For more info on a specific newsletter, click the title. Details will be displayed in a new window.
Subscribe to
Computerworld 40 years of the most authoritative source of news and information for IT leaders.
Microsoft to introduce security certifications
or
Other Security Stories
|
|
|
|
June 02, 2003 (Computerworld) -- Microsoft Corp. tomorrow will announce its first set of certification credentials for IT administrators and engineers who specialize in security in a Windows environment.
Dan Truax, director of business and product strategy for training and certification at Microsoft, noted that the company has offered security courses for years. But he said Microsoft decided to take the extra step of creating a formal credential in recognition of the number of customers that now specialize in that type of job.
The announcement of the new certifications is scheduled to be made during a keynote address by Scott Charney, Microsoft's chief security strategist, at the company's TechEd 2003 conference in Dallas.
The more rigorous of the two certifications being introduced is the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE): Security on Microsoft Windows 2000. To achieve that status, an engineer must pass six core exams and demonstrate a "security specialty" by taking a test on Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2000 or an exam administered by the Computing Technology Industry Association, better known as CompTIA.
The requirements are essentially the same as for an ordinary MCSE certification, except the security candidate has to take the core security design exam and a security implementation exam that Microsoft introduced in January, along with the ISA Server or CompTIA exam.
The other new certification—Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA): Security on Microsoft Windows 2000—requires the four exams needed for a typical MCSA certification, plus one additional exam. One core exam on the client operating system and two on networking systems are mandated along with the security implementation exam and either the ISA Server or CompTIA exam.
Certifications aren't yet available for Windows Server 2003, but they're expected to become available later this year, according to Truax.
Truax said Microsoft was first approached last summer about creating a special security credential. Customers and partners subsequently advised the company not to create credentials similar to any that already exist in the industry, but rather to focus on offering a certification specific to the Microsoft software environment, he said. "Our goal was to complement what exists in the industry, not to compete with it," Truax said.
How important the new certifications will be to IT shops is unclear. Charles Emery, senior vice president and CIO at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey in Newark, said he views the new Microsoft programs as positive for the industry. But he also noted that Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield doesn't use certifications as hiring criteria, because it has often found that certification holders have no practical experience.
Mike Lines, an Indianapolis-based manager of technical integration at Bell Industries Tech.logix Group, said that as a provider of outsourced IT services, his company requires all of its engineers to carry the MCSE credential. Lines said he definitely will have a couple of engineers take the new security certification exams.
But one certified Microsoft trainer, who asked not to be identified, said it's difficult for any vendor to develop a security curriculum for its own products. He said third parties, such as the SANS Institute, tend to take a more critical and thorough approach.
 |
|
|
|
Print this Story |
|
Send Us Feedback |
|
E-mail this Story |
|
Digg this Story |
|
Slashdot this Story |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
All Zones Application Performance Zone Enterprise-Class Security Zone Enterprise Solutions Zone The File Data Management Zone Grid Computing on Windows Zone Security Management Zone ITIL Best Practices Zone The SAS Zone Storage Virtualization Zone The Data Center Management Zone |
 See your link here
|
 |
||||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
|
Long Tail Supplier Collaboration - What's In It For You? 
Download this Executive Bulletin (a $49.95 value) for free, compliments of MessageLabs.
Get this white paper now!
Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services.
- Tools circulate that crack Debian, Ubuntu keys
- Former Microsoft manager offers free fix for XP SP3 'endless reboot'
- Can Icahn take on the Yahoo board and win?
- More top stories
Security Management ZoneSecurity management is the process of developing a comprehensive data protection plan. It takes into account all potential threats, the existing network environment, the future needs of the organization, and lays out a multi-tiered blueprint to integrate the security technology needed to combat these threats. CDW can help keep your network and data secure. Visit the CDW Security Management Zone now See All Zones
|
 Fired up about IT? Join Sharkbait and share your true tales of IT. SharkBait is the place for you to sound off about everything IT – the good, the bad, and the rest of the weird stuff you deal with every day.New baits 
|
"Security Directions" virtual trade show2008's Code-Red Security Issues for Protecting the EnterpriseWebcasts, white papers, demos, and more. Presented in a unique 3-d environment. Enter our show right now! Click here to enter
|
 In SecurityThere's plenty of talk about how to behave during a Customs search of your computer and gear, but Jon Espenschied's got tips for securing your data (and privacy) before you reach the border. Click here to read the latest column by Jon Espenschied |
 |
 |
Layered Security Solutions
Although basic network security issues have changed very little over the past decade, the
network security landscape has changed dramatically. Today's IT professionals still have the
primary responsibility of protecting the confidentiality of corporate information, preventing
unauthorized access, and defending the network against attacks. Security experts and analysts agree that a security solution comprised of multiple layers is the best defense against today's increasingly sophisticated attacks.Download this white paper
|
Universal Threat Management - Because Conventional UTM is Not Enough!
This white paper, written by Mark Bouchard of Missing Link Security Services, examines the challenges confronting today's enterprises with respect to managing threats on a network. It also discusses the need for "Universal Threat Management", which is a security solution approach for all physical locations within an enterprise that require threat protection.Download this white paper |
Selecting the Right Threat Management Solution
This short demo will guide you through key considerations for selecting a solution to manage threats on a network. Learn about the popularity of Unified Threat Management (UTM), and how it fits into an overall security solution. Explore critical elements of a network-wide solution for multisite and large network-size deployments and identify the four key features of a threat management solution.View this demo
|
CIO
Computerworld
CSO
DEMO
GamePro
Games.net
IDG Connect
IDG World Expo
Infoworld
The Industry Standard
ITworld
JavaWorld
LinuxWorld
MacUser
Macworld
Network World
PC World
Playlist
Copyright © 2008 Computerworld Inc. All
rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium
without express written permission of Computerworld Inc. is prohibited.
Computerworld and Computerworld.com and the respective logos are
trademarks of International Data Group Inc.
|
