Senior Project - Certifications

Implementing my senior project plan correctly is one part of strategy for success. Having a plan is critical, as the saying goes: failing to plan is planning to fail. My plan is a fairly simple one, I have a budget amount of time that I try to spend studying each day, and I have the tests scheduled out with a three week interval in between them. I fit this study time into my days however I can, usually in the evenings when I can find the time. I am currently well on my way to studying the for the Network+ exam, I have taken multiple practice exams and I am working on me weakest areas until they are all high enough to pass. Once I take the Network+ exam I will immediately shift to studying for Security+. One of the domains of Network+ is network security, so some of the material will already be covered. I have found out that I still have access to my Testout Security Pro online materials, which includes plenty of study and practice exam materials.

Today I am going to take a look at my personal professional IT strengths, look at my goals, and then see how well they align. To start, my IT strengths: Adaptable programmer. I've programmed in a variety of languages from C# to Java and PHP, and I've never felt like there was a problem that I couldn't overcome. Picking up new languages is not difficult for me. I've dabbled in graphics with the XNA development kit. Full stack web development, although not my focus, is something that I feel capable of doing. Security focused. I like to think that I have a fairly decent understanding of the mechanics, advantages, and limitations of the various security implementations out there. Group focused. Working well with groups is a critical part of getting things done, so my ability to be flexible when working with others will come in very handy. Detail oriented. Figuring out the finer details can often make or break a project, especially in one in the sensitive area of sec...

The second week has gone by, and I am gearing up in order to be prepared for what will be my first CompTIA exam. I have the books on hand, some other online study materials, and the TotalTester test banks for both exams. As mentioned previously, my project is to study for and take both the CompTIA Network+ and Security+ exams. Both exams have a maximum of 90 questions and give you 90 minutes to take them. A passing score is 720 out of 900 points. Network+ covers 5 domains: Network Architecture Network Operations Network Security Troubleshooting Industrial Standards, Practices, and Network Theory Security+ has 6 domains: Network Security Compliance and Operational Security Threats and Vulnerabilities Application, Data and Host Security Access Control and Identity Management Cryptography I have given myself 4 weeks to complete the Network+ exam and then 3 weeks to complete Security+.

As a member of the 2018 BASIS cohort at Olympic College, it is up to each individual student to determine what their senior project will be (pending faculty approval, of course). This final course, IS490 Senior Project, should reflect something that highlights the focus or interest of my academic career. I'm very interested in all matters related to cyber-security, but I also think that it is important to understand more of the nuts and bolts associated with many other aspects of computers and networks. With this in mind I have decided to study for and take the CompTIA Network+ and Security+ certification exams. I will take the Network+ exam first because it is more general and does have a domain called 'network security'. The actual Security+ certification goes into much more detail in this specific field. At the end of this class I expect to have both certifications in hand, and to be able to present my journey to the class to show everyone how it works, how much wo...