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Ace Your Career as an IoT Solutions Architect

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iot solutions architect
iot solutions architect

Wondering how to become an IoT Solutions Architect? Here is the pathway.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a new-world technology that allows physical devices to communicate and share data with each other. Since the beginning of the Internet, it has facilitated humans to connect with each other. The IoT takes things to the next level and connects devices for Machine-to-Machine (M2M) learning.

The IoT technology is practically put into use by the IoT architect who builds applications and deploys them for intelligent hardware devices. To infer, IoT is a rather hardware-intensive technology that allows the creation of smart automated homes, smart healthcare systems, smart agriculture systems, etc.

In this guide, we have discussed how to become an IoT solutions architect, the skills required to become an IoT engineer, the scope, job roles, and salary prospects of an IoT solution architect.

What is an IoT Solutions Architect?

An IoT architect sorts through all the data transmitted between networks from various machines and devices used daily by millions of people across the globe. An IoT solutions architect sorts through all the data transmitted between networks from various machines and devices used daily by millions of people across the globe. He helps organizations solve business problems and design smart IoT solutions. He also creates and communicates various IoT concepts, architecture, and messages.

IoT devices take decisions based on the instructions passed on by an end user over the Internet (cloud) and perform the given action. For the seamless functioning of this whole process, an IoT solutions architect works with three main layers of an IoT infrastructure:

  • The perception layer (sensors, gadgets)
  • The networking layer (this is how devices connect with each other)
  • The application layer (the end user interacts with this layer)

An IoT solutions architect also analyses the data processed by the cloud to make better decisions and improve an IoT infrastructure. In short, he is a professional who can monitor the whole process of building an IoT smart gadget to improve a business’s productivity, and customer satisfaction, and monitor business processes. 

How to Become an IoT Solutions Architect?

It is significant to note that you need to have the right direction to become an IoT solutions architect. To make things easy for you, we have created a step-by-step roadmap that you can follow to break into the IoT infrastructure industry:

Roadmap to Become an IoT Solution Architect

  • Bachelor’s degree:

It is crucial to have a bachelor’s degree in computer science, bachelor’s of computer applications, computer science engineering, or in any related field in IT to showcase your strong basic knowledge in computer science technology.

  • Strong knowledge about hardware devices:

Don’t be misled about this point. Let me explain! Since IoT is a hardware-intensive technology, it is crucial to have good knowledge about sensors and how they work in hardware devices. This is because sensors are the foundation of bringing a desired end output that is expected out of the hardware device.

  • Programming language:

You must know how to code in order to design an interactive user interface. It is beneficial to have knowledge about programming languages such as Ruby, Java, C++, Python, etc. Python is the most preferred programming language as it has many libraries at disposal that are easy to use and iterate.

  • Hardware programming:

As discussed earlier, as the IoT infrastructure deals with physical devices, it is important to acquire knowledge of hardware programming. Through the use of such programming, you can interact with the hardware of the device to make it perform a desired action.

  • Networking and security:

It is recommended to learn about the networking fundamentals and security. It is because the designed IoT architecture has to be made available on thousands of devices and networks when working in a large enterprise. This is when the networking skills come in handy. It is also made sure that the network environment is secure and protected against any data breaches.

Some of the best courses to learn networking are Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+.

  • Cloud computing:

Cloud computing services are quite compatible with the IoT and go hand-in-hand with the technology. Cloud computing helps business organizations to scale their devices, manage their business, and manage costs efficiently. Learning cloud computing will give you an edge over others.

  • Data management:

When dealing with networks and clouds that store/process the data fetched from hardware devices, learning data management practices is important. This is because data plays a crucial role in designing and building data solutions. The data fed to the cloud is then sorted by the IoT solutions architect.

  • Gaining relevant IoT certification:

In order to land a job in the IoT industry, having a relevant and well-renowned certification is a must. Some of the popular IoT certifications include the Microsoft Certified Azure IoT Developer Specialty, AWS Internet of Things foundation series course.

  • Add a relevant portfolio project:

By working on a hands-on project related to IoT, you can add weightage to your resume. Some of the best projects you can build as an aspiring IoT architect include home automation systems, smart healthcare systems, etc.

What are the required solutions architect skills?

As a refined IoT solutions architect, an individual must possess the following skills to become an asset to a business organization:

  • Programming language: Familiarity with programming languages such as Python, Java, Ruby, etc.
  • IoT management: He must have a strong knowledge of IoT governance and management practices including processes, standards, policies, and metrics to implement an IoT architecture process.
  • Communication and leadership skills: Along with good technical and programming skills, it is essential to have exceptional communication skills and leadership qualities to interact with stakeholders and the IoT engineer team.
  • Decision-making: He must be good at taking calculated decisions as they directly affect the growth of a business organization’s success.
  • IoT architecture: As an IoT architect, it is crucial to have an in-depth understanding of how sensors of devices work and how the devices are interconnected to each other for data exchange.
  • Networking and security: It is important to have good knowledge of networking concepts such as subnetting, network infrastructure, and how various devices are connected to each other. It also includes knowing how to make the IoT infrastructure quite secure. You must be well-equipped with the cloud concepts of networking.
  • Cloud computing: It is recommended to have good knowledge of cloud such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure. We recommend you choose Microsoft Azure as it is quite compatible with IoT.
  • UI and UX: It is yet another important skill to master when it comes to becoming an architect of the internet of things. An individual must know how to provide seamless user experience.

What are the job prospects for an IoT architect?

You can expect to land the following job roles after gaining an IoT solutions architect certification:

  • IoT solutions architect
  • IoT system engineer
  • IoT integration specialist
  • IoT security consultant
  • IoT network engineer
  • IoT embedded systems engineer
  • IoT business analyst
  • IoT data analyst
  • IoT platform engineer
  • IoT infrastructure specialist
  • IoT cloud engineer
  • IoT product manager
  • IoT software engineer
  • IoT application developer
  • IoT industrial automation engineer
  • IoT machine learning engineer

What is the expected salary of an IoT architect?

The average annual salary of an IoT engineer in India is Rs. 4.0 LPA according to ambitionbox. The salary ranges between Rs. Rs. 1.5 LPA to Rs. 11.0 LPA.

On the other hand, the average salary of an IoT solutions architect in India is Rs. 18.0 LPA. The salary ranges between Rs. 4.0 LPA to Rs. 47.6 LPA, according to ambitionbox.

The salary ranges of an IoT solutions architect in other countries are mentioned below:

  • USA: $90,000 – $150,000 per year
  • UK: £50,000 – £90,000 per year
  • Canada: CAD 80,000 – CAD 130,000 per year
  • Australia: AUD 90,000 – AUD 140,000 per year
  • South Africa: ZAR 400,000 – ZAR 800,000 per year
  • Europe: €70,000 – €110,000 per year
  • New Zealand: NZD 80,000 – NZD 120,000 per year
  • Netherlands: €65,000 – €100,000 per year
  • Brazil: BRL 100,000 – BRL 180,000 per year
  • China: CNY 250,000 – CNY 450,000 per year
  • Japan: JPY 6,000,000 – JPY 10,000,000 per year
  • Korea: KRW 60,000,000 – KRW 100,000,000 per year

Note: The above mentioned salaries are estimated salaries. They can differ based on the varying economic conditions, business organizations, industry standards, etc.

Conclusion

That’s a wrap! The IoT solutions architect and related IoT roles are becoming exceedingly popular these days. Thanks to the advanced IoT technology that has revolutionized the whole world. It has changed the way we perceive the world today.

From allowing humans to connect with each other through the Internet to now enabling physical devices to communicate with each other, IoT technology has created a world that was far unimaginable. Breaking into the industry is the best decision you can make!

By equipping yourself with the right set of certifications and skills, you can start making big bucks in the IoT industry. Start right from the basics and you’ll be good to go.

Top DevOps Interview Questions and Answers

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DevOps Interview Questions
DevOps Interview Questions

DevOps has taken over the IT industry, considered the trendiest job title or revolutionary technology. This has led to an increased demand for DevOps professionals in the industry. Although it’s a difficult task to break in as a DevOps Engineer considering the competitive environment, you can sharpen your skills by going over our guide of the top most-asked DevOps interview questions and answers.

To make it easy for you to prepare, we have divided a bunch of DevOps engineer interview questions for freshers and advanced-level professionals. Without further ado, let’s now begin with the DevOps interview questions and answers.

DevOps interview questions for freshers

1. What is DevOps?

DevOps is a software development methodology that combines development (Dev) and operations (Ops) to increase collaboration, communication and integration between software development and IT service teams. It focuses on automating applications, using agile methodologies, and creating a culture of continuous improvement and feedback-encouraging loops.

2. Explain the basic principles of DevOps.

The basic principles of DevOps are:

  • Collaboration between different teams: To encourage cross-functional teams to work together and share responsibilities.
  • Automating tasks for ease: DevOps improves system efficiency and reduces errors by automating repetitive tasks.
  • Using Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines: Makes sure that all the changes in the code are integrated frequently and deployments are automated for the production environment.
  • Managing Infrastructure as code (IaC): DevOps encourage the scalability of applications by using version-controlled codes and managing infrastructure accordingly.
  • Analysis and Response: With the use of various monitoring and logging tools, the collected data can be analyzed easily. Quick reports could be made to resolve the problems instantly.

3. How does DevOps differ from conventional Waterfall development?

Waterfall

DevOps

The waterfall is an old and traditional method of developing systems. It develops in different stages: requirements, design, development, testing, and deployment.

DevOps is a brand-new approach to developing efficient systems by combining development processes and IT operations. It gives the best results through continuous integration, continuous delivery and continuous testing.

Simple, small-scale software development projects that are quite predictable can be applied to the waterfall development.

DevOps consists of teams combined efforts and automation to work on various developmental tasks of all spectra.

Every phase occurs after the previous phase is completed. There is no feedback provided on the development process.

It allows frequent and quick changes.

4. What are the important elements of a DevOps environment?

Key elements of a DevOps environment include:

    • Version control: Using tools like Git to track and track changes to source code.
    • Configuration management: Automation tools like Ansible, Chef, Terraform are used to automate infrastructure provisioning and configuration.
    • Continuous Integration (CI) server: It automatically builds, tests and integrates code changes.
    • Deployment automation: Application deployment is automated by using tools like Kubernetes, Jenkins, etc.
    • Monitoring and logging: Collects application performance and logs to troubleshoot for efficient application output.

5. How do you handle security in a DevOps world?

Security plays an important role just like quality. With the onset of CI/CD pipelines, changes can be made quickly and can be shipped into the production efficiently. Earlier, security checks were made after the whole application had been completed and before the deployment process. 

But no one has the time to do such an extensive security check as the process could take even 2 weeks for the complete security audit. Therefore, security is kept in check by the following 2 ways:

  • Integrated security check along with code: So, with DevOps, the task of security check is shifted to the developers. Now, security is checked while the code is tested for its functioning. 
  • Build security checks into CI/CD pipelines: During the building process, security scans can be done. This makes sure that there are no credits deployed in the source control system. 

This way, the security is incorporated into the process instead of tackling it later on.

6. What is meant by Continuous Integration (CI)?

Continuous integration is a software development practice where everyone in the engineering team is continuously incorporating small code changes back into the codebase(Source Control Server). After each change that they’re making, there’s a suite of tests that runs automatically that checks the code for any bugs or errors.

6. What is meant by Continuous Integration (CI)?

The above image shows how developers incorporate changes in the codebase as the test is passed.

7. What is Continuous Deployment (CD)?

The following are the stages in a continuous deployment:

  • Build and test: It is also an engineering practice where the changes made in the code by a developer would undergo build and test stages. Once the build activity is done, a code package is generated. The code is now packaged with all the libraries and binaries. 
  • Acceptance testing: It is then sent for acceptance testing.  In this step, the code packages or artifacts are tested with respect to performance, code duplicates, code vulnerabilities, and all the security aspects, etc.
  • Deployment to staging area: Once the code passes the acceptance test, it cannot be directly sent to the production stage. This is why it is sent for deployment in the staging area where it is tested in a local environment.
  • Deployment to production area: Finally, the code package is sent to the production area. Then smoke testing is carried out to check the code functionality. You must note that all these steps of deployment and smoke testing are automated by tools such as Selenium, etc.
Continuous Deployment

8. Explain the concept of Infrastructure as Code (IaC).

  • Earlier, a traditional method of raising a ticket manually was followed to administer infrastructure resources. 
  • However, with the adoption of cloud environments, cloud elasticity has allowed the management of infrastructure through the usage of code to define and administer infrastructure resources. This approach is called Infrastructure as Code (IaC). 
  • IaC allows you to use code to design and deploy infrastructure in place of manually configuring servers, networks and other infrastructure components. 
  • The code is often used in the form of declarative configuration files.
  • This has also allowed the automation of infrastructure deployments.

9. What is containerization in DevOps?

  • Containerization is a method of packaging and deploying applications in a light-weight, portable container consisting of all the important components such as code, libraries, and runtime, to run the application. 
  • Containers allow applications to be easily moved between different environments such as from development to production environment, without worrying about compatibility issues or missing dependencies. 
  • They provide a consistent isolated environment for applications to run. This makes it easier to manage and deploy applications. 
  • Containerization is mostly carried out by using platforms like Docker. This platform provides tools and frameworks for creating, managing and deploying containers. 

10. Name some of the popular DevOps tools.

  • Version Control Systems: Git, SVN
  • Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD): Jenkins, Travis CI, CircleCI
  • Configuration Management: Ansible, Chef, Puppet
  • Monitoring and Logging: Prometheus, ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana)
  • Collaboration and Communication: Slack, Jira, Confluence
  • Infrastructure Provisioning: Terraform, CloudFormation

Containerization and Orchestration: Docker, Kubernetes

DevOps interview questions and answers for experienced professionals

11. How is high availability ensured in DevOps environments?

You can follow the below-mentioned practices to ensure high availability in DevOps environments:

  • Make use of redundancy: By installing and setting up redundant systems, you can reduce points of failure. This can make the whole DevOps environment quite highly available.
  • Disaster recovery planning: Reduce downtime in case of failures by creating backups and deploying recovery strategies.
  • Automate the process of scaling: Scaling is a very important aspect of DevOps when it comes to ensuring high availability. The process can be automated by using tools such as Kubernetes.
  • Monitoring and logging: All the issues related to monitoring and logging can be resolved quickly and efficiently. This could be done by making use of advanced and sophisticated monitoring systems.

12. What is meant by Blue-Green deployment?

You can consider the blue-green deployment as a deployment strategy to avoid any downtime during any deployment. As the name suggests, the “blue” and “green” are two similar production environments. There could only be one production environment active at a time, for example, serving production traffic. 

Whenever the first production environment faces a downtime or any issue, the second production environment takes over and becomes active. 

13. How is configuration management handled in DevOps?

Configuration management is used to manage and keep consistent configurations across diverse environments. The following are some techniques for handling configuration management:

Using configuration management technologies like Puppet, Ansible, and Chef, it is possible to automate the provisioning and configuration of infrastructure resources.

  • (IaC) Infrastructure as Code:

Through the usage of IaC, tools like CloudFormation or Terraform may be used to describe infrastructure configurations in version-controlled files.

  • Disposable servers and containers: 

This implies that new instances are created with the desired configuration whenever a new configuration is necessary. Because of this, a new instance of the infrastructure is created every time an update is done. Business organisations can create a more stable, predictable, and scalable environment by employing this strategy.

14. Mention all the KPIs that are used for estimating success of a success team?

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are the principle factors that can help in measuring the effectiveness of a DevOps software development pipeline and allow us the space to identify shortcomings in the current strategies.

The various KPIs are mentioned below:

Lead time for changes:

  • It is the difference in the time between when a new code is made to when it is built and deployed.
  • This KPI is useful to measure the deployment efficiency of a DevOps team. It also helps to measure expertise of software developers.

Change failure rate:

  • There are often some deployment changes that need urgent attention. The change failure rate indicates those changes.
  • Therefore, it is an important KPI in checking a DevOps team’s code testing efficiency and the code quality.

Deployment frequency:

  • Deployment frequency is a KPI that measures how often a new code is pushed into a production pipeline.
  • Even though a DevOps team deploys code regularly, there could be deployment frequency issues.
  • Deploying on demand and getting constant feedback is a good way to improve deployment frequency.

Mean time to recovery:

  • Whenever a deployed application faces failure/downtime, the time it takes to return to its normal operations is referred to as the mean time to recovery.
  • With the help of monitoring and logging techniques, the root cause of downtime can be identified and thus, mean time to recovery can be reduced.

Customer ticket volume:

  • It is an important KPI to measure how efficient a program is in meeting the needs of the customers.
  • If you receive a high number of customer tickets, it would indicate high customer dissatisfaction.
  • It is important to segment various tickets to resolve them quickly and efficiently.

Defect escape rate:

  • This KPI defines whether the code containing errors/bugs is released into the production pipeline.
  • It is a good measure for gauging if the team is making production enhancements very fast.

Application performance:

  • This KPI measures the working and response of an application during peak and normal operating conditions.
  • A low application performance indicates decrease in demands. It requires intellectual handling and resolution.

Mean time to detection (MTTD):

  • This KPI measures the time period it takes right from a problem occurring in the production pipeline to when it is resolved.
  • This KPI is dependent on other KPIs such as mean time to failure and mean time to recovery.

15. When do Agile and DevOps work together?

DevOps might be seen as Agile’s progressive method or Agile’s missing element, it is an attempt to apply innovations of Agile methodologies to operational procedures. DevOps is also a missing piece in Agile as most of the Agile concepts are only fully fulfilled when DevOps methods are implemented.

For example, Agile documents contain many references to continuous software delivery but since delivery pipelines incorporate operational issues, continuous delivery is often seen as a DevOps strategy that amplifies feedback loops. 

By using Agile and DevOps together, a company’s objectives can be reached quickly and efficiently. Therefore, it is considered a cultural evolution. Agile and DevOps function better together as competitors.

How to Become Cyber Security Expert? A Guide to Success

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how to become cyber security expert
how to become cyber security expert

How to become Cyber Security expert and what does it require to become a cyber security expert? The answer is not as straightforward as you might be thinking. Keep on reading to know the journey to becoming a Cybersecurity Expert/Specialist to understand better.    

With technological advancement, hackers have also evolved their ways of breaking into security systems. There were over 236.1 million ransomware attacks in the first half of 2022, costing over $4.35 million to business organizations.

In fact, global cyber-attacks have increased by 38% in 2022 as compared to the year 2021. This makes it evident that the need for cyber security professionals has increased more than ever. Cyber-attacks have become more sophisticated and advanced. This is why it is crucial to meet the industry demands.

If you’re interested in kickstarting a career in the cyber security space, keep on reading. In this guide, we have discussed the best career options to opt for in the industry. You will also learn which courses are the best for you to put your best foot forward. Along with it, we have also discussed salary prospects and job opportunities.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

What is Cyber Security? Why is there an Increased Demand for Cybersecurity Specialists/Expert?

Cyber security is the practice of keeping computer systems, servers, mobile devices, networks, and personal data secure against malicious digital attacks.

In today’s digital era, everything has shifted to the Internet. Almost every business has its online website, and there is a lot of sensitive information available on the Internet that could be misused by anyone.

Your personal/professional information could be stolen through untrusted Wi-Fi, third-party payment gateways, pop-up ads, etc. An amateur person could easily be tricked by such prompts. Therefore, it is crucial to add a layer of security to the websites.

This is why there is an increased demand for cybersecurity specialists as every business organization is on the hunt for cyber security professionals to cater to their security needs. 

Therefore, being a cyber security expert makes you the most desirable IT professional in the industry. 

Who is a Cyber Security Expert?

It takes a certain amount of skill set to become a cyber security expert. You can consider a cyber security expert as an individual who can formulate the most efficient set of strategies to defend online systems from the most advanced cyber threats.

You become a cyber security expert by making your way up to the advanced-level cyber security certifications such as CompTIA PenTest+, Certified Ethical Hacking (CEHv12), CISSP, CISM, etc. To reach such a high level, you need to have at least a graduate degree in Computer Science. 

By gaining these sophisticated skills, you can become the most in-demand cyber security expert in the industry.

What is the scope of a Cyber Security Expert?

As the cyber-attacks are increasing in number exponentially, the demand for cyber security experts has risen up. This is evident according to a recent report generated by the US US Bureau of Labor Statistics which showed a 31% increase in the employment opportunities for cyber security professionals between 2019 to 2029!

Therefore, the future looks promising and bright. The scope of cyber security experts is discussed below.

  • Entering consultancy roles:

By becoming a cyber security expert, you can give valuable advice on designing security strategies, evaluating security risks and recommending steps to protect systems and data. Therefore, you can formulate security policies and create incident response plans.

  • Penetration testing and vulnerability management:

You become an asset to the business organization by identifying potential entry points into the systems. You do so by simulating real-world cyber attacks to understand weaknesses in the system.

  • Leadership and management roles:

You also explore opportunities to enter leadership and management roles such as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Security Operations Manager, or Security Architect. Such job positions give you an immersive experience in managing teams, overseeing security operations, and formulating security policies.

  • Specializing in emerging technologies:

With the evolution of IT technologies, new cyber security challenges are coming up. By becoming a cyber security expert, you can specialize in advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and cloud computing.

How to become Cyber Security Expert in India: Essential Steps and Resources

A step-by-step guide to become a Cyber Security expert

Cyber security is a very robust IT field that requires constant upskilling as the industry standards keep on changing and evolving. This is why it is important to follow a solid career pathway to becoming a cyber security expert and establish your name in the industry.

How to become Cyber Security Expert from scratch?

There are a certain number of pre-requirements to become a cyber security expert from scratch. These include:

  • Relevant graduate degree: The first step is to pursue a graduate degree in Computer Science or a related field after completing high school.
  • Master’s degree or online course: After graduating, you can either go for a master’s degree dedicated to cyber security or you can enroll in a cyber security course from an accredited online platform.
  • Globally-recognized certifications: You can then start focusing on collecting the right certifications that align with your career goals and interests.
  • Hands-on experience: At the same time, you must be investing in gaining hands-on experience in the cyber security industry. This includes doing internships, and working on cyber security projects.
  • Showcase your work on socials: It is also important to build a strong LinkedIn profile showcasing all the projects you’ve worked on.
  • Get an entry-level job: Voila! You can get your first job in the cyber security industry.

Note: You must focus on constant upskilling after entering the cyber security domain as well. Look out for advanced certifications that suit your career goals.

Choosing the Right Courses and Educational Programs

There are many options available that you can choose to kickstart a career in the cyber security industry. You can consider various options depending upon various factors such as the time you have, the financial limits you have and other constraints such as only opting for online learning.

Some of the available options include:

  • Going to a well-renowned university:

This option is a safe choice when you have no hurry to get a job in the industry. You can opt for a three-four year graduate degree in cyber security from globally-accredited universities. This will give you good exposure to the industry and provide you with the right mentorship that you need.

If you’re already a graduate, you can go for a 2-year master’s program at the university of your choice.

  • Online courses and certifications:

If you’re short on time and you want to quickly start a career in the industry, online courses are the best way to enter the industry. You can do your own research to enroll in an online cyber security program that covers both theoretical and practical knowledge.

Network Kings is one such online platform where you can learn directly from Cyber Security Engineers with over 12 years of experience in the industry. In fact, we are also partners with EC-Council and RedHat!

  • Bootcamps:

Bootcamps are the fastest way to enter into the industry. This is the most popular method to gain traction in the cyber security industry as more and more individuals are coming from non-technical backgrounds. This is, in fact, the fastest way to get a job in the industry.

We do not highly recommend this method but if you’re low on time and financial resources, this is the best way to land entry-level jobs in the cyber security domain.

Top Cyber Security courses to become a Cybersecurity Expert: Building the Foundation for Expertise

It can be a difficult task to break down how to become cyber security expert. On top of that, before we talk about applying for high-level cybersecurity job roles such as Security Analyst, Cyber Security Engineer, etc., it is important to have foundational computer knowledge. 

It is beneficial to have a graduate degree in Computer Science or a related field to enter the cyber security industry with ease. However, if you’re interested in making a career in the cyber security space, there are many online cyber security courses that can help you land a job in this domain without any prior experience/knowledge.

There are many different domains that you can explore in the cyber security space. This is why we have mentioned the various steps on how to become a cyber security expert. The mentioned domains include different responsibilities and tasks that need to be performed. The major domains include the following:

CompTIA Security+: 

This vendor-neutral certification is often considered the entry-level information security certification. If you have no previous background related to cyber security, CompTIA Security+ is considered the stepping stone for entering the cyber security space. You can land entry-level jobs like:

  •  SOC Analyst, 
  • Systems Administrator, 
  • Vulnerability Assessment, 
  • Database Admin, 
  • Information Security Analyst, etc.

Certified Ethical Hacking (CEHv12):

You need to think like a hacker to prevent your systems from getting hacked. This is what’s the underlining motto of this course. You learn to grasp the basics of ethical hacking with a hands-on approach through the CEH course provided by EC-Council. After completing this course, you can work as:

  •  Ethical Hacker, 
  • Vulnerability Assessment Professional, 
  • Cryptography Engineer, etc.

CompTIA PenTest+:

If you further wish to strengthen your knowledge in penetration testing and vulnerability assessment, then the CompTIA PenTest+ certification is the best courseware to make you a master of these technologies. You learn to throw simulated cyber-attacks at systems in order to evaluate system security. You can apply for jobs such as:

  •  Penetration Tester, 
  • Vulnerability Tester, 
  • Security Analyst, 
  • Vulnerability Assessment Analyst, 
  • Network security operations, and 
  • Application security vulnerability.

CompTIA CySA+:

This certification by CompTIA is a high-level certification that focuses on making you a Cybersecurity Analyst. You learn to apply behavioral analytics to prevent and stop upcoming cyber-attacks. You learn to do so by analyzing existing systems’ security levels. After completing this course, you can apply for jobs like:

  •  IT Security Analyst, 
  • Security operations center (SOC) Analyst, 
  • Vulnerability Analyst, 
  • Cybersecurity Specialist, 
  • Threat Intelligence Analyst, 
  • Security Engineer, 
  • Cybersecurity Analyst, etc.

CISSP:

Provided by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, also known as (ISC)², the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) trains you to design, implement and manage security systems. You learn about a variety of security practices and principles. After completing the course, you can apply for the following job roles:

  • Chief Information Security Officer,
  • Chief Information Officer,
  • Director of Security,
  • IT Director/Manager,
  • Security Consultant,
  • Network Architect,
  • Security Systems Engineer,
  • Security Analyst,
  • Security Manager,
  • Security Auditor, and
  • Security Architect.

How to become a Cyber Security Expert: Essential Skills to Master

Developing Core Skills for Cyber Security Expertise:

After learning about all the possible courses and career paths that you can follow to accelerate your career in the cyber security industry, you must be thinking about the major prerequisites to become successful in the industry.

It does take specific skill sets to make it big in this domain. These cyber security skills are highlighted below:

  • Proficiency in programming languages and scripting:

It is crucial to have a strong foundation in programming languages and scripting to stay updated with the ever-evolving cyber security industry. Professionals who know how to write and decipher codes can break down the highly sophisticated cyber-attacks. This is why they are very much in demand.

By gaining the knowledge of programming languages such as Python, JavaScript, PowerShell, C/C++, etc., you can carry out most important tasks. These include analyzing weaknesses in the systems, building secure applications and automating security processes.

  • In-depth understanding of network infrastructure and system administration:

It is also imperative to have a good familiarity with network infrastructure and network administration concepts. On the basis of how networks are structured, cyber security professionals can reduce potential risks and formulate effective solutions.

  • Knowledge of operating systems and their vulnerabilities:

You can consider Operating Systems (OSs) as the first line of defense of computers. Because they form the basis of all computer processes, operating systems are a top target for hackers. To properly defend them, cybersecurity experts must have a thorough understanding of the various operating systems and their vulnerabilities. With this expertise, they can spot vulnerabilities in systems, install improvements, and set up security configurations to protect them from potential threats.

Gaining Practical Experience:

For an advanced domain like cyber security, it is significant to note that you need a hands-on approach to practice concepts. It is important to enhance your practical knowledge through various practices to become a refined cyber security professional. 

By practicing real-world scenarios and acquiring problem-solving abilities, you can become ready to enter the real industry. Here’s what you can do to strengthen your practical skills in cyber security:

  • Participating in Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions:

By participating in the Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions, you gain practical experience in programming, networking and system administration. By practicing real-world problems in a simulated setting, you can gain a deeper understanding of cyber security concepts. 

A CTF competition includes various challenges which cover concepts like:

  • Cryptography
  • Web security
  • Reverse engineering
  • Forensics, and more.

The best part about participating in a CTF competition is gaining teamwork skills. When you engage with other individuals over a project, you learn to collaborate and communicate. To conclude, CTF competitions keep you updated with the current industry standards. These are the most essential skills for an individual aiming to enter the cyber security industry.

  • Seeking internships and entry-level positions:

One of the best ways to gain practical experience in the cyber security space and how to become cyber security expert after 12th is by applying for internships. These internships provide you with the needed industry experience, the chance you get mentored by industry experts and apply the gained theoretical knowledge in an up-and-running workspace. 

Through internships, you work on real-world projects and collaborate with teams to practice various cyber security concepts such as security operations, incident response, vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, ethical hacking, disaster management, and much more.

By applying to internships and entry-level jobs, you gain the required experience to get a taste of what it is like to work in the industry. Along with technical skills, you also gain skills like collaboration, teamwork, communication, etc.

  • Building a personal cyber security lab for hands-on practice:

By making use of different tools and techniques, you can make the best out of cyber security labs for building your personal portfolio. In order to land a high-paying job, it is important to have a well-curated portfolio in your resume showcasing your best projects.

By working in live virtual labs, you can enhance your practical skills and problem-solving abilities. Showcasing this work to the recruiters will give you an edge over others.

Note: If you enroll in a cyber security course at Network Kings, you can gain all the required practical experience by working in the virtual labs provided by us.

Pursuing Cyber Security Certifications:

You can only succeed in the cyber security industry if you have the right set of certifications under your belt. With hundreds of cyber security certifications available in the market, it can become confusing which certification to opt for.

This is why we have created a go-to certification path based on your professional needs. This path could vary for each individual depending on what career stage you’re at. You can still refer to the following certifications for a better understanding:

Foundational certifications:

Intermediate certifications:

Advanced certifications:

You can know in detail about these certifications in the first half of this guide.

Note: If you’re interested more in knowing about what courses you must opt for to become a cyber security expert, you can check this source.

Developing a Professional Network:

It is great to pursue cyber security certifications and courses, however, it takes much more than that to gain recognition and learn how to become cyber security expert. Some of the best ways to do so are mentioned as follows:

  • Joining Cybersecurity Communities and Forums:

This is one of the most valuable steps to follow. By joining such communities, you can raise your questions, seek guidance from other experts, and share problems with each other. By engaging in such discussions, you can learn continuously and actively.

The best part about joining such forums is that you can find job opportunities through these communities, career advice and career development resources.

  • Attending Industry Conferences and Events:

By attending industry conferences and events, you can expand your knowledge, network with industry leaders, and gain exposure to cutting-edge technologies and practices. Such conferences often introduce you to the latest technologies, products, and solutions in the cybersecurity domain. 

By participating in the Q&A sessions, industry panel discussions and speeches, you can gain great insight into the industry.

  • Building Connections with Professionals in the Field:

The best and smartest way to access job opportunities in the cyber security industry is to collaborate on projects with individuals that work on a higher designation than you. This could work in your favour in the future as they can refer you for job roles in the cyber security industry.

Keep in mind that engaging actively in cybersecurity communities, going to conferences and events, and networking with other experts may all greatly boost your professional development, expertise, and career in the cybersecurity industry.

Job Roles and Salary Outlook for Cyber Security Experts in India

Although the average salary of a Cyber Security Engineer in India ranges between ₹ 2.8 Lakhs to ₹ 18.0 Lakhs with an average annual salary of ₹ 6.0 Lakhs. This number can fluctuate on the designation you are applying for, your industry experience and the organization’s annual turnover.

However, to give you an estimate of how much you can earn in the industry, we have mentioned the salary estimates of various cybersecurity professionals in India:

  • Cyber Security Engineer: INR 500,000 to INR 1,500,000 per year.
  • Penetration Tester: INR 600,000 to INR 1,800,000 per year.
  • SOC Analyst: INR 400,000 to INR 1,200,000 per year.
  • Systems Administrator: INR 400,000 to INR 1,200,000 per year.
  • Vulnerability Assessment Analyst: INR 500,000 to INR 1,500,000 per year.
  • Database Administrator: INR 600,000 to INR 1,800,000 per year.
  • Information Security Analyst: INR 500,000 to INR 1,500,000 per year.
  • Ethical Hacker: INR 600,000 to INR 2,000,000 per year.
  • Security Analyst: INR 500,000 to INR 1,800,000 per year.
  • IT Security Analyst: INR 500,000 to INR 1,500,000 per year.
  • Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst: INR 400,000 to INR 1,200,000 per year.
  • Cybersecurity Specialist: INR 600,000 to INR 2,000,000 per year.
  • Threat Intelligence Analyst: INR 600,000 to INR 1,800,000 per year.
  • Security Engineer: INR 600,000 to INR 2,000,000 per year.
  • Chief Information Security Officer (CISO): INR 2,000,000 to INR 6,000,000 per year.
  • Director of Security: INR 1,500,000 to INR 5,000,000 per year.
  • IT Director/Manager: INR 1,500,000 to INR 5,000,000 per year.
  • Security Consultant: INR 800,000 to INR 2,500,000 per year.
  • Network Architect: INR 800,000 to INR 2,500,000 per year.
  • Security Systems Engineer: INR 600,000 to INR 1,800,000 per year.
  • Security Manager: INR 800,000 to INR 2,500,000 per year.
  • Security Architect: INR 800,000 to INR 2,500,000 per year.
  • Cyber Security Analyst System Engineer: INR 600,000 to INR 2,000,000 per year.
  • Compliance Security Analyst: INR 500,000 to INR 1,500,000 per year.
  • Information Security Engineer: INR 600,000 to INR 2,000,000 per year.
  • Information Security Manager: INR 800,000 to INR 2,500,000 per year.
  • Cyber Security Auditor: INR 600,000 to INR 2,000,000 per year.

Note: The salary range could vary based on your qualifications, level of experience, etc.

Conclusion

That’s all on how to become cyber security expert. In this guide, we have covered everything from how to become a cyber security expert to what are the job opportunities and salary expectations of an expert. Overall, the future looks very promising for an individual pursuing a cyber security domain.

It is also vital to gain professional certifications to stand out in front of the recruiters. On top of that, joining online communities, attending cyber security conventions, reaching out to seniors, etc. enhance your chances of gaining quality experience in the industry.

Cyber security is an ever-changing field. Even when you get a job, it is important to keep on learning and gain new skills to survive in a fast-paced industry like cyber security.

After all, cyber security is much more than a matter of IT!

Roadmap to Become a Cloud Security Engineer

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Cloud Security Engineer Roadmap,
Cloud Security Engineer Roadmap,

As business organizations are welcoming digital transformations and adopting the use of cloud infrastructure, it has become the utmost responsibility of businesses to adopt cloud security practices. With the increased need for cloud security, there is a high demand for cloud security engineers.

The role of a cloud security engineer is to implement, plan, upgrade, and look after security measures for defending computer networks and information against cyber threats.

In this blog, we have discussed the roadmap to becoming a top-notch Cloud Security Engineer and how to make it big in the cloud security industry.

Who is a Cloud Security Engineer?

Suppose you’re interested in analyzing and resolving security events and you’re interested in safeguarding customer data in business organizations. In that case, the Cloud Security Engineer might be the right fit for you.

The role of a Cloud Security Engineer is to recognize threats in cloud systems, create new features to fulfil security needs, and at the same time monitor, upgrade and maintain an existing cloud security system. 

In other words, it is the foremost duty of a Cloud Security Engineer to identify gaps in up-and-running systems and recommends security policies to implement and configure security controls in cloud environments. These systems could vary from being a marketing campaign to capture a better audience to identifying a major gap in a data pipeline.

Therefore, the integration of cloud security solutions with other applications is the major task of a Cloud Security Engineer on a day-to-day basis.

Why do we need Cloud Security Engineers?

Protecting sensitive data that is stored in the cloud requires the expertise of a cloud security engineer. Consider a business that uses a cloud service provider to store client data such as names, addresses, and credit card numbers. This information is easily accessible to attackers without a Cloud Security Engineer.

A proficient hacker, for instance, could take advantage of weak access controls, resulting in unauthorized access and data breaches. A cloud security engineer, however, helps in the prevention of such events. Strong security mechanisms like encryption, access controls, and intrusion detection systems are designed and put into place by them. 

Additionally, they keep an eye out for any unusual activity in the cloud environment and react quickly to any threats, ensuring the privacy and integrity of the data.

In conclusion, a Cloud Security Engineer is essential to safeguarding sensitive data kept in the cloud, preventing breaches of security, and maintaining stakeholder and client trust.

What is the role of a Cloud Security Engineer in IT?

There is an unmatchable need for a Cloud Security Engineer in today’s IT scenario. This need is evident from the roles that a Cloud Security Engineer plays in any business organization. 

This could be learned better by knowing the flexible roles that a Cloud Security Engineer plays. These are mentioned as follows:

  • Safeguarding against cyber attacks:

With the evolution of cyber threats, it is important to have a future-proof defence system that can protect the sensitive information of an organization. A Cloud Security Engineer uses his knowledge to apply advanced security measures in a working cloud infrastructure. He deploys firewalls and recognizes breaches and potential vulnerabilities in a system.

  • Risk assessment and mitigation:

It is important to assess risks in a cloud environment. A Cloud Security Engineer assesses all the risks involved and then prioritizes safety measures accordingly. The goal is to stay ahead of security breaches to stay away from potential threats completely.

  •  Incident response and recovery:

Even if strategies are created to protect cloud systems, there could still be prevailing loopholes. In such situations, a Cloud Security Engineer plays a major role in incident response and recovery. He comes up with an incident response plan that involves identifying the root cause of a security breach and then restoring the attacked system to its normal conditions.

  • Cost optimization:

It is the most important duty of a Cloud Security Engineer to make use of cost-effective solutions along with protecting from cyber-attacks. Therefore, he examines the existing cloud architecture and recommends cost-optimized cloud infrastructure. He also recommends using scalable cloud solutions, automated systems, and applications that are low on cost.

  • Continuous monitoring and development:

A Cloud Security Engineer does require some advanced and efficient tools and techniques to monitor systems that could be vulnerable to security and data breaches. They perform daily system audits, identify weaknesses in the system and aim at fixing them. Therefore, they make sure that they keep on evolving their strategies along with the advancement of cyber attacks.

  • Communicate efficiently with the team:

It is important to have sophisticated business skills along with technical skills if you want to work as a Cloud Security Engineer. A Cloud Security Engineer communicates with the whole team in a business organization as they are the major problem-solvers in the company. Hence, they need to pass on their effective solutions to the team to work on the strategies as a team.

How does a Cloud Security Engineer safeguard systems from harmful hacking?

From small-sized to big tech companies, all of them rely on cloud-based infrastructure to protect their sensitive information from getting leaked and misused. So, they need the most skilled Cloud Security Engineers to do the job. 

Here are the most important steps a Cloud Security Engineer takes to protect an organization from cyber attacks:

  • He first understands the system’s complete architecture along with its components before implementing security measures.
  • He then goes for a detailed assessment to recognize potential threats and vulnerabilities in a system and measures the risk involved.
  • The next step is to make use of solid authentication mechanisms. These mechanisms include two-factor authentication, password application, and even make use of biometric security where applicable.
  • A Cloud Security Engineer also keeps track of the various systems and their associated security level. He updates the security policies regularly to avoid security breaches.
  • Implementing network segmentation is one of the most important strategies of a Cloud Security Engineer. By doing so, an extra layer of protection is added to the systems. This further makes it difficult for attackers to break into systems.
  • Identifying malicious activities in network traffic is crucial. It is done by making use of Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS).
  • He configures all the systems in the most secure method to reduce threat vulnerabilities.
  • Every organization has sensitive data that requires more security than other systems. Therefore, the Cloud Security Engineer implements strong data encryption techniques.
  • A Cloud Security Engineer also must perform penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, and security auditing.
  • He also makes use of incident response and disaster recovery plans.
  • Along with putting technical skills into use, a Cloud Security Engineer also runs security awareness programs to make users aware of existing cyber threats.
  • He also continuously monitors all the systems and maintains a healthy security score for all of them.
  • Since cloud security is an ever-evolving industry, a Cloud Security Engineer stays up to date with the best industry practices.

What are the common types of cloud security attacks?

Since business organizations have shifted their infrastructure to the cloud, hackers have also evolved their ways of breaching systems through the cloud. If you stay updated with cybersecurity in general, you must have heard the term ‘cloud malware’.

Such cyber-attacks could pose a major threat to cloud systems. These attacks could break into the cloud infrastructure and can completely shut them down or sometimes, slow them down.

Some other common types of cloud security attacks include the following:

  • DDoS attacks:

Elaborated as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, these attacks target the cloud infrastructure by throwing a large amount of traffic at it from various sources. This, in turn, overwhelms the cloud infrastructure and forces it to switch offline. It is by far the most common cloud security attack.

  • Hypervisor DoS attacks:

As understood by the name, the Hypervisor DoS attacks target the hypervisors in cloud infrastructure. If you don’t know, the hypervisor is a connecting unit between a cloud provider’s physical computer and the memory resources of various Virtual Machines (VMs). attacking these hypervisors allows the attacker to gain access to the complete cloud environment.

  • Hyperjacking:

This cloud security attack is one of a kind where the attacker takes over the virtual machine and accesses all the information, data, and systems in an already running session. This is done without the user knowing about the breach. The attacker can then steal any sensitive information or collapse systems.

  • Hypercall attack:

This attack is another way of taking over the entire cloud environment. A special request is sent by the attacker directly to the hypervisor. When accepted, it could access and crash the whole cloud system.

  • Exploiting live migration:

This is the latest attack and becoming one of the most common cloud security attacks. Cloud providers need to migrate virtual machines from one physical server to another to eliminate downtime. Attackers target this process of migration to steal data and crash systems. The attacker can take over the systems or steal information as these migration processes are not secure.

You can learn more about cloud security threats here.

What is the scope of a Cloud Security Engineer in IT?

There is extensive scope for Cloud Security Engineer as there is a huge demand for professionals who are working in the cloud computing and cybersecurity space. The scope for these professionals is discussed below.

  • Cloud Security Engineer is more than just a technical role:

As a Cloud Security Engineer, you don’t just protect systems against cyber threats, implement security policies, and perform vulnerability assessments and penetration testing, you also learn to work in cross-functional teams as a team leader. This sharpens your soft skills and you learn to collaborate better with the team.

  • Better salary prospects:

Since the cloud security industry is booming right now, you can expect high salary packages in the industry. These are far better than a salary of a typical Network Engineer. The salary ranges between Rs. 3.6 lakhs to Rs. 23.7 lakhs per year. The average salary is about Rs. 8 lakhs per annum. You can expect a salary of $80,000 to $100,000 per year if you’re living in America.

  • Better job opportunities and career growth:

The demand for qualified cloud security experts is on the rise as more businesses use cloud-based solutions. There are many job openings in this industry, from jobs in big companies to specialized security organizations. By earning relevant certifications, such as the Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) or Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), which build their professional credibility and open doors to more senior roles, cloud security engineers can also pursue career growth.

  • Attain global recognition:

With the growing importance of cloud computing and data security across the globe, Cloud Security Engineers enjoy global recognition. If you possess a recognized Cloud Security certification and have an excellent portfolio of projects under your belt, you are set on the road to success in the IT industry.

How can I become a Cloud Security Engineer in IT?

You can follow the following mentioned steps to become a Cloud Security Engineer in IT:

  • Get a relevant bachelor’s degree in Computer Science
  • Work on projects and take up internships to build a strong portfolio
  • Gain relevant knowledge and skills
  • Consider learning through online courses and collect certifications from well-recognized vendors under your belt
  • Gain practical experience in the industry
  • Create a GitHub profile to showcase your skills
  • You can even start a blog and share your projects and deployment methods with the community online
  • Stay updated with the ever-evolving cloud security industry trends
  • Seek guidance from your peers as well as seniors in the industry
  • Make sure to sharpen your foundational IT skills. Do not skip, please!
  • Network with people around in the industry and seek mentorship from a reliable source
  • Create an excellent portfolio
  • Start looking for jobs
  • Reach out to people related to your industry
  • Prepare for job interviews
  • Filter through the offers you get

Remember, you need to start somewhere!

What are the prerequisites to becoming a Cloud Security Engineer in IT?

It is beneficial to have the following pre-requirements check-marked for a successful career in the Cloud Security industry:

  • A graduate degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field
  • Basic knowledge of networking
  • Fundamental coding knowledge and programming skills to create and develop security solutions to become a Cloud Security Engineer
  • Understanding of operating systems such as the Linux Operating System
  • It is beneficial to have in-depth knowledge of the basics of cybersecurity. You can learn through certifications such as the CompTIA CySA+
  • Have a hands-on industry experience
  • Have a thorough understanding of security tools
  • Have a good command over communication skills, working in cross-functional teams, leading a team
  • Having excellent analytical, research, and problem-solving skills

What is the roadmap to becoming a Cloud Security Engineer in IT?

There is no fixed roadmap as to what you should do to enter the cloud security industry. Yet, the below-mentioned roadmap might help a lot of you for reference:

Basic computer and networking knowledge (CCNA/CompTIA Network+) -> Firewall knowledge -> Linux knowledge -> Azure 900 certification -> Azure 500 and Azure 700 certification -> AZ-104 certification

It is worth noting that the Azure AZ-104 certification is necessary if you want to grow in the cloud security industry in the upcoming 5 years. With the Azure AZ-500 and AZ-700, you can work in the cloud network security industry. However, for better salary prospects and industry growth, it is crucial to have the relevant knowledge to become a cloud architect in the future.

The ultimate goal is to become a team leader and polish your cloud security skills.

What courses must I opt for to become a Cloud Security expert?

It could be difficult to carve a roadmap to enter the cloud security industry on your own. Network Kings understands this pain point and has created an all-in-one master’s program for you to excel in the cloud security industry.

No matter what is your educational background or previous work experience, you can check out our dedicated Cloud Security Master’s Program to kickstart a career in the cloud security industry.

The Cloud Security Master’s program covers the following courses:

In this course, you learn in-depth about Microsoft Azure networking solutions. You learn about network infrastructure, network security, and application delivery services.

This course trains you in security technologies. You learn to identify vulnerabilities, threat modelling and perform threat protection.

This course covers all the fundamentals of the world’s most popular firewall, the Palo Alto firewall. You learn to protect networks, configure, maintain as well as troubleshoot using the Palo Alto firewall.

Where should I enroll to learn the top Cloud Security courses in IT?

Many online programs can provide you with training for cloud security. However, it is important to enroll in courseware that provides you complete end-to-end roadmap and training to become a ready-to-deploy Cloud Security Engineer.

You can start learning with the  Cloud Security Master’s Program provided by Network Kings. This would enhance your career prospects and help you obtain better salary packages.

Why should I choose Network Kings for the Cloud Security training?

You get to enjoy the following benefits during the Cloud Security training by Network Kings:

  • 24/7 access to the largest virtual labs to learn the best tools and technologies related to network and cloud security.
  • Learn directly from Cloud Security Engineers with more than 12 years of experience in the industry.
  • Live, interactive classes including open-ended discussions are delivered by Cloud Network and Security engineers.
  • Get access to both the session recordings from the prior batch and the live session recordings.
  • Access to our individual and master’s programs is available at reasonable prices.
  • Access to the Network Kings portal where you may keep track of your academic growth.

What skills will I learn with the Cloud Security training at Network Kings?

You learn the following skills after enrolling in the cloud security training:

  • Learn about security technologies and features to secure Azure resources.
  • Learn to fulfil compliance requirements.
  • Learn to deploy network security and plan, maintain and troubleshoot using firewalls.
  • Manage Azure resources, implement and monitor security and optimize cloud infrastructure.
  • Learn about security encryption, access control, penetration testing, cloud security infrastructure, and network infrastructure.
  • Learn to deploy, manage and monitor resources.

What are the exam details for each Cloud Security course at Network Kings?

The exam details for each of the live courses covered in the Cloud Security master’s program are mentioned below:

AZ-500:

Exam Name: Microsoft Azure Security Technologies (AZ-500)

Exam Cost: $165

Exam Format: Multiple Choice

Total Questions: 40-60 Questions

Passing Score: 700 out of 1000

Exam Duration: 150 minutes

Languages: English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), and Korean

Testing Center: Pearson Vue

AZ-700:

Exam Name: Exam AZ-700: Designing and Implementing Microsoft Azure Networking Solutions

Exam Cost: $165

Exam Format: Multiple Choice

Total Questions: 40-60 Questions

Passing Score: 700 out of 1000

Exam Duration: 150 minutes

Languages: English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), and Korean

Testing Center: Pearson Vue

PCNSA:

Exam Name: Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Administrator (PCNSA)

Exam Cost: USD 160

Exam Format: Multiple Choice

Total Questions: 60-80 Questions

Passing Score: 70%

Exam Duration: 90 minutes

Languages: English

Testing Center: Pearson Vue

PCNSE:

Exam Name: Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer (PCNSE)

Exam Cost: USD 160

Exam Format: Multiple Choice

Total Questions: 75-85 Questions

Passing Score: 70%

Exam Duration: 90 minutes

Languages: English

Testing Center: Pearson Vue

What are the job opportunities after Cloud Security course training?

You can explore the following job opportunities after the Cloud Security Master’s program:

  • Cloud Security Architect
  • Network Security Engineer
  • Cloud Security Engineer
  • Information Security Analyst
  • Cloud Security Consultant
  • Network Administrator 
  • Cloud Security Operations Manager
  • Security Compliance Analyst
  • Cloud Security Analyst
  • Network Security Administrator
  • Cloud Penetration Tester
  • Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst
  • Cloud Security Auditor
  • Network Security Consultant
  • Cloud Incident Responder
  • Security Solutions Architect
  • Cloud Security Manager
  • Network Security Specialist
  • Cybersecurity Operations Manager
  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

What are the salary aspects after earning the Cloud Security certification in IT?

The salary of a Cloud Network Security Engineer based in different countries has been mentioned below:

  • United States: $90,000 – $160,000
  • Canada: CAD 80,000 – CAD 130,000
  • United Kingdom: £50,000 – £90,000
  • Germany: €60,000 – €100,000
  • France: €50,000 – €90,000
  • Australia: AUD 90,000 – AUD 150,000
  • United Arab Emirates: AED 180,000 – AED 350,000
  • Singapore: SGD 80,000 – SGD 150,000
  • India: INR 600,000 – INR 1,200,000
  • Japan: JPY 8,000,000 – JPY 14,000,000

Conclusion

With almost every business organization shifting its infrastructure to the cloud, all of them need a Cloud Security Engineer. In this blog, we have discussed everything related to Cloud security, career prospects, scope, requirements, roadmap, and much more.

Therefore, Cloud Security is a lucrative career option. Enrolling in the cloud security master’s program allows you to grow further in your career as a successful cloud security professional.

FAQs

01. Where can I enroll for the best cloud security program?

You can enroll at Network Kings for the best Cloud Security program where you can learn directly from Cloud Security Engineers with years of experience.

02. Is cloud security easy?

If you follow the right roadmap and learn under the guidance of experts, you can easily excel in the cloud security industry.

03. Is coding needed to become a cloud security engineer?

It is advantageous to know any kind of coding language such as Python or Java to automate systems as a cloud security engineer.

04. How long is the cloud security engineer program?

The cloud security engineer program is usually 8-13 months long.

05. Who can enroll in the cloud security program?

Any individual who wants to enter the cloud security industry can enroll in the cloud security program irrespective of their educational/career background.

How Switches Forward Ethernet Frames? Explained

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ethernet frames
ethernet frames

A network cannot communicate without frames as they provide a well-structured format for transmitting data across a network. An encapsulation process creates a ‘frame’ when data is prepared to be sent over a network.

This process gives rise to a frame. Frames play an important role in Layer 2, i.e., the Data Link Layer in the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model. This model defines how the different network protocols interact.

The efficient transfer of data through a physical network link, like an Ethernet connection, is the responsibility of the data link layer. Before transmitting them over the network, it creates frames out of the data packets from Layer 3 of the network.

Note: If you have been following up with our new CCNA series, you might have come across the concept of configuration management tools. If you haven’t, I recommend you do so before jumping on to this blog.

In this blog, you will learn about the components of an Ethernet frame and how switches receive and forward these Ethernet frames.

What is meant by Ethernet frames?

The basic building blocks of data transfer in Ethernet networks are Ethernet frames. They are made up of a header and a payload that contain the transferred data. The frame length, source and destination MAC addresses, and error-checking information are all included in the header.

The structure of Ethernet frames is clearly defined. The following are the components of an Ethernet frame. These include a preamble, start frame delimiter, destination MAC address, source MAC address, EtherType or Length field, payload, and frame check sequence. You can learn in detail about them here.

The MAC addresses identify the source and destination devices, while the preamble and start frame delimiter connect the receiver with the incoming frame.

How are Ethernet Frames received by the switches?

The following steps are followed for the switch to receive Ethernet frames. These are:

  • Switch operation:

Switches are essential components of contemporary network architecture. A switch determines the correct port for forwarding when an Ethernet frame arrives by looking at the destination MAC address. A forwarding table, often referred to as a MAC address table, is kept up by the switch and is used to associate MAC addresses with certain switch ports.

  • MAC address learning:

Switches use MAC address learning to fill the forwarding tables on their devices. The source MAC address of each frame that a switch receives is extracted and connected to the port on which it originated. Through effective forwarding, the switch creates a database of MAC addresses and the relevant ports.

  • Filtering and forwarding:

A switch can decide how to forward frames once it has discovered a device’s MAC address. A switch only passes a frame to the correct port if the destination MAC address matches an item in its forwarding table when it receives the frame. By removing superfluous traffic, this method increases network effectiveness.

  • Broadcast and multicast handling:

When compared to unicast frames, switches treat broadcast and multicast frames differently. The switch forwards incoming broadcast frames to all associated ports, ensuring that they are received by all network nodes. Similarly to this, ports that have joined the multicast group are only forwarded multicast frames.

How are Ethernet Frames forwarded by the switch?

The following methodologies are followed by a switch to forward the Ethernet frames. These are mentioned below:

  • Unicast forwarding:

When a switch operates in unicast forwarding, it consults its forwarding table to identify the proper port for the destination when it receives an Ethernet frame with a specific MAC address as the target. So that the source and destination devices can communicate directly with one another, the switch then passes the frame directly to that port.

  • Broadcast and multicast forwarding:

A switch copies a broadcast or multicast frame and forwards it to all ports except the incoming port when it receives the message. By ensuring that every device on the network receives the frame, broadcast and multicast communication are effectively enabled.

What is the role of VLANs in Ethernet Frames?

The role of VLANs in Ethernet Frames is discussed below:

  • Basics of VLAN:

An approach to logically divide a physical network into several virtual networks is through the use of virtual local area networks (VLANs). By isolating traffic inside particular groups or departments, VLANs improve security, management, and scalability.

  • VLAN tagging:

Ethernet frames can be marked with VLAN tagging to show which VLAN they belong to. The switch adds a VLAN tag to an Ethernet frame when it enters a switch port that has been set up for VLANs. Switches can properly handle and forward frames with VLAN tags because of this tag, which contains information about the VLAN to which the frame belongs.

  • VLAN trunking:

Multiple VLANs can be carried over a single physical link between switches thanks to VLAN trunking. Trunk ports use unique trunking protocols like IEEE 802.1Q to transmit and receive packets from various VLANs. Network administration is made easier and resource management is made possible via tunneling.

It’s a wrap!

Data frames are an important component for receiving as well as sending data in a network, that too, reliably. We have discussed Ethernet frames in this blog and all the techniques involved in receiving and forwarding Ethernet frames through switches.

The fundamental units of communication in Ethernet networks are Ethernet frames. In order to ensure effective data transfer within local networks, switches are essential for accepting and forwarding these frames. Network administrators and anybody interested in computer networking should understand the design and functionality of Ethernet frames and switches.

Cisco Nexus Interview Questions You Must Know About

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nexus interview questions
nexus interview questions

Preparing for a Cisco Network Engineer role? Here’s the guide to Cisco Nexus interview questions to help you ace your interview. Cisco is the industry leader for all things networking. If you are an aspiring Network Engineer or you already work as a Network Engineer and you wish to upskill, the Cisco Nexus technology is the best career move to make.

A Network Engineer implements, maintains, designs, and troubleshoots an organization’s computer networks. Network security and integrity being the major focus of Network Engineers in their daily tasks, it is beneficial for network professionals to learn how to build a network that brings together data centers and cloud computing. 

This is where the knowledge of Cisco Nexus switches comes in handy. In this guide, we have laid down the list of the top 15 most-asked Cisco Nexus interview questions and answers for you to ace your job interview. Whether you’re appearing for a Network Engineer or for a Cisco Nexus interview, it is crucial to have a strong understanding of Nexus concepts.

We have majorly divided the Nexus interview questions into two sections:

  • Cisco Nexus interview questions and answers for beginners
  • Advanced Cisco Nexus interview questions and answers

Without further ado, let us now begin with the list of Cisco Nexus interview questions!

Cisco Nexus Interview Questions for Beginners:

The following mentioned nexus interview questions are best suited for candidates who are appearing for an entry-level Network Engineer interview. This section explores fundamentals of Cisco Nexus technology. 

01. What is meant by Cisco Nexus?

Cisco Nexus refers to modular switches that are fixed ports and are specially created for data centers. The first introduction of the technology was the Cisco 7000 switches which are a 10-slot chassis. 

Another technology includes Cisco Nexus Operating System (NX-OS) which is a modern data center-class operating system. Therefore, Cisco Nexus is a series of data center switches that are efficient, high-performing, have low latency, and are scalable network solutions. 

Most enterprises use the Nexus switches because they are reliable and flexible.

02. Mention the main features of Cisco Nexus switches.

The Cisco Nexus switches are state-of-the-art switches. They are very different from the normal switches that are used in the industry. The main features include:

  • The Cisco Nexus switches have high-density and high-bandwidth switches
  • A simplified network device because of a Virtual Port-Channel (vPC) which is a multi-chassis port channel. It increases convergence time as well
  • Because of the Fabric Extender technology (FEX), the network is equipped with simplified connectivity
  • Advanced security features, including Access Control Lists (ACLs) and TrustSec
  • Support for advanced data center protocols such as Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE)
  • Modular and scalable architecture
  • Deep buffer capabilities for handling small, sudden traffic
  • extensive control and monitoring tools provided by Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) and Cisco Data Centre Network Manager (DCNM)

03. What sets the Cisco Nexus switch series apart from the other Cisco switch series?

  • While other Cisco switch series serve a wider range of networking requirements, the Cisco Nexus series is specifically created for data center environments. 
  • For data centers, the Nexus series includes capabilities and protocols like FCoE and virtualization support. 
  • Along with that, Nexus switches provide higher port densities, low latency, and advanced features like vPC and FEX, which are essential for modern data centers.

04. What do you understand by Virtual Port Channel (vPC)?

  • Virtual Port Channel (vPC) is a technology that allows the creation of a logical link aggregation group (LAG) between two Cisco Nexus switches and a downstream device. 
  • It is a multi-chassis port channel with a simplified network design.
  • It provides redundancy and load balancing by enabling the downstream device to treat the two Nexus switches as a single logical switch. 
  • With vPC, traffic can be distributed across multiple physical links, improving link utilization and providing resiliency in case of link or switch failures.
  • It removes the dependency on Spanning Tree Protocol (STP).

05. What are the main components of the vPC?

The important components of the Virtual Port Channel (vPC) are mentioned below:

  • vPC Peer-Switch 
  • vPC Keep-Alive 
  • vPC Domain 
  • vPC Peer-Link 
  • Member Ports 
  • Orphan Ports 

06. What is meant by Fabric Extender (FEX) and what is its purpose?

  • Fabric Extender (FEX) is a technology that allows for the extension of fabric to external devices, such as servers or network appliances. 
  • FEX provides a simplified approach to connectivity by decoupling the management and data plane, allowing the central management of FEX devices from the parent Cisco Nexus switch. 
  • It reduces cable complexity, simplifies management, and enhances scalability in large-scale data center deployments.

07. What is the purpose of the Nexus 7000 series in the data center?

  • Modular switches in the Nexus 7000 series are created for the core and aggregation layers of data centers. 
  • For big data center deployments, it offers high-density 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) and 40 GbE connections, enabling scalability and performance. 
  • The Nexus 7000 series is capable of supporting multi-tenant setups and providing effective data center interconnectivity because of its support for cutting-edge features like MPLS, VDC (Virtual Device Context), OTV (Overlay Transport Virtualization), and FabricPath.

08. What is the difference between Nexus 9000 series and Nexus 7000 series?

The difference between the Nexus 9000 and Nexus 7000 series is given below:

Nexus 9000 series

Nexus 7000 series

The Nexus 9000 series is the next-generation data center switch family that includes both fixed and modular platforms.

The Nexus 7000 series is a traditional data center.

It introduces the Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI), which is a policy-driven approach to data center networking.

It lacks the ACI framework.

The Nexus 9000 series switches offer high-speed 10 GbE, 25 GbE, 40 GbE, and 100 GbE interfaces, along with support for advanced automation, programmability, and telemetry capabilities.

The Nexus 7000 series offers high-density 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) and 40 GbE connections, enabling scalability and performance. 

Cisco Nexus Interview Questions for Advanced Professionals:

This section of the guide has all the advanced questions based on Cisco Nexus switches. You will get to dig deeper into the technology and learn more about the types of Nexus switches along with the related technologies.

09. How does Cisco Nexus support data center automation?

  • Through programmability and APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), Cisco Nexus switches offer full assistance for data center automation. 
  • The network infrastructure may be programmatically configured and managed because of their support for industry-standard protocols including NETCONF, RESTCONF, and OpenConfig. 
  • Network managers may automate difficult activities, optimize operations, and maintain uniform standards by integrating Cisco Nexus switches with automation frameworks like Cisco ACI and Ansible.

10. What is Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI)?

  • A software-defined networking (SDN) solution for data center environments is Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI). 
  • ACI is a policy-driven architecture that automates network provisioning and management while removing network infrastructure. 
  • It allows administrators to create policies depending on the demands of the applications, simplifying network deployment and reducing human error in manual configuration. 
  • In order to provide application-aware network policies and easy application deployment across multi-vendor setups, ACI brings together teams from the network, security, and application domains.

11. How does Cisco Nexus provide high availability and fault tolerance?

Cisco Nexus switches put together several features to ensure high availability and fault tolerance in data center networks. Some of these features include:

  • Virtual Port Channel (vPC) for link redundancy and load balancing
  • Hot-swappable power supplies and fans for non-stop operation
  • In-service software upgrades for minimizing downtime during upgrades
  • Graceful restart and non-stop forwarding for faster convergence
  • Equal-Cost Multipath (ECMP) for load balancing and redundancy at the network layer
  • Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) enhancements such as Bridge Assurance and Rapid PVST+ for loop prevention and fast convergence
  • FabricPath or VXLAN-based overlays for scalable and resilient Layer 2 connectivity

12. Mention all the different types of Nexus switches available.

The various types of Cisco Nexus switches are mentioned as follows:

  • Cisco MDS 9000 SAN switches:

The data center Storage Area Network (SAN) infrastructure is supported by these switches.

  • Nexus 1000V series switches:

It is present inside the VMware ESX hypervisor and uses Cisco Nexus Operation System (NX-OS) software. Not to forget that this switch is a software-based switch.

  • Nexus 2000 series switches:

It uses FEX technology to give flexible data center deployment models to fulfill the demand for servers.

  • Nexus 3000 series switches:

In the case of general-purpose deployments, the 3000 series switches provide Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching and cloud networks.

  • Nexus 5000 series switches:

These switches are the high-density layer 2 and 3 switches with 10/40G ethernet port facilities. These can support a large number of source ports, VLANs and VSANs.

  • Nexus 7000 series switches:

These switches provide data center architecture on one platform that includes data center core, aggregation and access layer. These switches provide high-density 10G, 40G and 100 GB Ethernet along with bandwidth per slot up to 1.3Tbps.

  • Nexus 9000 series switches:

These switches can run Nexus Operating System (NX-0S) and Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) modes. It consists of both modular as well as fixed switches. Additionally, these also provide 1G, 10G, 40G and 100 GB Ethernet (GE) configurations.

13. What is meant by DCNM?

  • Expanded as Data Center Network Manager, the Cisco DCNM is a central management dashboard for data center fabrics that are based on Cisco Nexus switches, MDS and Cisco UCS.
  • The main benefit of DCNM is that they reduce operation costs by providing efficient operations, monitoring, and troubleshooting Data Center network infrastructure.
  • A Network Engineer can manage switches and automate Restful APIs through its graphical interface.

14. How is Data Center Interconnect (DCI) supported by Cisco Nexus?

Cisco Nexus switches offer various features and technologies to support Data Center Interconnect (DCI), enabling easy integration and communication between multiple data centers. Some of the key technologies include:

  • Overlay Transport Virtualization (OTV): 

OTV allows the extension of Layer 2 connectivity across data centers, enabling VM mobility and disaster recovery capabilities.

  • Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN): 

VXLAN is an encapsulation technique that extends Layer 2 networks over Layer 3 networks, providing scalability and flexibility for multi-tenant environments and enabling workload mobility between data centers.

  • Data Center Interconnect using MPLS (DCI-MPLS): 

Cisco Nexus switches support MPLS-based DCI, allowing the creation of MPLS-based VPNs between data centers. This enables secure and scalable connectivity between data centers that are present in different regions.

  • FabricPath:

FabricPath is a fast and reliable Layer 2 routing protocol, and Cisco Nexus switches support it. A multipath, loop-free Ethernet network can be built using FabricPath, increasing scalability and simplifying management.

  • Virtual PortChannel (vPC): 

vPC allows the creation of a logical link aggregation group (LAG) between two Nexus switches, increasing bandwidth, providing redundancy, and balancing load for DCI deployments.

  • Multiprotocol Border Gateway Protocol (MP-BGP):

Cisco Nexus switches support the Multiprotocol Border Gateway Protocol (MP-BGP), which is used to exchange routing data between data centers. MP-BGP enables effective connectivity and routing between various IP subnets in various data centers.

15. Can Cisco Nexus switches be used in a multi-vendor network?

Cisco Nexus switches can be used in a multi-vendor network as well. Yet, it is crucial to make sure that proper integration is carried out with other vendors’ equipment for the smooth functioning of the network. Network experts can help carry out the smooth operation of Cisco Nexus switches with other equipment to reduce any potential problems.

Conclusion

In this Cisco Nexus interview questions and answers guide, we have laid down the questions for the most important technologies involved and related to Cisco Nexus switches. We covered the types of Nexus switches available, and we covered important concepts like Virtual Port Channel (vPC), Fabric Extender (FEX), Data Center Interconnect (DCI), Data Center Network Manager (DCNM), and much more.

We also learn the difference between the various switches, especially the Nexus 7000 series and Nexus 9000 series. This guide makes you familiar with the Cisco Nexus technology. After reading these nexus interview questions, you can confidently approach a Cisco Nexus interview and showcase your knowledge in this crucial area of networking.

Microsoft Office 365 Course: Everything You Need to Know

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Office 365 Course
Office 365 Course

Times have changed; you can access almost every Microsoft service on iOS-based devices. Thanks to cloud computing! Microsoft Office 365 is a top cloud-based service that allows you to access many Microsoft applications like Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Teams. Now, choose Microsoft Office 365 course to enhance your IT understanding and skills to boost your career with a 4x speed.

What is the Microsoft Office 365 course?

The Microsoft Office 365 course is for individuals who already have knowledge of the Windows Server environment but are looking for a basic understanding of the Microsoft Messaging System, i.e. Microsoft Exchange.

Anyone with a basic knowledge of Windows Server can take up Microsoft office 365 training as it makes you capable of working in live environments.

What are the requirements for the Office 365 course?

Since this course covers basic concepts of Microsoft Office 365, almost anyone can take Microsoft office 356 course. Yet, there are still a few pre-requirements to this course.

  • Initially, candidates must have a fundamental comprehension of the Office 365 environment. 
  • Candidates must have experience using Office applications, such as Excel, PowerPoint, and Word, and be knowledgeable about cloud computing fundamentals. 
  • It is preferred to have familiarity with Skype and SharePoint. 
  • Candidates must possess some knowledge of Windows Server.

What exams can you take after completing the Office 365 training?

The Microsoft Office 365 certification course equips candidates with the skills and knowledge to monitor, manage, and implement Office 365 services. The office 365 course comprises five exams, each evaluating diverse knowledge and skills, namely-

  • Microsoft 365 Fundamentals (MS-900): 

The initial exam, Microsoft 365 Fundamentals (MS-900), covers the basics of the Office 365 environment. This exam targets the following topics:

  1. Cloud concepts
  2. Core Microsoft 365 services and concepts
  3. Trust, compliance, privacy, and security in Microsoft 365

This exam provides a fundamental understanding of Office 365 and its numerous services. Before proceeding to other exams, candidates must take this exam.

  •  Microsoft 365 Identity and Services (MS-100):

The second exam, Microsoft 365 Identity and Services (MS-100), targets managing and implementing identity and access services in Office 365. The following topics get evaluated in this exam-

  1. Implement and design Microsoft 365 services
  2. Manage user identity and roles
  3. Manage authentication and access

This exam targets equipping candidates with the skills and knowledge necessary for managing user identities and access in Office 365.

  • Microsoft 365 Mobility and Security (MS-101):

The third and final exam, Microsoft 365 Mobility and Security (MS-101), focuses on implementing and managing mobility and security in Office 365. The exam targets the following topics:

  1. Implement modern device services
  2. Implement Microsoft 365 security and threat management
  3. Manage Microsoft 365 compliance and governance

This exam provides candidates with the necessary skills and knowledge to implement and manage mobility and security in Office 365.

  • Microsoft 365 Messaging (MS-203):

Microsoft 365 Messaging (MS-203) is another associate-level exam available after the Office 365 course. It focuses on managing a secure and efficient email collaboration platform using Microsoft Exchange Online and Office 365. 

The exam covers the following topics:

  1. Manage resources and settings of Microsoft Exchange Online 
  2. Manage and plan mail transport architecture
  3. Secure the messaging environment through Microsoft Exchange

  • Managing Microsoft Teams (MS-700):

After completing the Office 365 online course, you can also appear for the MS-700 exam focussing on managing and maintaining internal and external collaboration using Teams and Office 365. 

The exam covers the following topics:

  1. Manage and configure a Microsoft Teams environment
  2. Manage channels, teams, apps and chats
  3. Manage calls and meetings in real-time
  4. Monitor, troubleshoot and report on Teams

What are the details of the Office 365 course exam?

The details of the Office 365 course exam are as follows-

Degree: Certificate

Certification Level: Fundamental + Associate

Cost: USD 99

Duration: 3 months

Qualification: Graduate degree

What skills are you going to learn in the Office 365 training?

You will be able to perform the following tasks and have a good knowledge of the following concepts during office 365 training:

  • Proficiency in the basics of Microsoft Exchange On-Prem and Exchange Online.
  • You will understand the basics of Microsoft Outlook and Email Systems.
  • Understand setting up the Exchange environment yourself and will be ready to work with it.
  • You can set up the Microsoft 365 Tenant and perform L1 troubleshooting.
  • You will also be able to handle all the responsibilities related to Microsoft messaging.

Also, you will learn about Microsoft Exchange along with Microsoft 365.

  • Microsoft Exchange (On-premises)

  1. Learn the fundamentals of email systems and various options.
  2. Learn how Microsoft Exchange is different from other options.
  3. Understand the history of Microsoft Exchange and examine what has changed over the years.
  4. Understand the requirements and installation of the Exchange server.
  5. Understand the basic flow of email systems with Microsoft Exchange.
  6. Understand the creation of the recipient types, mailboxes, DLs, and related terms.
  7. Understand all tasks you perform as a Windows Administrator in Microsoft Exchange.

  • Microsoft 365 (Exchange online)

  1. Understand in detail Microsoft 365 and its services.
  2. Understand how to set up Microsoft 365 tenant and licensing overview.
  3. Understand exchange online working and mail flow system.
  4. Understand Teams and SharePoint briefly.
  5. Learn to create users, DLs, License Assignments and Azure Active Directory.
  6. Learn about AD connect and AD sync. Learn to connect on-prem AD with exchange online.
  7. Understand basic mail flow along with troubleshooting.

What are the benefits of joining the Office 365 certification training?

The benefits of joining the Office 365 certification training are as follows-

  • Increased job opportunities

With the increasing demand for Office 365 in today’s workplaces, obtaining certification can provide professionals with a competitive edge over their peers and increase their job opportunities.

  • Higher salaries

Professionals with Office 365 certification get paid higher than others.

  • Improved skills and knowledge

Obtaining certification requires candidates to gain a deep understanding of Office 365 and its various services, which can improve their skills and knowledge and make them more effective in their roles.

Where can you prepare online for the Office 365 exam?

Many online platforms provide self-paced learning for the Office 365 course. However, one seeks an online platform that covers hands-on training.

At Network Kings, you can learn directly from Windows Administrators and Microsoft Office 365 experts with years of experience in the industry.

You can enjoy the following benefits at Network Kings:

  • Live interactive classes with engineers.
  • Exclusive 1:1 frequent doubt sessions with the experts.
  • Constant support from career counsellors for non-technical issues.
  • Access to an online portal to track your progress.
  • Access courses at economical prices.
  • Cover the most industry-relevant course curriculum.
  • Learn how to prepare for interviews.
  • Get a certificate of course completion.

What are the job opportunities after the Office 365 course?

You can get the following job opportunities after completing the Office 365 course-

  • Office 365 Engineer
  • Office 365 Administrator
  • Desktop Support Engineer With Office 365
  • Microsoft Office 365 Migration Specialist
  • Office 365 Support Engineer
  • Sharepoint And Office 365 Admin 
  • Teams Administrator
  • Microsoft Exchange Administrator
  • Sharepoint Developer
  • Exchange Server L2 Engineer
  • Ad Azure Admin With Office 365 Admin
  • Office 365 Application Support Engineer

What are the salary prospects after the Office 365 online course?

You can expect the following salaries in different countries after completing the Office 365 course-

  • United States: USD 80,000 to USD 104,000
  • India: INR 4.27 LPA to INR 10 LPA
  • United Kingdom: £60,000 to £ 75,000
  • UAE: AED 148,000 to AED 326,000
  • Singapore: SGD 74,000 to SGD 113,000
  • Australia: AUD 67,000 to AUD 92,000
  • South Africa: ZAR 103,000 to ZAR 505,000

The DORA Process in DHCP: Explained

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DORA Process in DHCP
DORA Process in DHCP

Are you familiar with the term DHCP? If not, DHCP stands for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, a network protocol that assigns IP addresses and other network configuration parameters to devices on a network. You can learn in detail about DHCP here. In this blog, we will focus on one of the critical processes involved in DHCP, the DORA process in DHCP. The acronym DORA stands for Discover, Offer, Request, and Acknowledgement, and it represents the four-step process that DHCP clients and servers use to assign IP addresses. 

DHCP uses UDP port numbers 67 and 68. Out of these, the services are provided on port number 67 and the client listens on port number 68. It is also based on a client-server model. DHCP works completely on the DORA process.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the details of what’s the need for the DORA process and understand what happens in each step of the DORA process in DHCP. 

What is the DORA Process?

Every device that is part of a network needs a unique IP address to communicate with other network devices. These IP addresses are assigned either through Static IP or Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

The DHCP follows a DORA process to assign IP addresses to the network devices. This process is based on a client-server model and involves an exchange of 4 types of messages:

  • Discover
  • Offer
  • Request
  • Acknowledgement

Therefore, the DORA process refers to the assignment of dynamic IP addresses to various network devices, clients, and nodes present over the Internet to allow communication between these devices in a network.

Why is the DORA process required?

Suppose that you work in a business organization where you have a DHCP server set up. Some computers are connected through a networking device that is connected to this DHCP server.

Now, if you want to install a new computer to the existing network of other computers, you would need to manually assign an IP address to this computer. This will allow it to become a part of the network to communicate information with other computers.

This is where the role of the DHCP server comes into place. It, therefore, uses the DORA process to assign the IP address to the newly added computer. You must note that to assign the IP address, some configuration changes are needed to be made in the computer.

To do so, DHCP must be enabled in the TCP/IP properties of the computer to obtain a dynamic IP address. 

Steps involved in the DORA process in DHCP

Now, let us learn the process of how the IP address is assigned by the DHCP server to the device through the DORA process. This follows 4 major steps.

DORA process in DHCP

Discover

  1. Once the DHCP is enabled in the device, it finds the DHCP server. 
  2. The client (computer) does so by broadcasting a DHCP discovery message to the networking device with the broadcast address 255.255.255.255.
  3. This discovery message consists of the MAC address of the client or the limited broadcast address 0.0.0.0.
  4. Since UDP port number 67 is used for the discovery message, all the other clients in the network reject the discovery message, whereas the DHCP server accepts the discovery message.

Offer

  1. After the discovery message is accepted by the DHCP server, it sends out the offer message to the client that contains the available IP address that needs to be assigned inside it.
  2. Therefore, the offer message is broadcasted in the network. Since the MAC address of the device that sends the discovery message is noted, the offer message is accepted by the client and rejected by other clients.
  3. The offer message consists of the IP address, subnet mask, domain name servers (DNS), lease duration, and IP address of the DHCP server.
  4. It depends on the client whether it wants to accept or reject the offered IP address.

Request

  1. If the client accepts the offered IP address by the DHCP server, it sends back a request message to the DHCP server to confirm the IP address.
  2. The request message is also broadcasted on the network. Since the message contains the UDP port number 67, it is accepted by the DHCP server while the other clients in the network reject the request message.
  3. The request message contains the offered IP address by the DHCP server.
  4. When the request message is accepted by the DHCP server, it records the assigned IP address along with the MAC address of the particular client in its DHCP table.

Acknowledgement

  1. When the request message is received by the DHCP server, it sends out an ack message (acknowledgement) to the client telling that it has configured the IP address for the client.
  2. The ack message is also broadcasted in the network. It is broadcasted so that if there is any other DHCP server present in the network, it must become aware of the assigned IP address.
  3. The acknowledgement message contains the assigned IP address, subnet mask, lease duration, domain name servers (DNS), and the IP address of the DHCP server.

Conclusion

In this blog, we have summed up the most popular process of assigning the IP address to the client via a DHCP server. The Discover, Offer, Request, and Acknowledge process ensures that devices are assigned unique IP addresses and other network configuration parameters on the network.

You also learned why all the messages are broadcasted in the network. Also, it is done to further enable unicast communication between the client and server.

Understanding the DORA process is essential for network administrators and IT professionals who work with DHCP, as it allows them to troubleshoot network connectivity issues and optimize network performance.

It is also an important concept to learn for individuals appearing for the CCNA or CCNP exam.

FAQs:

01. What happens if a DHCP client does not receive an Acknowledge message?

If a DHCP client does not receive an Acknowledge message, it will retry the Request message several times before giving up and sending a new Discover message.

02. How can I configure a DHCP server?

You can configure a DHCP server on a Windows or Linux server by installing the DHCP server role and configuring the DHCP scope.

03. What is a DHCP scope?

A DHCP scope consists of a range of IP addresses that are available to be assigned to the clients. It makes sure that unique IP addresses are assigned to the client every time.

EIGRP Interview Questions and Answers

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EIGRP Interview Questions and Answers
EIGRP Interview Questions and Answers

Are you preparing for the role of a Network Engineer? If yes, then it is a must to have in-depth knowledge about routing protocols. One of the in-demand routing protocols is the Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP). 

We will cover the most frequently asked EIGRP interview questions and their answers. These questions and answers would help you to crack interviews for the network engineer and network administrator roles. EIGRP is an important concept to learn during the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) course.

Let us now begin with the list of EIGRP interview questions and answers!

Most frequently asked EIGRP Interview Questions and Answers

“Unlock Your EIGRP Interview Success with Expertly Crafted Q&A given below! Prepare for the role of a Network Engineer with Confidence & crack your interview with these EIGRP interview Questions and answers guide. Get it Now!”

1. What do you understand by EIGRP?

EIGRP is one of the most popular routing protocols and is partially an open-source protocol made by Cisco, which stands for Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP), released in 1993. After 2013, it was made open for public use.

EIGRP is used for Internet Protocol (IP) networks and is a classless and advanced distance vector routing protocol used in a computer network for automating routing decisions and configurations. It is also mentioned as a hybrid routing protocol since it uses information from link-state routing protocols and distance vector routing protocols.

The primary function of EIGRP is to share routes with other routers present in an autonomous system (AS). Therefore, this routing protocol gets used in a router and is distinct from other routing protocols like RIP since it does not send updates in one go, which reduces the workload on a router where data can get transferred easily in smaller packets.

EIGRP is an advanced version of Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP). Since the networks shifted to using classless IPv4 addresses in the Internet Protocol that IGRP could not support, EIGRP got invented.

2. Mention and explain various tables used in EIGRP.

There are three types of EIGRP tables, namely-

  • Neighbour table
  • Topology table
  • IP routing table

The explanations of these EIGRP tables are as follows-

Neighbour table:

  • This table performs the task of tracking neighbour relationships. 
  • These help EIGRP in routing and converging.
  • Whenever a new neighbour gets discovered, an entry with the address and interface of the neighbour gets made in the table.
  • The command to display this table is – show IP EIGRP neighbours.
  • The benefit of this table is that it allows the delivery of data packets in a sequence.

Topology table:

  • The topology table directs a router in choosing the best route. 
  • This table comprises the possible and available paths in an autonomous system.
  • This table includes EIGRP updated messages.
  • The chosen ways get added to the respective IP routing table.

Routing table:

  • The routes to a particular destination get saved in the IP routing table.
  • It also contains details of the next hop, network ID, and cost of packet path.

3. What are the conditions for two EIGRP routers to be neighbors?

EIGRP neighbours must satisfy the following conditions-

  • Both routers must be present in the same primary subnet.
  • The k-values with variables such as bandwidth, load, delay, reliability, and MTU of the configured routers must be the same. The k-values represent the complete EIGRP composite cost metric. The value could lie anywhere between 0 to 128.
  • The configured routers must be present in the Autonomous System (AS).
  • The interfaces of the configured routers must be active. If the interfaces of the neighbouring routers are passive, they cannot send out or process “hello” messages which prevent EIGRP from forming neighbours.

The authentication and configuration of both routers must be the same.

4. Does EIGRP need an IP default-network command to propagate a default route?

Even though EIGRP can propagate a default route with the default network method, it is not required for EIGRP to use an IP default-network command. All the default routes are redistributed directly by EIGRP.

5. How many kinds of EIGRP packets are there?

There are five kinds of EIGRP packets to enable communication between two neighbouring routers, namely-

Hello Packets

  1. The hello packets are the EIGRP packets sent to discover the neighbouring routers. 
  2. If a router does not receive a hello packet within the hold time of 15 seconds, that particular router is considered ‘dead’.
  3. Timing allotted – 5 seconds.
  4. The hello packets are multicast to 224.0.0.10.

Update Packets

  1. All the routing information about destinations gets saved in these packets.
  2. Update packets get sent at the time of discovering new neighbours. 
  3. Update Packets allow the formation of the topology table by the neighbour router.
  4. These packets can be unicast or multicast. 

Acknowledgement Packets

  1.  These packets perform the function of sending an ‘acknowledgement’ message when an update message is received.
  2. You can consider it as a ‘hello’ packet without any data.
  3. Acknowledgement packets are always unicast.
  4. These are commonly known as ack packets.

Query Packets

  1. The query packets get sent when the destination enters the active state.
  2. These packets can be unicast or multicast.
  3. The query packets get used to extract specific information from a neighbour router.

Reply Packets

  1. These packets get sent as a reply to the query packets by EIGRP in a router.
  2. These packets always get unicasted.
  3. They use RTP.

6. Why is EIGRP a preferred routing protocol over others like RIP?

The advantages of using the EIGRP routing protocol are as follows-

  • The convergence rate of the EIGRP routing protocol is faster than other routing protocols.
  • It can support both IPv4 and IPv6 networks.
  • It is a hybrid routing protocol that can automate routing decisions.
  • It can work efficiently in unequal cost load sharing and through Equal-Cost Multi-Path (ECMP).
  • It has the least hello timer – 1 second.
  • It uses the k-values concepts that measure delay, bandwidth, reliability, hop count and MTU, which causes the protocol to work more efficiently.
  • It gets used for WAN routing since it provides encryption.

7. How do routers select an EIGRP routing ID?

The routers select EIGRP routing ID as follows-

  • Router IDs are usually manually configured.
  • If not manually configured, routers look for the highest loopback interface.
  • If the loopback interface does not configure, the router looks for the highest physical interface in the ‘up/up’ state.

8. Does EIGRP support secondary addresses?

Since all the data packets get sourced from the primary addresses by EIGRP, it prioritizes finding neighbouring routers with primary addresses. It is hard to make it work with routers of primary addresses if it chooses a secondary address.

Still, EIGRP supports secondary addresses.

9. Mention all the EIGRP timer values.

EIGRP link type

Hello interval

Hold Dow interval

High speed link (broadcast/LAN)

5 seconds

15 seconds

Low speed links (NBMA/WAN)

60 seconds

180 seonds

10. What is the use of no-auto summary command?

The subnet mask is not visible with the routing information in EIGR by default. This command unmasks the subnet mask information and the routing information.

11. What is the feasible distance?

The feasible distance is the distance between the source and the destination network. It is the most efficient distance travelled to transfer information.

12. What is meant by ‘stuck inactive’?

The stuck inactive message is sent by a router when it does not receive a reply to its query. If the path mentioned gets erased, the “stuck inactive” message pops up.

Wrapping Up!

That is all for the top most-asked EIGRP interview questions and answers. It is mandatory to first enroll in a CCNP course to learn in-depth about these routing protocols.

Happy Learning!

Cisco ASA Interview Questions and Answers

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Cisco ASA interview questions and Answers
Cisco ASA interview questions and Answers

Need help to prepare for your ASA interview? Look no further! Our comprehensive blog entitled “Cisco ASA interview Questions and Answers: The only guide you need will help you with the knowledge and confidence you need to succeed. Cisco has been a tech leader when it comes to network infrastructure and firewall equipment. Almost 90% of business organizations rely on Cisco for their network infrastructure devices. 

The Cisco ASA is one such security appliance that provides advanced security and networking facilities for small and medium-sized businesses, service providers, enterprise organizations, and government bodies. It is one of the most popular security equipment available in the market.

This is why a lot of individuals are preparing for the role of a Cisco ASA Firewall Engineer! If you wish to land a job in the network security or network infrastructure domain, it is crucial for you to prepare how to answer Cisco ASA firewall interview questions.

In this guide, we are covering some of the most-asked interview questions and answers for the Cisco ASA Firewall. This guide will give you all the info you need to ace the job interview!

Let’s begin.

Most frequently asked Cisco ASA interview questions and answers

“Unlock Your ASA Interview Success with Expertly Crafted Q&A given below! Prepare with Confidence & crack your ASA interview with these Cisco ASA interview Questions and answers guide. Get it Now!”

1. What is Cisco ASA?

The Cisco ASA (Adaptive Security Appliance) is a huge security package that makes use of multiple security technologies and solutions to monitor and protect an organization’s network from cyber-attacks. It does so by using the following techniques/tools:

  • Stateful packet validation
  • Access Control List (ACL)
  • Integrated threat mitigation tools such as antivirus, antispam, and content filtering

A Cisco ASA also has access to Virtual Private Network (VPN) remote access and high-availability features that come in handy in case of network failure or unplanned downtime. 

On top of that, it also provides a safe platform to integrate additional applications such as firewalls and intrusion prevention systems. Therefore, a lot of corporate networks deploy Cisco ASA appliances and some VPNs.

Note: Cisco ASA is not a router. It is a firewall and a network security appliance.

2. What are the benefits of the Cisco ASA?

It is very important for any business organization to deploy network security and Cisco ASA is the solution for it. The following are the benefits of Cisco ASA:

  • Offers network security:

Cisco ASA uses various technologies like ACL, antivirus, etc. to provide network security.

  • Monitors networks and generates reports:

The major benefit of Cisco ASA is that it records various metrics in a network and generates report accordingly. This report provides information about user activity, network failures, server usage, etc.

  • Provides load balancing:

Sometimes, there could be a heavy influx of traffic. This is why th Cisco ASA also has load-balancing solutions to provide security service.

  • Solution to manage and monitor:

Cisco ASA also provides the facility of managing and monitoring all the devices through a single platform. No need to juggle between various interfaces.

  • Easy integration with other security services:

The best feature of Cisco ASA is that it can easily work in coordination with other security services such as Cisco CloudLock, etc. This makes the detection of a threat easy.

3. What are the main features of Cisco ASA.

Cisco ASA has a variety of features that provide protection, operations control, network monitoring, and top-notch network performance. 

The following are the key features of the Cisco ASA package:

  • Firewall feature:

The Cisco ASA firewall provides the utmost protection from cyber-attacks along with content filtering and intrusion protection.

  • Virtual Private Network (VPN):

The Cisco ASA also provides secure multi-site IPsec VPN remote access with advanced encryption and authentication.

  • Real-time protection with IPS:

The Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) provides real-time protection along with a firewall. It deploys machine learning to identify threats.

  • URL filtering:

This feature of the Cisco ASA allows filtering URLs to block websites and URLs. This allows network administrators to protect sensitive information from other users.

  • Application control:

Cisco ASA provides information about apps running on an organization’s network. This allows network administrators to manage and control applications.

  • Security intelligence:

The Cisco ASA also uses automation and analytics to provide security against cyber threats.

  • Network security:

With the use of zone-based firewalls and object-based Network Address Translation (NAT), Cisco ASA provides flexible network security management.

4. What is a firewall? At which layer of the OSI model it works?

  • A firewall is a network security device that acts as a protection layer between incoming and outgoing traffic. 
  • It allows the traffic to enter and leave the network in coordination with pre-defined rules.
  • It is a device that provides security to the users as it is placed between a trusted and an untrusted network. 
  • Its purpose is to provide security to users, servers, and internal networks.

The firewalls work at Layer 3 (Network Layer), Layer 4 (Transport Layer), and Layer 7 (Application Layer).

5. What’s the difference between a stateful and stateless firewall?

Stateful Firewall

Stateless Firewall

A stateful firewall can monitor various aspects of traffic streams, their communication channels, and their characteristics.

A stateless firewall does not inspect traffic. It identifies TCP connection stages, packet state, and other updates. Their main focus is to monitor packets only.

It maintains information about connections in a connection table.

It delivers fast performance as it does not care about the traffic load.

Some examples are ASA, Checkpoint, and PIX.

An example of a stateless firewall is File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

6. Which command is used to check NAT translation?

The following commands can be used to check NAT translation:

# show xlate

# show NAT

7. Describe the different types of security events logged and monitored by the ASA.

You can consider log files as traditional physical logbooks kept by shopkeepers to enter logs for different customers. The log files record events in end-user devices or IT-based systems.

Events logs are categorized into a few default types based on the component which is at default. The following logs are made by Cisco ASA:

  • Application log:

Any log that takes place is recorded by an application in this type of log. It is made by developers therefore, it is a pre-installed feature of an application.

An application error when you open an app is an example of an application log.

  • Security log:

Login attempts and deletion of files are recorded in such types of logs. It depends on the administrator which logs it wants to record according to the audit policy.

  • System log:

Events are logged by the operating system in such a type of log. 

  • DNS server log:

This type of log records the DNS server and resolution events. The access of such logs is only to the DNS server.

  • Directory service log:

It keeps track of AD events. This log can only be accessed by domain controllers.

  • File replication service log:

All the events that occur in the domain controller replication are recorded as an event log. This log is accessed by domain controllers only.

8. Explain security levels in Cisco ASA.

There are various security levels to check the reliability of a network attached. The security level can be configured between 0 to 100. The higher the number, the higher the trust. The Cisco ASA prefers traffic from a high-security level to a low-security level.

9. What is meant by a failover? What are the types of failover?

Failover refers to a feature exclusive to Cisco to provide redundancy. In case of a failover, two same ASA’s need to be connected to each other with a specific link. The health of units and active interfaces is monitored to check if a failover has occurred.

There are two types of failover:

  • active/standby failover
  • active/active failover

10. What in formation is exchanged between ASA when a failover occurs?

The information exchanged includes the following:

  • State – active/standby
  • Network link status
  • Mac address
  • Configuration replication and synchronization
  • Hello messages

11. What is meant by security context?

ASA can be divided into small chunks of multiple virtual devices in the form of security context. Each of these security context acts as an independent unit with its own security policies, interfaces and administrators.

12. Mention the timeouts for TCP, UDP and ICMP sessions.

The timeouts for each of these sessions are mentioned below:

  • UDP session: 2 minutes
  • TCP session: 60 minutes
  • ICMP session: 2 seconds

13. What is the command used for default route configuration in ASA?

ASA(config)# 0 0 <next-hope>

14. What is meant by a transparent firewall?

When a firewall acts as a layer 2 device, it is referred to as a transparent firewall. It acts as a bridge or switch and it forwards ethernet frames on the basis of destination MAC-address. There is no need for an access list to allow traffic from high security level to low security level via Layer 3.

The best part about a transparent firewall is that it can be deployed in an existing network. There is no need to reconfigure a device or re-address it before adding a transparent firewall in a network.

15. Mention all the features that are not supported in a transparent mode.

The following features are not supported:

  • Multicasting
  • Dynamic routing
  • QoS
  • VPNs like IPSec and WebVPN can’t be terminated/suspended
  • ASA cannot be a DHCP relay agent

Conclusion

We have combined 15 most-asked ASA firewall interview questions and answers for you. Please note that this free guide should only be considered after you have covered all the fundamental concepts through the Cisco ASA course.

You can consider the Cisco ASA course as you can learn directly from Network Security Engineers with over 12 years of experience.

Happy studying.