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Self-study is ideal for basic IT skills both for learning and on your resume when it comes to getting a job. As you build your skills and advance your career there comes a point where you need Hands-on training to learn the material properly. You also need the credentials that Hands-on training gives you on your resume.  

 When do you need to move from self-study to Hands-on? As you advance, the skills become harder but from a learning standpoint it depends on how hard you want to work with self-study and your own learning ability. You will know when you need the extra help that Hands-on provides when you find it hard to fully understand the skills through only self-study.  

 From the standpoint of your resume and how an employer views your training, at some point employers begin to require hands-on training or, if you self-study, they require work experience. You begin to need a job to get the experience required to get a job (Catch 22).  

Getting a job as a Cybersecurity Analyst is a great example of where employers want experience gained through Hands-on Training in a live SOC environment. Don’t be fooled by training using “simulated SOC Training” only counts as experience if you train on a live SOC.  

 Get an inside look at the Security Operations Center (SOC) leveraged in this hands-on experience. Learn about Hands-on cyber security program that trains you like a cybersecurity analyst to become one. Live SOC training using the #1/#2 ranked enterprise security tools, NOT available in Open Source, combined with critical thinking and interpersonal skills that make you employer competitive. 

 Real network. Real enterprise tools. Real attacks. Real results (jobs!) 

 Don’t just take our word for it, hear why these new Cybersecurity Analysts (who started with or without IT certification 20 weeks ago) chose hands-on to accelerate into cybersecurity. 

 Watch the demo and success stories:

Double-down on your career advancement now with the most accessible and affordable cyber-accelerator trade school – CyberNow Labs: 

1. Pre-apply to get the conversation going with no obligation until you sign the contract: get.cybernowlabs.com 

1. Register for an upcoming live info session, so you’re ready to secure your spot in the next live, online training starting on April 8: 

•  Saturday, Mar 18, 11 am ET 
•  Tuesday, Mar 21, 7 pm ET 
•  Saturday, Mar 25, 11 am ET 
•  Tuesday, Mar 28, 7 pm ET 

March Madness – $500 Bonuses.

Attend to learn how to earn:

• Mike Meyers Security+ Training Bundle, or a
• Python Training Bonus,

Win a CompTIA Exam Voucher.

Info session with guest speaker James Stanger, CompTIA CTO

A lot of people ask me: “Mike, I want to get into cybersecurity – How do I find the best training and how can I solve the job experience Catch 22: “you need experience to get a job BUT you need a job to get experience”. Learn how we can help you do both.  

 Watch the video below to learn how you can get a $500 SECURITY+ BONUS – to break into a high-paying cybersecurity career. This hands-on live, online training program, that I talk about, includes earning your Security+ certification. So, if you have no IT experience or certifications right now, this program will help accelerate this career change for you.  

 There’s also an option if you already have Security+ (and get a free Python course bonus), so talk to my colleagues at CyberNow Labs – and tell ‘em Mike sent ya! 

And last but certainly not least, we’re hosting a special event on March 11 with CompTIA’s CTO, James Stanger. that will give you a Live Demo of an Enterprise Security Operations Center, walk you through a real incident, and a solution to solve the Cyber catch-22.   

Sign-up for the March Madness Special SOC Demo Event with a Chance to Win a CompTIA Exam Voucher– Limited Online Seats – attend to win!:

A lot of people ask me: “Mike, I want to get into cybersecurity – should I get all three A+/Network+/Security+ certifications?” 

 My answer isn’t just yes, it’s YES and here’s WHY these are steppingstones for you. Becoming a great IT Tech is about learning the fundamentals and adding to your skills one building block of knowledge at a time. Any successful career is about starting with a firm foundation. Getting your A+ and Network+ certifications makes the Security+ journey easier and more rewarding as you invest in bettering yourself. This breadth of knowledge will open doors of opportunity. Here’s how: 

1. 1. Having these foundational certifications gives you a better understanding of a growing body of knowledge and builds your confidence. Knowing the terminology helps you master each next step.   

1. 1. Having these certifications makes it A LOT easier to get an interview, and tells interviewers that you love cyber sooooo much that you were willing to put in the time and effort to learn the basics and build your cyber skills. In other words, the certifications provide tangible proof of your commitment. 

1. Most recruiters now use automated scanners to scan for credentials. These CompTIA Certifications move you up the list. 

 Watch the video below to learn how you can get a $500 BONUS opportunity to break into a high-paying cybersecurity career. This hands-on, live online training program that I talk about includes earning your Security+ certification. So, if you have no IT experience or certifications right now, this program will help accelerate your career change. There’s also an option if you do already have Security+, so talk to my colleagues at CyberNow Labs – and tell ‘em Mike sent ya! 

More about the BONUS – attend a live Info Session to learn how to claim this limited-time learning bonus. 

Saturday Feb. 18th at 11am ET 

Tuesday Feb. 21st at 7pm ET 

Saturday Feb. 25th at 11am ET 

Tuesday Feb 28th at 7pm ET 

 Click here to sign up for an info session date or  

contact the team directly at enrollment@cybernowlabs.com 

We’ve noticed a trend that IT Career Pathway Learners are seeking more knowledge and skills on Python, and it makes sense given the power of automation for information gathering and analysis. The best part of Python is it’s the most accessible programming language, easy to learn and can be written and executed much faster than other programming languages. 

We want to help you power up your skills toolbox with a $500 BONUS opportunity to break into a high-paying cybersecurity career, leveraging your Sec+ certification and earn a FREE Python Course, designed specifically for those that are new to cybersecurity.  

 Watch the video below to learn more about this career transformation opportunity.  

Register & Attend one of these Free Live Info Sessions to learn about your Early Bird savings and Intro to Python for Cybersecurity Course ($500 Value). This course will be offered for free only for a limited time.  

 Saturday, Feb 4, 11 am ET: https://bit.ly/Feb4-InfoSession-PythonBonus 

 Saturday, Feb 11, 11am ET: https://bit.ly/Feb11-InfoSession-PythonBonus 

 Tell ‘em Mike sent ya! 

P.S. Here’s a sneak peek at what this FREE** Python course will cover: 

Every New Year’s we rethink where we are in life. Often people join a gym or go on a diet. But sometimes we think about a career change or advancing in our current career. How about a career in a field with over 700,000 job openings that pays $90,000 for entry-level analysts. How about getting into a field that desperately needs your help to make our country safe?

What if you could leverage your Security+ certification in a program that not only trains you to meet this need but also includes job placement?

What if you could attend a program that provides practice on live enterprise-level cybersecurity tools fighting real hackers?

ATTEND TO WIN:  Attend CyberNow Lab’s one-hour Virtual Info Session this Saturday (1.7.23) or Tuesday (1.10.23) to find out how, PLUS be entered to win $500 in Security+ study materials including my best-selling Security+ Video Training & Certification Guide Ebook and Total Seminars’ award-winning Security+ practice test software, TotalTester!  The winner will be announced live at the Info Session – you must be in attendance to claim your prize.

Watch the video below and join me live to get in on this opportunity!

Register for the live session here:

Jan 7: https://bit.ly/UdemyLearnersJan7

Jan 10: https://bit.ly/UdemyLearnersJan10

See you there!

–Mike

Why Your Passwords Stink and How to Fix Them

Passwords…we all have them…lots of them!! And to be safe, we need a different password for each log-in site. Why? Because otherwise, if one gets compromised, then they all get compromised.

In 2021, 123456 was the most commonly used password. What does this tell you? Yup, we aren’t giving much thought to our passwords. And do you suppose we’re changing them frequently, as we should? Nope.

Ah, you say, we now have multi-factor authentication confirming our identity, so passwords are less important. True, multi-factor authentication protects us a bit more, but NOT TRUE that we can be less diligent about password management.

Strong passwords do help to protect your accounts. But a strong, compromised password that’s used on every one of your accounts is still a compromised password that potentially opens all of your accounts to the bad guys. Too many people use the same password for every account, and the bad guys know this.

What to do?

The new CompTIA A+ Core 1 and Core 2 Exams are out! Ready to take on the challenge of being an IT Tech superhero? Check out the details:

From CompTIA:

CompTIA A+ certified professionals are proven problem solvers. They support today’s core technologies from security to networking to virtualization and more. CompTIA A+ is the industry standard for launching IT careers into today’s digital world.

CompTIA A+ is the only industry recognized credential with performance testing to prove pros can think on their feet to perform critical IT support tasks. It is trusted by employers around the world to identify the go-to person in end point management & technical support roles. CompTIA A+ appears in more tech support job listings than any other IT credential.

The CompTIA A+ Core Series requires candidates to pass two exams: Core 1 (220-1101) and Core 2 (220-1102) covering the following new content, emphasizing the technologies and skills IT pros need to support a hybrid workforce.

The need for trained cyber professionals is so mission-critical that we want to help you advance no matter where you are on your path.

My pal, Hasan Eksi, at my sister company CyberNow Labs, is conducting a live cyber resume review workshop tomorrow to provide you with tips that will help you secure the interview!

As co-founder of CyberNow Labs and National Cyber Group, Hasan has helped thousands of people – with or without an IT background – successfully enter this rewarding career. Former SOC Director for multinational companies MasterCard and Capital One; Hasan has 10 years in the industry and is prepared to share his expertise.

Whether you want to have YOUR cybersecurity resume reviewed during this live session or you just want to sit in to learn the tips and tricks, simply:

1) Join the live steam event on LinkedIn tomorrow (Monday, Oct 10) at 12-1 pm ET.

Add the event to your calendar when you log in so you get reminded: 

2) Submit your resume if you’d like to be considered for live review at info@cybernowlabs.com and they’ll confirm with you.

BONUS LEARNING: If you do attend the live session, you’ll hear about a complimentary personal resume review as another mentoring opportunity.

Hope to see you online tomorrow

Mike

Something Fishy about Phishing 

(A Proofpoint Tool Scenario) 

I sat down with my pal Richard Chapman, Program Director for CyberNow Labs, with this question, how to tell if an email is a phishing expedition?

Ironically, the largest threat to organizations is not necessarily the bad actors themselves, but rather that the employees are easily hooked into engaging with phishing emails because they’re in a hurry.

Usually, the phishing signs are visible to an end-user if they’re looking carefully, but…many don’t.

A big part of being a Cybersecurity Analyst is dealing with Alerts.