This area of I.T. is possibly one of the most sweeping and comprehensive there is. With so many complex skills to learn, a certain amount of specialisation is really the only practical answer. The principle systems contributors in this market are Microsoft & Cisco. The actual Network and Server software is produced by MS, whilst Cisco are mostly concerned with routers and data switches, that is the Network hard-ware. Both companies have moved seriously into security over the last several years, through economic necessity. Additionally in this field we're seeing the substantial development of wireless-networking. Even though Digital Forensics and 'Ethical Hacking' have fingers in all of these areas, they are also professions by themselves, and need substantial training and experience to become completely effective.

Computer (or Digital) 'Forensics' is comparatively new to the picture - Television shows like Crime Scene Investigation might have familiarised us with the term. Obviously though the actual work in the real world will not be quite so stylised as the programmes might have us think! But for many, it provides a highly interesting and satisfying role in technology-based investigation. The work entails gathering and interpreting 'digital footprints' that can be used for data-recovery or legal enquiries.

Along with Security and Digital Forensics the somewhat new field of 'Ethical Hacking' is developing. These are qualifications provided by the EC-Council which teach more advanced students the dark principles of 'hacking' - but with the objective of employing these competencies to protect and raise the security of a system, instead of harming it.

You'll find broader alternatives beyond Cisco and Microsoft to become accredited in each of these disciplines. Indeed, several highly respected establishments have become essential players now where certification is involved. The need for grasping converging technologies and inter connectivity in networks has become firmly accepted. Networking is in fact undergoing some important paradigm-shifts at the moment; both in processing terms and in data storage, with internet based computing gaining presence and 'green I.T.' growing to be more and more relevant. From a commercial viewpoint, greener engineering has to be built to be more cost effective, in addition to being more gentle towards the planet. The actual processing-power in modern computers is lower, which means there's less heat to cool down. Both of these together vastly lower the fuel bill, & therefore impact upon a business' bottom line -- particularly in data centres & high-volume processing departments.

CompTIA (the Computing Technology Industry Association) is a global concern that currently provides many of the most highly regarded vendor-neutral accreditation tracks on the market. Organisations such as 'ISC2' supply security qualifications, and 'CWNP' offer specialised wireless-networking paths. Most conspicuously not surprisingly are Cisco and Microsoft themselves, both with their very own certification tracks. Mainly because of the scope & number of qualification paths to be had in this field, it is a good idea to talk through this kind of career change with an experienced advisor. Without having personally-tailored advice you could potentially head off in the wrong-direction & squander considerable time and/or money.

There are a variety of specialist MCSE's from MS, that cater for subjects such as Messaging or Security if that is the direction you need. It might be that CompTIA Security+ meets your needs, in order to move onto the CISSP - 'Certified Information Systems Security Professional'. 'CISSP' applicants have to have significant professional working experience, so make sure you investigate this thoroughly. As always, we recommend that you speak with a knowledgeable IT training advisor in order to avoid any kind of 'mishaps'.

For a lot of people taking a look at getting into IT as a career, basic networking is the starting point. Practically nothing else will make sense until you have a grasp of how computers run & link to one another. Assuming at least a basic level of IT literacy, (see the general Computer/IT Training web-pages if not,) the starting place is nearly always the CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Network+ . They're covered within the 'CompTIA' pages on this web site.

Progressing from this level is often the domain of the MS 'MCSA'/'MCSE' or perhaps the Cisco CCNA/CCNP, subject to whether you're pursuing the hardware or software end of things. Even so, an in depth understanding of Microsoft's operating-systems is highly beneficial as they're such a key element of most networking environments. You can find further certification details on this web site in the specific MS & Cisco pages.

Another option would be to carry on with CompTIA accreditations such as Security+, Linux+ or Server+ and stay 'vendor-neutral', or perhaps take the 'CWNP' or 'CWNA' and become a specialist in wire-less technology.

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