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Posts Tagged ‘software’

Today, more and more people are using their computers for everything from communication to online banking and investing to searching. As we do these things on a more frequent basis, we open ourselves to prospective hackers, attackers and crackers.

While some may be looking to phish your personal data and identity for resale, others intend to use your computer as a platform from which to attack other unsuspecting victims. Below are a few simple, cost-effective steps you can take to keep your computer more secure.

1. Always make backups of important information and store it in a secure location away from your computer.

2. Update and patch your operating system, web browser and software frequently. If you have a Windows operating system, start by going to windowsupdate.microsoft.com and running the update wizard. This program will help you find the latest patches for your Windows operating system. Also go to officeupdate.microsoft.com to locate possible patches for your Microsoft Office programs.

3. Install a firewall. Without a good firewall, viruses, worms, Trojans, malware and adware can all access your computer from the Internet with no trouble. Consideration should be given to the benefits and differences between hardware and software based firewall programs.

4. Check your browser and email settings for maximum security. Why should you do this? Active-X and JavaScript are often used by hackers to plant malevolent programs into your computer. While cookies are relatively harmless in terms of security concerns, they can still track your activities on the Internet to build a profile of you. As a minimum precaution, set your security setting for the ?Internet zone? to High, and your ?trusted sites zone? to Medium Low.

5. Install antivirus software and set for automatic updates so that you get the most recent versions.

6. Do not open unknown email attachments. It is simply not enough that you may know the address from which it originates because many viruses can be spread from a well-known address.

7. Do not run software from unidentified origins. Also, do not send these kinds of programs to friends and coworkers because they contain funny or amusing stories or jokes. They may contain a Trojan horse just waiting to infect a computer.

8. Disable hidden filename extensions. By default, the Windows operating system is set to ?hide file extensions for known file types?. Disable this preference so that file extensions show in Windows. Some file extensions will, by default, continue to remain hidden, but you are more likely to see any unusual file extensions that do not belong.

9. Switch off your computer and disconnect from the network when not using the computer. A hacker can not strike at your computer when you are disconnected from the network or the computer is off.

10. Make a boot disk on a floppy disk or CD in case your computer is damaged or infected by a malicious program. Clearly, you have to take this precaution before you are subject to a hostile breach of your system security.

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What could a trainee searching for training tracks certified by Microsoft expect from providers these days? Undoubtedly, training companies should be offering a number of course choices that cover the range of Microsoft certified training tracks.

You may wish to discuss all the different permutations with an advisor who understands the commercial needs of the market, and will help you select the best kind of work to suit your personality.

Training courses should be designed to match your current skills and aptitude. Hence, once you’ve decided on the best kind of work for you, your next focus is the most applicable training course that will equip you for the role.

Trainees looking at this market often have a very practical outlook on work, and don’t always take well to classrooms, and endless reading of dry academic textbooks. If this could be you, go for more modern interactive training, where learning is video-based.

Research into the way we learn shows that much more of what we learn in remembered when we use all our senses, and we take action to use what we’ve learned.

Courses are now available in the form of CD and DVD ROM’s, where your computer becomes the centre of your learning. Utilising the latest video technology, you can watch instructors demonstrating how something is done, and then have a go at it yourself – via the interactive virtual lab’s.

Always insist on a study material demo’ from your training provider. The package should contain slide-shows, instructor-led videos and interactive labs where you get to practice.

Some companies only have access to online training only; sometimes you can get away with this – but, imagine the problems when you don’t have access to the internet or you get intermittent problems and speed issues. It’s preferable to have DVD or CD discs that don’t suffer from these broadband issues.

The area most overlooked by those considering a training program is ‘training segmentation’. This basically means the method used to break up the program for delivery to you, which vastly changes how you end up.

Often, you will join a program requiring 1-3 years study and receive a module at a time. It seems to make sense on one level, but consider these issues:

With thought, many trainees understand that the trainer’s ’standard’ path of training isn’t as suitable as another. You may find that a slightly different order suits them better. And what if you don’t get to the end inside of the expected timescales?

For future safety and flexibility, many trainees now want to request that all their modules (now paid for) are delivered immediately, and not in stages. That means it’s down to you how fast or slow and in what order you want to finish things.

Most of us would love to think that our jobs will always be safe and our work futures are protected, but the growing reality for most jobs throughout the United Kingdom today is that security just isn’t there anymore.

In actuality, security now only emerges via a rapidly growing marketplace, pushed forward by work-skills shortages. These circumstances create the correct environment for market-security – a more attractive situation all round.

The IT skills shortage around the country currently stands at approx twenty six percent, according to a recent e-Skills analysis. Put simply, we can only fill just 3 out of 4 positions in Information Technology (IT).

Properly taught and commercially grounded new staff are consequently at an absolute premium, and it’s estimated to remain so for a long time to come.

No better time or market state of affairs is ever likely to exist for obtaining certification in this swiftly increasing and developing market.

It’s so important to understand this key point: It’s essential to obtain proper 24×7 round-the-clock instructor support. You’ll definitely experience problems if you don’t heed this.

Email support is too slow, and phone support is usually just a call-centre that will chat nicely with you for 5 minutes to ask what the issue is and then simply send an email to an instructor – who will call back over the next day or so (assuming you’re there), when it suits them. This is no good if you’re stuck with a particular problem and have a one hour time-slot in which to study.

The best trainers incorporate three or four individual support centres across multiple time-zones. By utilising an interactive interface to provide a seamless experience, no matter what time you login, help is at hand, without any contact issues or hassle.

Never make do with anything less. 24×7 support is the only kind that ever makes the grade for computer-based training. Perhaps you don’t intend to study during the evenings; usually though, we’re working while the support is live.

Copyright 2009 Scott Edwards. Navigate to SQL Course or www.learninglolly.com/Database_Training_Courses.html.

Network and PC support technicians are ever more in demand in the UK, as companies rely heavily upon their knowledge and skills. Our country’s need for larger numbers of qualified personnel grows, as society becomes consistently more dependent upon PC’s in today’s environment.

You should look for authorised exam simulation and preparation programs included in the package you choose.

Sometimes people can get confused by trying to prepare themselves with questions that aren’t recognised by the authorised examining boards. Sometimes, the phraseology can be quite different and it’s vital that you know this.

A way to build self-confidence is if you check how much you know through tests and practice in simulated exam environments before you take the proper exam.

When was the last time you considered how safe your job is? Typically, this only rears its head when something goes wrong. However, the reality is that our job security doesn’t really exist anymore, for nearly everyone now.

In actuality, security now only emerges through a rapidly rising market, driven by work-skills shortages. It’s this shortage that creates the right conditions for a secure marketplace – a much more desirable situation.

Offering the computer sector for example, a recent e-Skills study demonstrated a skills shortage in the UK of over 26 percent. Therefore, for each four job positions existing across computing, organisations can only find trained staff for three of them.

Properly trained and commercially educated new employees are accordingly at a total premium, and in all likelihood it will stay that way for a long time to come.

It would be hard to imagine if a better time or market state of affairs is ever likely to exist for getting certified in this rapidly expanding and developing market.

For the most part, the typical student doesn’t have a clue where to start with IT, or even which market they should be considering getting trained in.

Scanning lists of IT career possibilities is next to useless. The majority of us have no idea what our own family members do for a living – so we have no hope of understanding the subtleties of a particular IT career.

To get through to the essence of this, there should be a discussion of a number of unique issues:

* Your individual personality as well as your interests – the sort of work-centred jobs you like and dislike.

* Why you want to consider stepping into computing – it could be you’re looking to conquer a life-long goal like being your own boss for example.

* Is the money you make further up on your wish list than some other areas.

* Some students don’t fully understand the level of commitment required to attain their desired level.

* Our advice is to think deeply about any sacrifices you’ll need to make, as well as what commitment and time you’ll put into your education.

Ultimately, the only real way of investigating all this is from a long chat with someone that through years of experience will be able to guide you.

The way a programme is physically sent to you is usually ignored by most students. In what way are your training elements sectioned? What is the order and how fast does each element come?

Delivery by courier of each element one piece at a time, as you complete each module is the usual method of releasing your program. While sounding logical, you should consider these factors:

How would they react if you didn’t complete each element at the proposed pace? Sometimes their preference of study order won’t be as easy as some other order of studying might.

To be straight, the best solution is to obtain their recommendation on the best possible order of study, but to receive all the materials up-front. Meaning you’ve got it all should you not complete it quite as quick as they’d want.

Copyright Scott Edwards. Hop over to Comptia Training or comptiacertification.co.uk.

A+ consists of four exams and study sections, but your only requirement is to achieve certification in two to be thought of as qualified. For this reason, most training colleges restrict their course to just 2 areas. Yet learning about all 4 will give you a more confident perspective of it all, something you’ll discover is an important asset in the commercial world.

Once on the CompTIA A+, you will develop an understanding of how to build, fix, repair and work in antistatic conditions. Fault finding and diagnostic techniques through hands on and remote access are also covered.

Should you want to work towards looking after computer networks, add the very comprehensive CompTIA Network+ to your training package. Including Network+ will put you in a position to apply for more interesting jobs. Also look at the Microsoft networking qualifications (MCP, MCSA and MCSE).

Often, students don’t think to check on a vitally important element – the way the company actually breaks down and delivers the courseware sections, and into how many separate packages.

The majority of training companies will set up a program typically taking 1-3 years, and send out each piece as you complete each section or exam. This sounds reasonable until you consider the following:

Maybe the order of study insisted on by the company won’t suit you. And what if you don’t finish all the sections inside their defined time-scales?

To be in the best situation you would have all your study materials couriered to your address right at the beginning; the complete package! Thus avoiding any future problems that could impede your capability of finishing.

Make sure that all your certifications are what employers want – don’t bother with programmes that only give in-house certificates.

From an employer’s viewpoint, only the major heavyweights like Microsoft, CompTIA, Adobe or Cisco (for example) will get you into the interview seat. Anything less just won’t hit the right spot.

It’s likely that you probably enjoy fairly practical work – a ‘hands-on’ personality type. Typically, the painful task of reading endless manuals can be just about bared when essential, but it doesn’t suit your way of doing things. Consider interactive, multimedia study if learning from books is not your thing.

Memory is vastly improved when we use multiple senses – educational experts have expounded on this for decades now.

Locate a program where you’ll get a host of DVD-ROM’s – you’ll start with videos of instructor demonstrations, followed by the chance to use virtual lab’s to practice your new skills.

Each company you’re contemplating should be able to show you some samples of their courseware. Expect video tutorials, instructor led classes and a variety of interactive modules.

Seek out CD and DVD ROM based physical training media if possible. You’re then protected from broadband outages, failure and signal quality issues etc.

How long has it been since you considered your job security? For most of us, this only rears its head when we experience a knock-back. Unfortunately, the lesson often learned too late is that true job security doesn’t really exist anymore, for all but the most lucky of us.

It’s possible though to hit upon security at market-level, by digging for areas of high demand, tied with a shortage of skilled staff.

Taking the Information Technology (IT) market as an example, a recent e-Skills survey brought to light a skills deficit throughout the country in excess of 26 percent. Meaning that for every 4 jobs that are available across computing, there are only 3 trained people to do them.

This single fact in itself clearly demonstrates why the UK requires considerably more trainees to get into the industry.

Surely, this really is such a perfect time to train for IT.

Author: Scott Edwards. Navigate to Comptia Training or Comptia Certification.

A Cisco training course is the way to go for those who wish to understand and work with routers and switches. Routers connect computer networks via the internet or lines dedicated for that purpose. It’s most probable that you should first attempt your CCNA. Don’t be tempted to go straight for a CCNP as it’s a considerable step up – and you need to work up to it to take on this level.

Jobs that use this qualification mean it’s likely you’ll end up working for large commercial ventures that have several different sites but need their computer networks to talk to each other. On the other hand, you might end up joining an internet service provider. These jobs are well paid and in demand.

You’ll need a bespoke training program that takes you on a progressive path to ensure that you’ve mastered the necessary skills and abilities before getting going with Cisco.

We’re regularly asked to explain why academic qualifications are now falling behind more qualifications from the commercial sector?

The IT sector now acknowledges that for an understanding of the relevant skills, the right accreditation from the likes of Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA often is more effective in the commercial field – for much less time and money.

The training is effectively done through honing in on the skill-sets required (along with a proportionate degree of background knowledge,) as opposed to going into the heightened depths of background ‘extras’ that degrees in computing are prone to get tied up in – to fill a three or four year course.

Assuming a company is aware what work they need doing, then all it takes is an advert for the particular skill-set required. Syllabuses are all based on the same criteria and can’t change from one establishment to the next (in the way that degree courses can).

Many trainers will only offer support available from 9-6 (office hours) and sometimes later on specific days; very few go late in the evening or at weekends.

Don’t buy certification programs which can only support trainees through a call-centre messaging service after 6-9pm in the evening and during weekends. Training schools will try to talk you round from this line of reasoning. But, no matter how they put it – support is required when it’s required – not as-and-when it’s suitable for their staff.

The very best training providers have many support offices from around the world. Online access provides the interactive interface to seamlessly link them all together, at any time you choose, help is at hand, without any problems or delays.

Don’t under any circumstances take less than you need and deserve. Support round-the-clock is the only kind that ever makes the grade with IT training. Perhaps you don’t intend to study during the evenings; often though, we’re out at work while the support is live.

It’s quite a normal occurrence for students not to check on a painfully important area – the way the company actually breaks down and delivers the courseware elements, and into how many bits.

Individual deliveries for each training module piece by piece, as you pass each exam is the usual method of releasing your program. This sounds sensible, but you might like to consider this:

Students often discover that the company’s ’standard’ path of training isn’t as suitable as another. Sometimes, a slightly different order suits them better. Could it cause problems if you don’t get everything done at the pace they expect?

To be honest, the perfect answer is to have their ideal ‘order’ of training laid out, but to receive all the materials up-front. You then have everything in the event you don’t complete everything within their ideal time-table.

It can be a nerve-racking task, but finding your first computer related job is often relieved by training colleges, through a Job Placement Assistance service. It can happen though that this feature is bigged up too much, as it’s really not that difficult for any motivated and trained individual to find work in this industry – as employers are keen to find appropriately well trained people.

Update your CV at the beginning of your training though – you should get plenty of help from your training provider on this. Don’t wait till you’ve finished your exams.

Various junior support roles have been offered to trainees who are still studying and haven’t got any qualifications yet. This will at least get you on your way.

If you’d like to keep travelling time and costs to a minimum, then you’ll often find that a specialist independent regional recruitment consultant or service might be more appropriate than the trainer’s recruitment division, because they are much more inclined to be familiar with the local job scene.

Please be sure that you don’t put hundreds of hours of effort into your studies, only to stop and leave it in the hands of the gods to find you a job. Take responsibility for yourself and get out there. Channel as much energy and enthusiasm into landing your first job as you did to get trained.

(C) 2009 – S. Edwards. Look at Cisco Training or CLICK HERE.