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Judge Schnoopy
Nov 2, 2005

dont even TRY it, pal
By all means build the lab anyway! What I'm saying is that I think you get just as much cred saying "I don't have professional experience but I build an o365 lab and administered it through powershell" as you do saying "I have my mcsa o365". Maybe not though, plenty of hiring managers and hr departments are going to have different requirements. I just don't see it being worth the cost and hassle.

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vyst
Aug 25, 2009



Does anyone have any recommendations for online training for the MCSA Server 2016 track? The guy on CBT Nuggets is driving me nuts and I'd like to see what else is out there in terms of videos and practice tests.

Thanks Ants
May 21, 2004

#essereFerrari


Have you looked through the MVA?

https://mva.microsoft.com/product-training/windows-server#!prodv=Windows%20Server%202016&jobf=IT%20Pros&lang=1033

Catatron Prime
Aug 23, 2010

IT ME



Toilet Rascal
Just passed Security+ exam, though I thought the material was either really banal (like someone is looking through the windows, do you put lighting or a fence or cctv up?) or nonsensical in certain questions, and then a bunch of stuff I didn't see anywhere on the online course I took through the local library or the Meyer's passport for Security+ or Professor Messer vids (like about Poodle attacks, or odd ACL wording). The ACL stuff especially, as I've put together a bunch of ACL's to segment out our internal network here at work, and I struggled a bit with the way they worded and asked stuff. Other stuff was like pick the least worst of a bunch of bad answers, or pick the protocol that maybe tangentially relates into what they're asking. Other stuff was painfully obvious... just a weird mix.

Anyways... onto the CCNA and SCCP! :toot:

Can anyone recommend any study resources for the CCNA?

Judge Schnoopy
Nov 2, 2005

dont even TRY it, pal

OSU_Matthew posted:


Can anyone recommend any study resources for the CCNA?

Congrats on S+! Once you get over the hump of the type of answers they're looking for, it's fairly easy.

For CCNA, buy the official book. Read it front to back, mark down every page you think is important. Then study every page you didn't mark because those are the questions that will trip you up in the exam.

Kashuno
Oct 9, 2012

Where the hell is my SWORD?
Grimey Drawer

OSU_Matthew posted:

Just passed Security+ exam, though I thought the material was either really banal (like someone is looking through the windows, do you put lighting or a fence or cctv up?) or nonsensical in certain questions, and then a bunch of stuff I didn't see anywhere on the online course I took through the local library or the Meyer's passport for Security+ or Professor Messer vids (like about Poodle attacks, or odd ACL wording). The ACL stuff especially, as I've put together a bunch of ACL's to segment out our internal network here at work, and I struggled a bit with the way they worded and asked stuff. Other stuff was like pick the least worst of a bunch of bad answers, or pick the protocol that maybe tangentially relates into what they're asking. Other stuff was painfully obvious... just a weird mix.

Anyways... onto the CCNA and SCCP! :toot:

Can anyone recommend any study resources for the CCNA?

Todd Lammle's book was great for me! One thing I will stress heavily for people looking at the CCNA is that you should read everything carefully, and when doing practice exams especially. They really like to trip people up by sometimes seeming painfully obtuse.

MF_James
May 8, 2008
I CANNOT HANDLE BEING CALLED OUT ON MY DUMBASS OPINIONS ABOUT ANTI-VIRUS AND SECURITY. I REALLY LIKE TO THINK THAT I KNOW THINGS HERE

INSTEAD I AM GOING TO WHINE ABOUT IT IN OTHER THREADS SO MY OPINION CAN FEEL VALIDATED IN AN ECHO CHAMBER I LIKE

Kashuno posted:

Todd Lammle's book was great for me! One thing I will stress heavily for people looking at the CCNA is that you should read everything carefully, and when doing practice exams especially. They really like to trip people up by sometimes seeming painfully obtuse.

Yeah, this is definitely a thing, I ran into a few questions on the ICND1 that I KNOW I got wrong because I was worried about time (I finished with like 45 minutes left argh). Read the question once, look at the answers, read it another time or 2, and then look at the answers again.

AnonymousNarcotics
Aug 6, 2012

we will go far into the sea
you will take me
onto your back
never look back
never look back
I got to chat with Mike Meyers today and was kind of star struck! Is that weird?

BigDave
Jul 14, 2009

Taste the High Country

AnonymousNarcotics posted:

I got to chat with Mike Meyers today and was kind of star struck! Is that weird?

No, I would be too! He was great in Austin Powers!

skipdogg
Nov 29, 2004
Resident SRT-4 Expert

AnonymousNarcotics posted:

I got to chat with Mike Meyers today and was kind of star struck! Is that weird?

Nah, I've gotten to chat with some cool Microsoft folks at Ignite the last few years and yeah it's geeky, but I think it's normal to be a little star struck. Being able to thank Ed "Scripting Guy" Wilson in person for all the info I gained from his posts over the years was really cool. Being 3 rows back while watching Russinovich dig into a system using sysinternal tools is really awesome. Ned Pyle is f'in hillarious.

Docjowles
Apr 9, 2009

AnonymousNarcotics posted:

I got to chat with Mike Meyers today and was kind of star struck! Is that weird?

When I lived in Denver, Scott Lowe (of Mastering VMware books fame) ran the local OpenStack meetup of all things. Which was pretty funny since I'm sure there are lots of people who would have happily paid him thousands of dollars for VMware training. And instead like 10 of us nerds just got to shoot the poo poo with him about tech stuff, drink beer and eat pizza.

I was more starstruck saying hi to Brendan Gregg at reinvent because that guy fuckin' owns.

YOLOsubmarine
Oct 19, 2004

When asked which Pokemon he evolved into, Kamara pauses.

"Motherfucking, what's that big dragon shit? That orange motherfucker. Charizard."

I assume it’s because I don’t really care all that much about IT things generally except insofar as they make me money, but I just don’t give a single poo poo about tech community rock stars as celebrities.

Moey
Oct 22, 2010

I LIKE TO MOVE IT
Same. I don't care about other celebrities either.

MC Fruit Stripe
Nov 26, 2002

around and around we go
I'm the opposite. They're somewhere in my career that I should aspire to be.

Catatron Prime
Aug 23, 2010

IT ME



Toilet Rascal

AnonymousNarcotics posted:

I got to chat with Mike Meyers today and was kind of star struck! Is that weird?

That's actually really cool! You should've brought one of his study books to sign, lol

Judge Schnoopy posted:

Congrats on S+! Once you get over the hump of the type of answers they're looking for, it's fairly easy.

For CCNA, buy the official book. Read it front to back, mark down every page you think is important. Then study every page you didn't mark because those are the questions that will trip you up in the exam.

Thanks! I'll pick that up, and probably also Todd Lammle's book as well!

AnonymousNarcotics
Aug 6, 2012

we will go far into the sea
you will take me
onto your back
never look back
never look back

OSU_Matthew posted:

That's actually really cool! You should've brought one of his study books to sign, lol


Thanks! I'll pick that up, and probably also Todd Lammle's book as well!

We are actually using his book in class so if he were physically there I totally would have! As it were, it was a virtual workshop. But he answered two of my questions and then responded to my email!

I'm fangirling

Bigass Moth
Mar 6, 2004

I joined the #RXT REVOLUTION.
:boom:
he knows...
It is entirely feasible that I could meet Kevin Wallace since we know some if the same people and live within driving distance.

If I met Mark Snow I would be star struck. His videos have helped me so much on tough topics.

The Illusive Man
Mar 27, 2008

~savior of yoomanity~
Are there any especially recommended written study materials/guides for the Sec+? I'm planning to watch Professor Messer's course and the Pluralsight training course, but I'd like to have some written material to back it up as well.

xThrasheRx
Jul 12, 2005

Surrealistic

Space Racist posted:

Are there any especially recommended written study materials/guides for the Sec+? I'm planning to watch Professor Messer's course and the Pluralsight training course, but I'd like to have some written material to back it up as well.


I have seen recommendations in this thread for CompTIA Security+ Get Certified Get Ahead by Darril Gibson. There is both a SY0-401 guide and a SY0-501. I personally own the 501 and like it so far.

Doctor_Fruitbat
Jun 2, 2013


Professor Messer has course notes you can buy to accompany the videos, with all the various charts and diagrams from his videos included.

Dr. Arbitrary
Mar 15, 2006

Bleak Gremlin

Space Racist posted:

Are there any especially recommended written study materials/guides for the Sec+? I'm planning to watch Professor Messer's course and the Pluralsight training course, but I'd like to have some written material to back it up as well.

Don't overdo it though. Maybe the test has changed, but it's probably the easiest cert I've taken.

flatpack flapjack
Aug 13, 2006

Satan destroys you // but Jesus puts you in a bowl and smokes you

Dr. Arbitrary posted:

Don't overdo it though. Maybe the test has changed, but it's probably the easiest cert I've taken.

I'm wrapping up associates' degrees in cybersecurity and digital forensics from a local college this summer. Am I right in assuming that it wouldn't be a waste of my time to watch through some training videos and knock out an S+? Planning on taking a run at PWK/OSCP later this fall, if that matters.

Dr. Arbitrary
Mar 15, 2006

Bleak Gremlin

flatpack flapjack posted:

I'm wrapping up associates' degrees in cybersecurity and digital forensics from a local college this summer. Am I right in assuming that it wouldn't be a waste of my time to watch through some training videos and knock out an S+? Planning on taking a run at PWK/OSCP later this fall, if that matters.

I would bet a nickel that you could pass it cold.
If anything, just make sure you have memorized the top 10-15 most common ports and skim a list of their special words for Phishing (Vishing, Smishing, Pharming, etc.)

FCKGW
May 21, 2006

Dr. Arbitrary posted:

Don't overdo it though. Maybe the test has changed, but it's probably the easiest cert I've taken.

Sec+ was probably the second hardest I’ve taken (behind Linux+) :shrug:

It all depends on your current knowledge of networking concepts and how much you already know. If you already know networking well then that’s half the test but if you’re going in cold then it’s a lot of material to cover in a small span.

Oyster
Nov 11, 2005

I GOT FLAT FEET JUST LIKE MY HERO MEGAMAN
Total Clam

FCKGW posted:

Sec+ was probably the second hardest I’ve taken (behind Linux+) :shrug:

It all depends on your current knowledge of networking concepts and how much you already know. If you already know networking well then that’s half the test but if you’re going in cold then it’s a lot of material to cover in a small span.

This is an extremely accurate statement. I did the Sec+ a month after the Net+ and I found the Sec+ to be by far the easiest test I've ever taken, but that likely was because of being fresh off the Net+.

Dr. Arbitrary
Mar 15, 2006

Bleak Gremlin
I appreciate the differing opinion. I'd really hate for someone to get burned because they thought it'd be too easy.

I don't know how people feel on this ethically, but maybe it'd be worthwhile to find some questions from an older version of the test online and use them to get an idea of what's in store.

flatpack flapjack
Aug 13, 2006

Satan destroys you // but Jesus puts you in a bowl and smokes you

Dr. Arbitrary posted:

FCKGW posted:

Oyster posted:


This is helpful information. I plan on taking a spin thru Messer's material, and I'll definitely spend some time brushing up on my networking. Suddenly starting to wish I hadn't sold my Network Security textbook back to the bookstore :negative:

Thanks all!

Grassy Knowles
Apr 4, 2003

"The original Terminator was a gritty fucking AMAZING piece of sci-fi. Gritty fucking rock-hard MURDER!"

Dr. Arbitrary posted:

I don't know how people feel on this ethically, but maybe it'd be worthwhile to find some questions from an older version of the test online and use them to get an idea of what's in store.

Legitimately, the sec+ test is just a knowledge dump test. If you know the 'facts', you know them--there's no real creative thinking in it so I don't really see the harm in someone viewing actual questions. I don't think it's hard enough to merit the test-taker actively trying to 'cheat,' but I don't see any ethical dilemma either.

FCKGW
May 21, 2006

flatpack flapjack posted:

This is helpful information. I plan on taking a spin thru Messer's material, and I'll definitely spend some time brushing up on my networking. Suddenly starting to wish I hadn't sold my Network Security textbook back to the bookstore :negative:

Thanks all!

If you're wrapping up your associates in cybersecurity then yeah you should be able to breeze through the Sec+ fairly easily.

I just took the Sec+ a few months ago and I still have some of the practice test questions and eboosk from what I used. PM and I can send them to you to review what type of material you'd expect from the exam.

The Illusive Man
Mar 27, 2008

~savior of yoomanity~
Sec+ is definitely divisive from what I’ve seen. 80% of people I talk to say it’s among the easiest certs they’ve obtained, while the other 20% insist it’s among the most difficult tests ever.

That said, the 20% ‘hardest ever’ camp seem to have little to no experience with studying for certs, while most of the 80% crowd seem to have substantive prior experience with taking cert exams. So take that as you will I guess.

Personally, having completed the first module on Pluralsight, it does seem very memorization-heavy thus far. Also leans heavily on networking concepts so I’m glad I’m going for this after the ICND1, otherwise I’d have a lot of background studying to do on top of the cert requirements.

Darril Gibson’s SYO-501 book was only $10 for the Kindle version, so went ahead and snagged that. Hopefully between that, Pluralsight and Professor Messer, I’ll have this thing knocked out in 4-6 weeks.

Peachfart
Jan 21, 2017

I found the Sec+ to be kinda hard, but I didn't really study for it. The ICND2 was much harder, though I was better prepared.

Lets Get Patchy
Aug 8, 2006
What's the general consensus on the RHCSA cert? I was going to go for the Sever 2012 but I really like working with Unix. What's the best bang for the buck for a fresh graduate?

Peachfart posted:

I found the Sec+ to be kinda hard, but I didn't really study for it. The ICND2 was much harder, though I was better prepared.

I found it difficult, too. I did study my rear end off for it, but I've never worked in IT in a professional setting, only my classes and home lab stuff. Being said, it was my first cert test so there's that.

LochNessMonster
Feb 3, 2005

I need about three fitty


Lets Get Patchy posted:

What's the general consensus on the RHCSA cert? I was going to go for the Sever 2012 but I really like working with Unix. What's the best bang for the buck for a fresh graduate?

If you like working with Linux/Unix, go for RHCSA. From what I read here the MS exams are just learning how to cope with stupid questions and learning the right order or powershell commands. RHCSA is a practical exam in which you have to show you can apply the things you learn.

Both Windows and Linux admins are in high demand so either will be worth it. Go do what you like best is the best advice I’ve been given so that’s what I’d tell you to do.

Judge Schnoopy
Nov 2, 2005

dont even TRY it, pal
I would guess Windows admins are more in demand because more shops run Windows than Linux, but Linux admins pull bigger salaries because command line is scary for non technical people.

Plus if you specialize in Linux you're less likely to get desktop support dumped on you.

Diva Cupcake
Aug 15, 2005

What if 2019 is the year of Linux on the enterprise desktop. Then you’re hosed.

Kashuno
Oct 9, 2012

Where the hell is my SWORD?
Grimey Drawer
There won't be any desktops in 2019

you fool

everything will be in the cloud by then

you absolute god drat idiot.

vyst
Aug 25, 2009



I'm in the cloud right now.

Darchangel
Feb 12, 2009

Tell him about the blower!


vyst posted:

I'm in the cloud right now.

Cloud->butt has never had a better straight line.

LochNessMonster
Feb 3, 2005

I need about three fitty


Judge Schnoopy posted:

I would guess Windows admins are more in demand because more shops run Windows than Linux, but Linux admins pull bigger salaries because command line is scary for non technical people.

Plus if you specialize in Linux you're less likely to get desktop support dumped on you.

That probably depends on location and maybe field of work.

Where I am Windows admins are fairly easy to find but anyone who can spell Linux gets recruiters camping on their doorstep. Salary wise they are about the same here.

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fromoutofnowhere
Mar 19, 2004

Enjoy it while you can.
I got out of the Help Desk Admin role as it's basically become a dead end for me (that and I never did get the certs for it that everyone else around me has). After a couple of months of soul searching, I've found that I've had a ton more fun hunting down how our network got infected and fixing it (well, trying to sometimes) than running across a building to install an Adobe patch for the umptenth time for someone who will NOT press the loving update button. Or getting spit on, or stopping people from using the video editing stations to mine bitcoins, or any other number of crazy rear end stories.

Anyway, I'm working on getting Security+ next month, and with the suggestions here, picked up Darrel Gibson's 501 book last Tuesday. I've already gone through the book once, and most of the topics there are familiar, with some of the security terms and concepts things I've already gone through. So I don't believe it's going to take me long to complete it (I've shot myself in the foot doing this before so I am being careful). My concerns though are mostly about what I should do next. From what I've gathered, getting the CySA+ would be the next step for me after the Security+. But after that, should I pick up the CND and CEH? or am I overlapping certs? Is CEH more of a pentest type certification?

Also, in order to get a bit of experience and to hopefully land an entry level job, what tools should I look to get familiar with? I've already got Kali linux on a Virtualbox, but most of the tools in there are new to me other than wireshark and some of the basic Terminal commands in Linux. What do you guys recommend for learning Linux and becoming something more than a casual user?

fromoutofnowhere fucked around with this message at 19:25 on Apr 21, 2018

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