CompTIA Blog

Getting security clearance—to gain confidential, secret or top secret levels of information access—can be an arduous process, but here are tips from ClearanceJobs.com Managing Director Evan Lesser for eliminating problems that can delay or torpedo approval of a security clearance application: Know your status: Under federal regulations, only U.S. citizens can obtain security clearance. Individuals who hold H-1B Visas or persons who are foreign-born but have not become naturalized U.S. citizens ...

What a wild 10 years it’s been in the IT channel. Earlier this week I attended one of the Level Platforms’ Road Shows in Columbus, Ohio, and, while listening to a number of MSP presentations and vendor presentations, I had a flashback to my first discussion on managed services. It was almost a decade ago when I sat down with Level’s CEO Peter Sandiford for a Business Solutions magazine interview at a Gartner ChannelVision event. Over the next two hours, he laid out the client and provider need f ...

Takeaway of the week is that timing is everything so it can’t be a coincidence that a report shows tech firms ramping up in Ireland with St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner. Talk about a pot ‘o gold for job candidates in recently hard-luck Emerald Isle? But with good, must come bad and that shows up in one not-so-good bit o’ news for tech workers in the face of the automation wave. But, back to the good news: it remains all four-leaf clovers for data scientists and ...

Takeaway of the week is that timing is everything so it can’t be a coincidence that a report shows tech firms ramping up in Ireland with St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner. Talk about a pot ‘o gold for job candidates in recently hard-luck Emerald Isle? But with good, must come bad and that shows up in one not-so-good bit o’ news for tech workers in the face of the automation wave. But, back to the good news: it remains all four-leaf clovers for data scientists and healthcare IT candidates ...

The White House announced a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Labor and the Department of Health and Human Services that could help increase workforce training for Health Information Technology professionals in rural hospitals and clinics.  The MOU outlines five specific objectives: Increase the number of trained health IT and health information management professionals. Diversify programs to meet wider range of training needs Reach out to potential workers and employers to i ...

A look at the week of February 21 in public advocacy for the IT channel:  This week, Republican senators voiced their opposition to cybersecurity legislation introduced by Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT).  Meanwhile, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano expressed support for the legislation, which would require critical sectors to report network intrusions to the government.  A Mashable article finds many advantages to hiring veterans for tech positions. Top GOPer ...

Over one weekend in early February, InformationWeek reported that Anonymous and other hacktivists struck the CIA, the U.S. Census Bureau, Interpol and Mexico, as well as law enforcement websites in Alabama and Texas.Known and reported hacks and breaches are just the tip of the cybersecurity iceberg and have the potential to cause widespread damage. But, as a recent CompTIA video points out, computer-generated havoc is not inevitable if IT workers prepare themselves to detect and defend against c ...

Over one weekend in early February, InformationWeek reported that Anonymous and other hacktivists struck the CIA, the U.S. Census Bureau, Interpol and Mexico, as well as law enforcement websites in Alabama and Texas. Known and reported hacks and breaches are just the tip of the cybersecurity iceberg and have the potential to cause widespread damage. But, as a recent CompTIA video points out, computer-generated havoc is not inevitable if IT workers prepare themselves to detect and defend against ...

To say Alan Crawford thinks a lot about IT security is an understatement.The veteran systems engineer doesn’t need cybersecurity spelled out in his job description to keep it at the forefront of his mind.“I have been evangelistic about the need for stronger security measures for almost as long as I’ve been involved with computers,” said Crawford, 57. “Everything I do in IT is influenced by my concerns about security.”Crawford said he’s found his latest weapon for the cause.As an early beta teste ...

How do you cut through the noise and the avalanche of emails you get every day to filter down to the specific channel news and information you need?  A group of IT channel veterans heard your cry for help, and they’re launching a free and secure social network to aggregate channel information.Welcome ChannelEyes.  It’s like Facebook, but instead of having friends, you can connect to a filtered group of vendor and association feeds on your wall.  It’s a single place to get a snapshot of new chann ...

To say Alan Crawford thinks a lot about IT security is an understatement. The veteran systems engineer doesn’t need cybersecurity spelled out in his job description to keep it at the forefront of his mind. “I have been evangelistic about the need for stronger security measures for almost as long as I’ve been involved with computers,” said Crawford, 57. “Everything I do in IT is influenced by my concerns about security.” Crawford said he’s found his latest weapon for the cause. As an early bet ...

Not far from the lapping ocean waves along the shores of Peru, a technical revolution is taking place.Cyttek, a relatively new training presence in the capital city of Lima, is having phenomenal success with an IT program built on the core competencies of CompTIA certifications that could forever alter the South American country’s economic outlook.Students are trained to earn the fundamental certifications of CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+,  CompTIA Server+ and CompTIA Project+ before moving to hi ...

Now that I have your undivided attention, let me confess that most solution providers won’t get rich simply by reading IT channel-related magazines and online posts. But by paying attention to a few publications and online news sources on a regular basis, they can track industry trends and better understand the events that can impact their business. IT channel-related media should be considered a free business intelligence resource, offering best practice articles and highlighting the technology ...

Takeaway of the week is a whole new set of avenues from which good news on the IT job front flow - if one has the right qualifications. Got Linux skills? Your skills are wanted big-time. Got a U.K. residence? Your IT skills are wanted, too. Got a college IT degree? OK, just a little more seasoning on the soft skills and other areas and you’re good to go. IT Jobs on the Rise in the U.K. A study based on January job openings in the U.K. signals a healthy bump in the need for IT staffers. The study ...

A look at the week of February 13 in public advocacy for the IT channel:  This week, President Obama released his budget proposal which seeks to increase funding for science and technology education.  In order to address industry concerns about cyber over-regulation by the Department of Homeland Security, the Senate bill will allow certain firms to appeal some regulations.  A new report on health IT suggests that more health IT job opportunities are available than qualified people to fill them.O ...