This area of I.T. is perhaps just about the most sweeping & extensive there is. Because there are so many complicated skill sets to learn, a certain amount of specialist training is really the only logical answer. Both Cisco & Microsoft create systems for this market. MS produce Network & Server Software, whilst Cisco focus largely on the hardware side of networking: Routers, data-switches, controllers and so forth. It has become financially and economically essential for both MS and Cisco to get into Security during the last decade. We should also note the greater commercial use of WiFi today, which is basically wireless-connections & hard-ware. Although Digital Forensics and Ethical Hacking have feet in all these areas, they are also professions by themselves, and demand considerable instruction and real-life experience to become thoroughly effective.

If you are mainly interested in 'Messaging' or Security, then Microsoft have speciality MCSEs available to address these areas. It could be the CompTIA Security+ would be best for you, in order to lead onto the CISSP - 'Certified Information Systems Security Professional'. There are stringent 'experience' specifications for the 'CISSP', & these need talking about and understanding prior to deciding to go down this particular path. As always, we recommend a discussion with a skilled industry advisor in order to avoid any kind of mishaps.

Computer (or Digital) 'Forensics' is reasonably new on the scene - Television programmes like 'Crime Scene Investigation' may have made us aware of it. Clearly though the job in the real world won't be quite so stylised as the TV shows would have us believe! But for many, it provides a highly interesting and satisfying career in technology-based investigation. A Digital Forensics expert will trace and explain 'digital artefacts' that are frequently used to solve criminal offences.

Located in a related arena to Digital Forensics & I.T. Security is Ethical Hacking - which is another somewhat new discipline to control criminal offences. These are qualifications supplied through the EC Council which teach more advanced candidates the darker concepts of 'hacking' - but with the intention of using these competencies to safeguard and raise the security within a system, instead of harming it.

Qualifications in this marketplace are not restricted just Cisco and Microsoft themselves. In actual fact, there's a wide range of accreditation that's offered by very well regarded independent institutions - & this has grown to be increasingly significant. The understanding of network interface-connectivity between and within networks is becoming increasingly more important. Networking is in fact under-going some key paradigm-shifts at the moment; particularly the move toward Cloud or Internet based computing (regarding storage of data, and also actual processing-power), and the attitude change toward 'green' IT. From a financial perspective, greener technology must be built to be a lot more cost effective, in addition to being more gentle towards the environment. Lower-power processors and computer systems generate less heat, which means less cooling is needed. Businesses with massive networks of computers can bring down their electricity costs considerably with 'greener' & much more efficient PC's.

To many people taking a look at getting into I.T. as a career, basic-networking is the starting-point. Until you understand just how a Computer functions & 'communicates' with other PCs, the rest is simply nonsense. Providing you have good user skills, you will find packages that include 'CompTIA's A+' and Network+ will provide you with an excellent grounding to begin your career. Examples of these are included within the CompTIA section on this site.

Progressing from here you might consider the MS MCSA or MCSE or the Cisco CCNA/CCNP, subject to whether you're more interested in the 'hardware' or 'software' side of the equation. However, it has to be stated that a thorough understanding of Microsoft network systems is virtually a necessity for most network environments, simply because of Microsoft's penetration in this field. For more details, you'll come across details about each qualification on the Cisco and MS areas of this website.

Equally of course you may choose to fine-tune your Wi-Fi (wireless) skills with certifications such as the 'CWNA' and 'CWNP', or continue down the CompTIA path with Linux+, Server+ or Security+ .

The vendor neutral worldwide organisation 'CompTIA' now delivers perhaps the most recognised and highly-regarded impartial IT certifications. Additional bodies also provide worthy qualifications, for example 'CWNP' ('Certified Wireless Network Professional') and ISC2 (International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium). Most conspicuously of course are Cisco and Microsoft themselves, both with their very own certification paths. Because of the range & quantity of certification tracks on offer in this sector, it is a good idea to talk through this type of career move with a professional advisor. With no personally tailored advice you could head off in a wrong direction and waste considerable money and/or time.

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