the entire announcement Here.

Intel Rolls Out New vPro Technology

Intel Rolls Out New vPro Technology

Intel this week touted the availability of its vPro technology, a package of hardware and software which the chip giant said can cut energy use and costs for enterprise IT shops while giving them more advanced remote management and security control. Hardware vendors including Cisco, HP and Microsoft have announced plans to incorporate vPro into upcoming products.

Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) this week announced the availability of its new hardware and software technology known as vPro, which the chip giant said can cut energy use and costs for enterprise IT shops while giving them more advanced remote management and security control.....

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Point/Counterpoint: Studying to the Skills

Point/Counterpoint: Studying to the Skills

When deciding whether you should primarily focus your studying efforts on a certification exam or the skill it covers, ask yourself, “What is the purpose of IT certifications?” Obviously, these exist to ensure that you, the candidate, understand the way the product or technology in question works. In other words, they’re a means to an end – knowledge – not the end itself. As such, you should concentrate on the key objective to career success: gaining the skills and knowledge you’ll need to do work tasks.

Read the rest of this series at CertMag.com

Will Vista stall Net traffic?

Will Vista stall Net traffic?

Thanks to new directory software, Windows Vista could put a greater load on Internet servers. But experts disagree over whether we're headed for a prime-time traffic jam or insignificant slowdown. Microsoft's launch of Windows Vista could slow down or stall traffic on the Net, said Paul Mockapetris, who is widely credited with inventing the Internet's Domain Name System (DNS). Mockapetris believes Vista's introduction will cause a surge in DNS traffic because the operating system supports two versions of the Internet Protocol, a technology standard used to send information over computer networks.

Find out more about how Vista will affect the web Here.