Security+ SYO-301 - New Exam Goes Live. Not Your Same Old Security+ Exam

As promised by Comptia in 2010, the new Security+ exam (SYO-301) is now live.  It has been 3 years since the Security+ exam has been updated and Comptia is keeping with a policy of renewing exams every 3 years.  The new exam has a look and feel of more real world objectives along with some content from the ISC2 CISSP exam.  Listed below is the differences between the 201 objectives and the new 301 objectives.









You can still take the 201 exam through the end of 2010.  If you are thinking of taking the new exam, almost 90% of the information from the 201exam is still applicable.

As of July 1, the Security+ class that I teach at Centriq Training will be using new curriculum to reflect the 2011 objectives.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Have we seen the last of LulzSec?

I don't think so.  LulzSec last week supposedly threw up the white flag last week and decided to disband.  Was this because the Anonymous group was going to go after them or because law enforcement was hot on their trail?  I have a different theory.

I believe we will still see attacks by this group except it will be under a new name or a splinter faction.  LulzSec drew a lot of attention over the last couple of months by their attacks on PBS and the Arizona DPS, and it was this attention that may have drew the ire of some hacker groups (Anonyomous Group) for bringing too much attention or stealing the limelight.  It has been remored that there may have also been a splintering of LulzSec by those who did not want to draw this attention.  Either way, I still believe we have not heard the last of LulzSec.

Small and Medium Size Business...You to should be concerned about Cyber Attacks as well

Yesterday in the Financial Times was a report on the current issues surrounding Cyber Security.  The report had many articles on current attacks to large enterprises and what we can can expect in 2011 (download the report here).  One of the articles titled "Market chaos leaves small businesses as primary target",  mentions an all too familiar issue with small to medium size businesses, the “accidental IT guy – or gal."

Small and medium size businesses sometimes have a person in charge of any IT issues that are put in that position because there is not a qualified person on staff or the duties just sorta of fall in their lap.  Whatever the reason, the network then becomes vulnerable to cyber thiefs because they know the network may not be secure and an easy mark for an attack.

Due to the current fiscal crisis that a lot of small and businesses are growing through, IT security is usually put on the back burner.  This usually leads to a vulnerable network, that a hacker may be able to attack and steal either data or financial information.  Think about it, why would hackers try and go after a large enterprise with its security when it could go after a small or medium size business's unprotected network?  If your business is collecting and type of data or financial information, your company is vulnerable.  This is a growing problem and one that needs to be addressed if you want to protect your business.

What is the answer to this growing problem?  Small and medium size business's need to have a trained IT security person on their staff or hire a  security consultant to do a security audit for the whole company and a penetration test to ensure all vulnerabilities are addressed and countermeasures are in place.

In this day and age the worst thing a business can do is ignore a cyber threat because they think "It won't happen to our company."   You never know it may have happened already and you just don't know it.

If you have any questions on small or medium size business IT security, please feel free to contact me:

wpruett@everestkc.net

Tom Pruett
Security and Network Engineer Consultant
CCSI, CCNA, MCSE (NT, 2000, 2003), MCITP SQL 2005, MCDBA SQL 7 & 2000, MCP+1, MCT, CTT+, CISSP, CWNA, CEH, CHFI, A+, Network+, Security+