CompTIA Blog

Virginia student Nicholas Anderson took an immense amount of pride in the knowledge he was the 200,000th person to earn CompTIA Security+ certification. For the 24-year-old, it’s the veritable ‘cherry on top,’ upon earning his first accreditation in the sector and the industry where he has always wanted to work. Now, Anderson just hopes to pair it with post-college employment. “It’s definitely something I value along with focusing on my own career path,” he said. Anderson, who is studying info ...

As we look to continue to find ways to keep members informed about and engaged in the advocacy process, we recently formed a member-based group called the CompTIA Public Advocacy Liaisons (PALS).  CompTIA members who serve as liaisons will act as a bridge between the CompTIA staff in Washington, D.C., and CompTIA members across the country. The goal is to keep the channels of communication open as we all advocate on behalf of the industry.In their first conference call of the year, PALS discusse ...

A look at the week of March 12 in public advocacy for the IT channel:  This week, President Obama named Todd Park as the new federal chief technology officer.  Debate over competing cybersecurity bills in the Senate will focus on whether the issue is about national security or economic growth.  Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) discusses his cybersecurity goals for his last Senate term with National Journal.Obama Taps HHS Official to Be his Chief Technology Officer — President Obama appointed Todd Park ...

The annual ITEX Expo and Conference is gearing up for its 12th event. Back in Las Vegas at the Mirage Hotel,  and still reigning as the largest  “all things office”  technology show of its kind, it will be held April 18 and 19, with preconference workshops on the 17th (to deep dive into trending topics, including “How to Sell & Market Cloud Solutions” from CompTIA).Our industry is evolving at a fast-pace and it can be a challenge to keep track of all the new technology and programs available ...

Michael Buckenberger, director of admissions at New Horizons Computer Learning Centers in Durham, N.C., is amazed that the private sector doesn’t consistently value military job experience the same way it values non-military employment.  But he’s seen IT certifications make all the difference for veterans seeking to validate their skills for a private sector job. “The same vet who spent six months unsuccessfully looking for work can come in here and earn two certifications, and—Boom!—he’s ...

Michael Buckenberger, director of admissions at New Horizons Computer Learning Centers in Durham, N.C., is amazed that the private sector doesn’t consistently value military job experience the same way it values non-military employment.  But he’s seen IT certifications make all the difference for veterans seeking to validate their skills for a private sector job. “The same vet who spent six months unsuccessfully looking for work can come in here and earn two certificatio ...

Takeaway of the week is likely more job options, job security and, likely, compensation for IT job seekers with the right skills and experience - namely, those targeting the emerging field of data scientist, skilled and/or experienced in cloud computing, mobile apps, big data management and, lastly, visionaries in our new IT security world. According to a whole host of studies, reports and surveys, the IT job market is your world, the rest of us just live in it. Seeking Skilled IT Talent a Tough ...

In the initial discussions around EMR (electronic medical records) incentives, some solution providers believed that doctors would literally be knocking down their doors. After all, who would turn down “free” technology that could help them run their business better? Shifting medical records to a digital format eliminates a mountain of paper, as well as the tremendous costs associated with filing and retrieving it on a perpetual basis.Of course, medical professionals and the IT community found o ...

A series of bills have been introduced in the House during the last month that aim to increase and strengthen small business participation in government contracting – an important goal that CompTIA has always supported.  Development of this legislation follows over a year of hearings held by the Small Business Committee on various contracting issues.  This group of bills will help to direct more government contracting dollars to small businesses and should be enacted. Included in H.R. 3850, “Gov ...

A look at the week of March 5 in public advocacy for the IT channel:  This week, Republicans prepare to introduce an alternative cyber bill in the House.  Nextgov.com takes a look at how cloud computing will change the way federal agencies work.  GovernmentHealthIT examines how the President’s new budget may affect health IT.Republicans Prep Secure IT Act in the House — Reps. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) plan to introduce the Secure IT Act, a GOP-backed cybersecurity bill, i ...

Okay, IT professionals, what’s your career roadmap? Employers, what your plan for validating your IT employees’ skills? Find both on CompTIA’s online IT certification roadmap to learn which credentials—from CompTIA and other organizations — will advance specific IT careers. This one-of-a-kind tool identifies industry IT certifications used on various IT career paths as a worker progresses from beginner/novice to the intermediate, advanced, specialist and expert le ...

As technology permeates every functional area of a business and more company staff assumes the role of a knowledge worker, organizations across the globe must contend with new security threats and vulnerabilities.

With so much hype and so many different ways of describing the cloud, people are left feeling scared and confused.   Ian Moyse, U.K. sales director, Workbooks.com, believes that we shouldn’t be scared of the cloud and instead ask ourselves the simple question if cloud can help.  Moyse has found that by trying one cloud-based application that genuinely helps us means we are far more likely to become “cloud committed.”Moyse has more than 26 years IT experience, sits on the board of Eurocloud UK, h ...

On Veterans Day last November, we saw a number of stories about the state of unemployment among the veterans community. It was startling enough to learn the unemployment rate among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans was 33 percent higher than the overall population, but if you dig a little deeper, you realize the picture gets far darker. As the jobs picture improves for more Americans, among our youngest veterans, those 18 to 24 years old, the jobless rate continues to hover near 30 percent, up from ...

On Veterans Day last November, we saw a number of stories about the state of unemployment among the veterans community. It was startling enough to learn the unemployment rate among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans was 33 percent higher than the overall population, but if you dig a little deeper, you realize the picture gets far darker. As the jobs picture improves for more Americans, among our youngest veterans, those 18 to 24 years old, the jobless rate continues to hover near 30 percent, up fro ...