This area of I.T. is perhaps just about the most sweeping and comprehensive there is. It would take decades to train to become an expert in all factors, & so specialisation is vital to some level. The major systems 'players' in this marketplace are Cisco & Microsoft. The actual software program side of networking is MS's department, & the hardware side (routers, controllers and data switches etc.) is where Cisco primarily work. It has become financially and economically essential for both MS and Cisco to get into security over the last several years. Equally within this field we are finding the significant growth of wireless networking. And then we have the dark art of Hacking (legally) and Digital Forensics : both of which are complex & incredibly specialist disciplines themselves, & take a great deal of practical experience and knowledge.

One of the most recent sectors within this subject is known as Computer Forensics. We relate forensics with television programmes such as CSI Miami. The actual reality of Digital forensics is very much less glamorised than portrayed in these shows (of course!) Nevertheless for many, it offers a highly interesting and satisfying career within technology based exploration. The principle being to gather and analyse digital-footprints, to provide evidence either in a criminal investigation or a civil enquiry.

Together with Security and Digital Forensics the somewhat new field of Ethical-Hacking is emerging. These are qualifications supplied through the EC-Council that teach advanced students the more dark concepts of 'hacking' -- but with the goal of using these abilities to safeguard & increase the security of a system, rather than harm it.

To many people contemplating getting into IT as a profession, basic-networking should be the starting place. Before you're confident about how a Computer functions & 'communicates' with other PCs, anything else is nonsense. Providing you already have effective user skills, you will find training programs that include CompTIA's A+ and 'N+' gives you a very good grounding to start your career path. These are dealt with within the CompTIA pages of this web-site.

Taking things further you can choose to go down the Microsoft 'MCSE' or 'MCSA' track if you're considering software, or the 'Cisco' 'CCNA' or 'CCNP' path if you are attracted to hardware. However, it must be stated that a comprehensive understanding of MS network systems is virtually essential for most network environments, simply because of MS's dominance in this market. Once again, these accreditations are discussed in depth on the relevant pages on this web-site.

Of course you may choose to fine-tune your Wi-Fi (wire-less) skills by taking certifications like the 'CWNP' and 'CWNA', or keep going down the CompTIA track with Linux+, Security+ or Server+ .

Some of the very best industry-acknowledged certifications now are produced by the vendor neutral Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). There are also several other establishments, such as the ISC2 (abbreviated from the somewhat long winded: International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium!) and 'CWNP' (Certified Wireless Network Professional). Of course Microsoft & Cisco offer a comprehensive range of skilled professional qualifications. The choice could be somewhat mind-boggling, and therefore we urge you to go carefully and go through your alternatives with an advisor who knows the process very well. Without any personally-tailored guidance you could potentially head off in a wrong-direction & waste a lot of time or money.

CompTIA Front Line Support PC Certification Training >>