Network+ and Security+ Blog Links

I created an easy to navigate page of Security+ blog links last week and in response to requests, I've completed a similar page for Network+ blog links.

• Security+ Blog Links. This page includes links to posts about the Security+ exam, multiple free practice test questions, and various topics such as risk, authentication, cryptography, networking, and attacks.
• Network+ Blog Links. This page includes links to posts about the Network+ exam, multiple free practice test questions, command line tools, hardware tools, wireless topics, and more.

Career Advice for Elvis

I frequently receive emails from readers asking for career advice. Most of these are related to my technical certification blogs and books and I do my best to answer every email I receive.

Recently, I received a lengthy email from a 24 year old reader in Bosnia asking for career advice. He identified himself as Elvis which I've since learned is a rather popular name in Bosnia. While his background is different than many other people, his questions are similar.

• "What should I do next?"
• "What should I actually pursue?"

Despite having a B.A. and being able to speak multiple languages (Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian, English, German, and Spanish), he hasn't had much luck finding a job or finding a path out of his country. His cousin gave him a copy of the CompTIA A+ Training Kit (Exam 220-801 and Exam 220-802) and he plans on getting the A+ certification, then Network+, and then other IT-related certifications with the hope that these will help him get a job and possibly emigrate to Germany.

Perhaps they will.

But what he should do next? What should he actually pursue?

My answers to readers aren't always very lengthy but something inspired me to give Elvis a more complete answer. After writing it, I realized that the same answer can apply to just about anyone no matter where they live so I've included it here.

========================================
Hi Elvis,

The best recommendation I can give you is to look inside yourself and ask what you really want to be doing five years from now (or even a year from now).

Try this.

Sit down and imagine yourself five years in the future. You look around at all you've achieved and accomplished and you decide to write out a list of everything that you're grateful for in your life.

Write the date (five years from today) at the top of the page and then start your list. Start each sentence with:

• I am grateful .....

And then finish the sentence with something that you are grateful for.

Dream big. Don't limit yourself and don't let your current situation affect you. Imagine that your friends, family, and the Universe all conspired to help you on your path and you've enjoyed fabulous success pursuing your dreams.

Be as specific as possible. For example, instead of listing something like "I am grateful I have a job" list the actual job that would give you the most joy. For example, you might list "I am grateful I am a system administrator in a large data center."

Make sure you include exactly what you want, not what you don't want. For example, you might include "I am grateful I am living in Saxony, Germany." You should not list something like "I am grateful I am not living in Bosnia." If any statement includes the word "not" in it, change it.

Include at least one item indicating your gratitude for being able to help others with something specific. It could be gratitude that you've been able to donate a specific amount of money or time to a cause. You might indicate your gratitude for being able to create a specific product or service that has helped others. It could be something that you've been able to do that has provided joy or happiness to others.Don't skip this step.You'll find that the Universe is much more willing to help you when you're willing to help others.

Don't stop until you have at least ten items in your list. More is better.

I included a similar exercise in my book "You Can Do Anything - Three Simple Steps to Success for Graduates." It's a simple exercise but can be very powerful if you put your energy into it.

Once you've completed your list, identify one of the items that you consider important or appealing to you and create a goal to do it.

Write out your goal starting with "I will...". Next include exactly what you want such as "have a rewarding job as a systems administrator in a large data center." Next, add a date and time such as "by midnight April 5th, 2018." Last include the phrase "or something better" to ensure you are open to something better. For example, instead of being a systems administrator in a large data center you might actually be more suited to owning and running the data center and by including "or something better" you remain open to other possibilities that are better for you.

Your goal might look like "I will have a rewarding job as a systems administrator in a large data center, or something better, by midnight April 5th, 2018."

You don't have to know how you'll achieve this goal right now. You only need to know that you want to. If you take the time to write out your goal and keep it at the forefront of your mind, you'll figure out how.

There are many ways you can keep the goal at the forefront of your mind and find inspiration to accomplish it. A simple method is to simply read your written goal every day.

Good luck.

Darril Gibson

========================================

The next time someone asks you "What should I do next?" or "What should I actually pursue?" consider giving them this answer. It will help them find the answer from within themselves.

Security+ Blog Links

I've been posting blogs on the Security+ SY0-301 exam almost since it was released and this page provides a listing of most of those blogs organized by topic. You can also get a listing of all blogs listed in the Security+ category by clicking on the Security+ menu link, or search for blogs with specific keywords using the Search feature. You can also join the conversation on the Get Certified Get Ahead Facebookpage.

Resources

• CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-301 Study Guide
• Excerpt of CompTIA Security+ Get Certified Get Ahead Study Guide
• Security+ Audio Files Now Available
• Kindle Version of Security+ Study Guide Now Available
• Security+ Practice Test Questions for Your Mobile Phone
• SY0-301 Security+ Study Guide on Amazon

Pass the Security+ exam the first time you take it: CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-301 Study Guide

General Topics

• You Can Pass the Security+ Certification
• CompTIA Performance Based Testing
• Security+ and Performance Based Questions
• CompTIA Testing Changes
• Security+ CE Requirements
• Security+ SY0-201 and SY0-301 Differences

Security+ Practice Test Questions

• Security+ and Performance Based Questions
• Practice test question posted on 3/27/13. Also posted on Facebook.
• Practice Test Questions for Objective 3.2
• Practice Test Questions for Objective 2.1
• Practice Test Questions for Objective 1.4
• Free Security+ Practice Test Questions (Set 2) 
• Free Security+ Practice Test Questions  
• Security+ SY0-301 Practice Test Questions
• Security+ Practice Test Question Hardware Device

Over 275 Realistic Practice Test Questions with full explanations. CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead- SY0-301 Practice Test Questions Pass the Security+ exam the first time you take it.

Risk

• Risk Management
• Hot, Cold, and Warm Sites
• Understanding Risk in Security+

Authentication

• Three Factors of Authentication and Multifactor Authentication
• Identification, Authentication, and Authorization
• Single Sign-On (SSO) and Federated Identity Management
• CAC, PIV, and Smart Card
• Understanding Password History 

Cryptography

• Certificate, Certificate Revocation List, and Certificate Authority
• Understanding the HTTPS Process for Security+ 
• Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability – Security Triad
• Security+ Cryptography Topics
• Understanding a Digital Signature 

Realistic practice test questions for the Security+ SY0-301 exam Available through LearnZapp on your mobile phone

Networking Topics

• Security+ Ports
• Ports for Network+, Security+, and SSCP Exams
• Protocol IDs  for Security+ and SSCP Exams
• Intrusion Detection Systems and Intrusion Prevention Systems
• TPM and HSM Hardware Encryption Devices
• DNAT and Security+
• Load Balancing and Session Affinity for Network+ and Security+ 
• Disable SSID Broadcast or Not?
• Understanding Ports in Security+

Attacks

• Smurf Attacks
• DoS, Smurf, and Fraggle Attacks
• Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) 
• Identifying Malware Threats
• Phishing, Spear Phishing, and Whaling
• Rogueware, Scareware, and Ransomware

Learn by listening  Key points from the CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead: SY0-301 Study Guide Over one hour and 20 minutes of audio from the "Remember This" blocks Over three hours and 20 minutes of questions and answers on audio

Jobs

• Security Specialists Needed
• Possibilities in the World of Security+

Get Certified Get Ahead Now on Facebook

In response to some recommendations I've received from readers, I started a Get Certified Get Ahead page on Facebook. You can view it here: https://www.facebook.com/GetCertifiedGetAhead. I'll be posting free practice test questions here regularly and will be answering reader questions and queries. My current plan is to post questions on A+, Network+, and Security+ topics. There already a few practice test questions posted there.

 It's new, but I love the interaction that is possible through Facebook. I'll have the ability to provide assistance directly to people that post queries, while also providing the same information to anyone else that just wants to visit and view the answers.

 If you have a moment, check it out. Feel free to post me a note about what you'd like to see me post on this page.I'd love to hear from you.

New Mobile Apps for A+

Learnzapp has been producing outstanding mobile apps with practice test questions for awhile now. For people that enjoy studying while on the go, these apps provide them with an easy to use tool where they can squeeze in some study just about any time they have a spare moment.

They have released some new mobile apps with practice test questions and are improving the platform for some existing apps. They've added apps for A+ practice test questions (both the 801 and 802 exams) and have made some changes to Network+ and Security+ apps. The changes include implementing recommendations they've received by users, improving the performance of the apps, and making the user interface more fluid.

The following apps have been launched on Apple iTunes and are available for Apple devices such as Apple iPhones and iPads. If you search the Apple App Store with "LearnZapp" you'll find the following new selections are now available:

• CompTIA A+ 220-801
• CompTIA A+ 220-802
• CompTIA A+ Bundle (801 and 802)
• CompTIA Value Pack (801, 802, Security+ and Network+)

Other apps that have been upgraded with the new platform are:

• CompTIA Security+
• CompTIA Network+
• CompTIA Bundle (Security+ and Network+)

All of these apps will also be available on Google Play for Android devices within the next two weeks.

Network+ and Wireless Encryption

If you're preparing for the Network+ SY0-301 exam, you probably realize that a good chunk of it covers wireless topics including wireless encryption. More specifically, two specific objectives address wireless encryption directly:

• 2.4 Given a scenario, troubleshoot common wireless problems. (This objective includes "Encryption type".)
• 5.1 Given a scenario, implement appropriate wireless security measures. (This objective includes "Encryption protocols: WEP, WPA, WPA2, and WPA Enterprise".)

Network+ Practice Test Questions

Here are a couple of practice test questions you can use to check your knowledge:

Q1. Of the following choices, what provides the most security for a wireless network?
A. WEP
B. WPA
C. WPA2
D. WPA2 Enterprise

Q2. Of the following choices, what provides the most security for a wireless network that doesn’t have access to a RADIUS server?

A. WEP
B. WPA
C. WPA2
D. WPA2 Enterprise

Q3. Attackers have recently hacked into a small business owner’s wireless network and you are asked to help him secure it. Of the following choices, what provides the best security?

A. WEP
B. WPA
C. Disabling SSID broadcast
D. Selecting alternate channels

Over 275 realistic practice test questions available in the

CompTIA Network+ N10-005: Practice Test Questions (Get Certified Get Ahead) Kindle book.

Only $9.99 . Free Kindle apps available for any platform.

WEP

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) was the original security protocol used to secure wireless networks. As the name implies, the goal was to provide the same level of privacy and security within a wireless network as you’d have in a wired network. Unfortunately, WEP has significant vulnerabilities, and attackers have many tools they can use to break into WEP-protected networks. WEP was officially deprecated in 2004 and is not recommended for use. WPA was identified as an interim replacement and WPA2 is a permanent replacement.

WEP uses a key that is similar to a password or passphrase. Each device in the wireless network is configured with same key.

WPA

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) was an intermediate replacement for WEP. It provided a significant increase in security over WEP without requiring users to upgrade their hardware. WPA was never meant to be a permanent replacement for WEP, but instead was intended to provide a temporary replacement while developers created a permanent solution with WPA2.

WPA originally used a stream encryption technique with Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP). TKIP provides several improvements for WPA over WEP. A benefit of WPA with TKIP is that it can be used on the same hardware used by WEP.  It requires different software or firmware upgrades, but the hardware doesn't need to be replaced. Unfortunately, WPA with TKIP was ultimately cracked too.

Later, WPA was modified so that it could use  Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) instead of TKIP. AES is a very strong and efficient encryption algorithm and it is recommended for use in many implementations. Several people have been successful at cracking WPA with TKIP, so whenever possible, it’s best to upgrade WPA to WPA2, or at least use WPA with AES instead of TKIP.

WPA (also known as WPA Personal) uses a password or passphrase sometimes referred to as a pre-shared key (PSK). All devices in the wireless network must be configured with the same PSK.

WPA2

Hardware in most systems today supports Wi-Fi Protected Access v2 (WPA2). It is the permanent replacement for WEP and WPA but it is not supported on legacy hardware designed for WEP. WPA2 (also known as IEEE 802.11i) uses stronger cryptography than both WEP and WPA and the Wi-Fi Alliance requires all devices carrying its WI-FI CERTIFIED logo to meet WPA2 standards.

Just as WPA uses a PSK, WPA2 uses a PSK and all devices in the wireless network need to have the same PSK. When a PSK is used with WPA2 it is known as WPA2 Personal.

Join the conversation and get more practice test questions on
The Get Certified Get Ahead Facebook Page

Personal and Enterprise Modes

Both WPA and WPA2 operate in either Personal or Enterprise modes. Most home and small business networks use Personal mode while some larger organizations use Enterprise mode.

As mentioned previously, Personal mode uses a passphrase or PSK and is rather simple to implement. You enter the PSK on the WAP and enter the same PSK on each of the wireless devices in the network. In this way, anyone with the PSK can access the wireless network. WPA-PSK or WPA2-PSK both indicate Personal mode.

Enterprise mode provides additional security by adding an authentication server and requiring each user to authenticate through this server. Authentication requires all users to prove their identities and a common way authentication is accomplished is with a username and password.

The authentication server is a separate RADIUS server or an 802.1x server which is configured separately from the access point. After the RADIUS server is configured, you can configure the access point to use Enterprise mode and include details related to the RADIUS server. You’ll commonly enter the IP address of the RADIUS server, the port it is using, and a shared secret that has been preconfigured on the RADIUS server.

Once Enterprise mode is configured properly, users will be challenged to authenticate before they are granted access to the wireless network. The user’s credentials are passed to the RADIUS server and the RADIUS server has access to a database of the user’s credentials used for comparison. If the user provides the correct credentials, the user is granted access. If the credentials are incorrect, the user is blocked from accessing the wireless network.

Enterprise mode is more advanced than most home networks need but many larger organizations use it. It prevents anonymous access to a network and is effective at liming unauthorized access. Similarly, some hotels use pay-as-you-go Wi-Fi access. For example, many hotels provide wireless access for $20 per day. When you attempt to access the wireless network you are challenged to enter a username and password. This is often as simple as entering your room number and your last name. The RADIUS checks the database to verify your room number is associated with your last name and you are granted access.

It’s important to recognize that Enterprise mode provides the strongest level of security for a wireless network. A combination of both a security protocol such as WPA2 and an authentication server significantly reduces the chance of unauthorized personnel accessing a wireless network. Even WPA Enterprise using AES provides stronger security than WPA2 Personal using only a PSK.

Realistic practice test questions for the Network+ N10-005 exam

Available through LearnZapp on your mobile phone

Answer to Practice Test Question 1

Q1. Of the following choices, what provides the most security for a wireless network?

A. WEP
B. WPA
C. WPA2
D. WPA2 Enterprise

Q1 Answer. D is correct.

Wi-Fi Protected Access v2 (WPA2) Enterprise mode provides greatest amount of security for a wireless network. It adds in an authentication server such as a Remote Authentication Dial-in User Service (RADIUS) server.

WEP provides the least amount of security for a wireless network and is not recommended for use. WEP was temporarily replaced with WPA and WPA2 which provide progressively more security.

WPA and WPA2 are also known as WPA Personal and WPA2 Personal and each use a preshared key or passphrase instead of an authentication server.

Answer to Practice Test Question 2

Q2. Of the following choices, what provides the most security for a wireless network that doesn’t have access to a RADIUS server?

A. WEP
B. WPA
C. WPA2
D. WPA2 Enterprise

Q2 Answer. C is correct.

Wi-Fi Protected Access v2 (WPA2) provides the most security when compared to WEP and WPA.

If a Remote Authentication Dial-in User Service (RADIUS) server was used, you could implement WPA2 Enterprise mode which is even stronger but the question states that a RADIUS server is not available.

Answer to Practice Test Question 3

Q3. Attackers have recently hacked into a small business owner’s wireless network and you are asked to help him secure it. Of the following choices, what provides the best security?

A. WEP
B. WPA
C. Disabling SSID broadcast
D. Selecting alternate channels

Q3 Answer. B is correct.

Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) provides the best security of the given choices and WPA2 (not a possible choice) is even better.

WEP is cracked and not recommended for use.

Disabling SSID broadcast hides the wireless network and provides minimal security because attackers can still detect the SSID with a wireless sniffer.

Selecting an alternate channel is effective if there is interference but it doesn’t add to security.

CASP Now Approved for DoD 8570

The CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP) certification is a newer certification from CompTIA that is starting to get more attention. It was recently approved as one of the certifications by Department of Defense (DoD) and is listed on the same level as the CISSP certification in some categories.

 I have written about the (CASP) certification in the past in these blogs:

• General information about CASP
• CASP Beta Exam
• CASP Sample Questions

Where Does CASP Fit In?

A common question that many people ask is "Where does the CASP fit in when compared to other security certifications. The following list includes some common security certifications from easiest to most difficult:

• Microsoft Security Fundamentals
• CompTIA Security+
• ISC2 SSCP
• CompTIA CASP
• ISC2 CISSP

There are other certifications but these are some that are commonly pursued by many individuals.

It's easier to understand how the CASP fits into the DoD certifications if you understand the basics of the certification levels. The following topics explain the DoD IT hierarchy, shows how different certifications fit into different levels.

DoD Approved 8570 Baseline Certifications

As an extension of Appendix 3 to the DoD 8570.01-Manual, several certifications have been approved as Information Assurance (IA) baseline certifications for the IA Workforce. Personnel performing IA functions must obtain one of the certifications required for their position category or specialty and level.

This page provides a listing of the specific certifications required at each level, but here's a short summary.

DoD Information Technology Hierarchy

The DoD IT hierarchy is divided into three general levels (Level I, Level II, and Level III) and each of the IA levels are related to one of these levels.

Level I

Level I is the basic computing environment and often referred to as a local computing environment. In general, this refers to desktop and laptop computers and hand held computing devices. A computing environment may have one or more servers.

Level II

Level II is the networking environment. It can include an operations network, a logistics network, and a human resources network.   Level II networks are connected to Level I computing environments.

Level III

Level III refers to an enclave environment. It consists of two or more networks controlled by enclave security policies and procedures. A Level III enclave environment is connected to one or more Level II network environments.

Information Assurance Technical (IAT)

In general, IAT positions include anyone that require privileged access to a DoD information system Computing, Network, or Enclave environment. For example, anyone requiring administrative access for a system fits into this category. IAT Level I

• A+
• Network+
• SSCP

IAT Level II

• GSEC
• Security+
• SSCP

IAT Level III

• CISA
• GCIH
• CISSP
• CASP

Information Assurance Management (IAM)

In general, IAM positions include anyone that has responsibility for managing information system security for a DoD Information System Computing, Network, or Enclave environment.

IAM Level I

• CAP
• GSLC
• Security+

IAM Level II

• CAP
• GSLC
• CISM
• CASP
• CISSP

IAM Level III

• GSLC
• CISM
• CISSP

Information Assurance System Architect and Engineer (IASAE)

In general, IASAE positions include anyone that has responsibility for the design, development, implementation, and/or integration of a DoD IA architecture, system, or system component for a DoD Information System Computing, Network, or Enclave environment?

IASAE Level I

• CASP
• CISSP

IASAE Level II

• CASP
• CISSP

IASAE Level III

• CISSP - ISSEP
• CISSP - ISSAP

Summary

The CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP) certification is now approved for certain DoD levels. Because of this, you can expect to see this certification to get more recognition and respect going forward. In some cases, this is on the same level as the CISSP certification.