[lpi-discuss] NetworkWorld editor looking for feedback on Linux
certifications (in article on Red Hat Security certification)
Ross E. Brunson
ross at brunson.org
Thu Oct 20 19:21:02 EDT 2005
Dan, you bet we're not shy.
I may be biased in my views, but having given over 350 classes and
seminars, and personally been responsible for over 50 bootcamps on
various certifications, I present my views here as an attempt to give
reasonable and usable input to Phil and anyone who may be undecided as
to the value of certifications. I regularly get emails and frequently
talk to and see students from classes over the years. I always ask
about how they are progressing, jobs and other advancements and without
any more scientific methodology than drinking a beer and chatting with
like-minded folks, I can say that defninitely those who pursued the
certification and made the investment in themselves of gaining the
knowledge needed to achieve said certification, have benefitted as a whole.
I have found that certifications are a unit of measure for managers who
aren't technical or in the same discipline as the candidate. I liken
certifications to the signs on the more exciting rides at theme parks,
the ones that say "You must be at least XXX tall to ride this ride". A
good certification is one that lets the person doing the hiring depend
on an independent 3rd party that this person is at least as good as the
certification required them to be in order to pass it.
LPI has definitely raised the bar of certification relevance with it's
tough exams, ever-changing and updated pools of questions and the right
mix of affordability of the exam, appropriateness to the task and it's
use of fill-in-the-blank and other very tough question types, all
culminating in an exam that's hard to achieve if you don't know the
topics and very relevant to the tasks being tested.
I can directly relate my current job to my certifications, if I didn't
have them I would never have made it past the checklist in the HR
department, and I find that for companies and employers that use
certifications as a screening methodology, they do filter out a lot of
unqualified candidates, making it easier to focus on candidates that
have taken the immense time and effort needed to get the various
qualifications/certifications. Years ago, in a process that started
out with 300 applicants and came down to myself and another equally
qualified (both in years of experience and interview skills) candidate,
it was my having gotten the CNA (Novell beginner Sysadmin Cert) that
pushed me to the top by 2 points. Did that help make me a believer in
the value of certifications? You decide.
To those who say that certifications are worthless, I can only say that
I have found that when I sat down and planned out how I would study and
prepare for the various certifications, that I ended up learning the
topic much more deeply and with greater breadth as a result. We all
work in our fields and have a lot of competency, certification
preparation leads us often into areas that we haven't worked in yet, and
makes us aware of tasks that we may have to learn or perform in the
future, either because we change jobs, or the set of objectives for our
jobs change.
I have forwarded an article to Glenn McKnight that I wrote a while ago
for LinuxUser magazine overseas, and will be happy to engage with Phil
at any time on the topic.
Dan York wrote:
> lpi-discuss folks,
>
> FYI, a Network World newsletter out yesterday talks about a new
> security certification coming out of Red Hat, but the newsletter
> author also asks if Linux certifications have helped anyone. Since I
> knew that this list contains folks not shy about voicing their
> opinions, I thought I would pass it along in case anyone cares to
> share their opinion with this editor. I've put the relevant parts up
> on top but included the whole newsletter below.
>
> Enjoy,
> Dan
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------
>
> <snip>
>
> The market is flooded with IT certifications. As far as Linux
> goes, what certifications (if any) matter to you? Has a
> vendor-specific, or general Linux certification (such as those
> offered by the Linux Professional Institute) ever landed you a
> job? Or are these just nice pieces of paper to have on the wall?
> As always, I'm interested to hear readers' opinions on this
> topic.
>
> <snip>
>
> Phil Hochmuth is a Network World Senior Editor and a former
> systems integrator. You can reach him at
> <mailto:phochmut at nww.com>.
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
> ----- Forwarded by Dan York on 10/19/2005 09:53 PM -----
>
>
> "NW on Linux" <Linux at nwfnews.com>
> 10/19/2005 07:00 PM
> Please respond to Linux Help
>
>
> To: dan_york at mitel.com
> cc:
> Subject: Red Hat offers security certification
>
>
> NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: PHIL HOCHMUTH ON LINUX
> 10/19/05
> Today's focus: Red Hat offers security certification
>
> Dear dan_york,
>
> In this issue:
>
> * Red Hat rolls out Certified Security Specialist certification
> * Links related to Linux
> * Featured reader resource
> _______________________________________________________________
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> _______________________________________________________________
> This newsletter is sponsored by Arbor Networks
>
> Network Perimeter defense has become an industry in of itself.
> But what if the danger to your network lurks from within - a
> disgruntled employee, misuse of a VPN, 3rd party access,
> employee access for personal reasons? In the following report,
> Internal Intrusion Prevention, read about this threat and
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> _______________________________________________________________
>
> Today's focus: Red Hat offers security certification
>
> By Phil Hochmuth
>
> Red Hat introduced a new security certification recently with a
> specialized focus on server and client machine security.
>
> The Red Hat Certified Security Specialist (RHCSS) certification
> is targeted at experienced Linux IT administrators and system
> engineers who are proficient at installing and running
> Linux-based networks. The certification program tests users in
> areas such as locking down services running on a Linux machine
> and administering policies with SELinux (a secure version of
> Linux included in Red Hat software). The program also tests the
> knowledge of users for setting up specific security-focused
> applications, such as creating a secure directory on a Linux
> machine with single sign-on, as well as configuring VPNs and
> firewalls with Linux.
>
> The RHCSS program joins the leading Linux vendors other popular
> programs, which include the Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA)
> and Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) certifications. The vendor
> claims that over 10,000 IT pros have received Red Hat
> certifications since the vendor began offering the programs. Red
> Hat certifications are offered as Red Hat locations worldwide
> and cost around $150 per exam.
>
> The market is flooded with IT certifications. As far as Linux
> goes, what certifications (if any) matter to you? Has a
> vendor-specific, or general Linux certification (such as those
> offered by the Linux Professional Institute) ever landed you a
> job? Or are these just nice pieces of paper to have on the wall?
> As always, I'm interested to hear readers' opinions on this
> topic.
>
> The top 5: Today's most-read stories
>
> 1. Cisco finally brings security push to LAN
> <http://www.networkworld.com/nllinux9181>
> 2. Nortel replaces CEO Bill Owens
> <http://www.networkworld.com/nllinux9182>
> 3. Help Desk: When the Windows VPN doesn't work
> <http://www.networkworld.com/nllinux9183>
> 4. Microsoft cuts costs of virtual servers
> <http://www.networkworld.com/nllinux9184>
> 5. WiMAX just around the corner
> <http://www.networkworld.com/nllinux9185>
>
> _______________________________________________________________
> To contact: Phil Hochmuth
>
> Phil Hochmuth is a Network World Senior Editor and a former
> systems integrator. You can reach him at
> <mailto:phochmut at nww.com>.
> _______________________________________________________________
> This newsletter is sponsored by Arbor Networks
>
> Network Perimeter defense has become an industry in of itself.
> But what if the danger to your network lurks from within - a
> disgruntled employee, misuse of a VPN, 3rd party access,
> employee access for personal reasons? In the following report,
> Internal Intrusion Prevention, read about this threat and
> providing multidimensional protection.
> http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=117640
> _______________________________________________________________
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> _______________________________________________________________
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>
> <http://www.networkworld.com/supp/2005/ndc5/>
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