Most Popular Blog Posts of 2021

Here’s a look back at the most popular blog posts of 2021 according to the number of times readers opened those posts. It’s been a long time since I’ve done a best blogs post…

Some of these posts are oldies, and yet they are still pulling in plenty of traffic. Check out the list, and see if you missed any of them, especially new readers.

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CISA Does NOT an IT Auditor Make

Passing the CISA exam does not make you a good IT auditor anymore than passing a driving test makes you a good driver.
Passing either exam says that you know the basics, but you still have a lot to learn.

Most likely, you still don’t know how and when to use what you know and apply it to the current situation. That’s why experience is necessary. Lots of it.

I’m going on a rant here, so reader beware. If you read on, make sure you hang in there until I make my main point in the end.

You just won’t feel the love right away…

Use LinkedIn to get an IT Audit job

If you’re looking for an IT Audit job, here’s how to use LinkedIn to get noticed.

In a nutshell, you need to enhance your LinkedIn profile so that everyone knows you’re working hard at learning IT auditor skills.

If you’re already working as an IT auditor, use these suggestions to get noticed more and move ahead (or into another company with more opportunities).

How to get an IT Audit job with little or no experience

I get asked all the time, “How do I get a job in IT audit with little or no experience?”

When Michael Onuoha asked me this question (see here), I thought I’d share my response with my readers.

You’ll find these same answers scattered around the blog as I answered people in the past, but I thought I’d pull it all together into one place.

Breaking into any field can be difficult, but it can be done. Especially when the demand for IT auditors is so high.

New IT Auditors Should Start Here

If you’re a new IT auditor or want to become one, I’ve listed a number of my earlier posts for your consideration. If you’re an experienced auditor, here’s an overview of the profession through my eyes.

These posts will:

1. Provide basic information regarding IT audit and security and links to other sources.
2. Help you avoid some of the hidden pitfalls that control owners and auditors face.
3. Give you ideas and approaches for some common and uncommon audits.
4. Give you a few chuckles.

If you start at the top and read through each post, you’ll get a good taste of the positives and negatives of IT auditing. Since you can’t do it in one sitting, you could bookmark the list and work your way through it as you have time.

CISSP isn’t as technical anymore

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Several of my friends passed the CISSP exam recently, and told me that it isn’t as technical as I told them it would be.

They said it was more of a security manager certification.

CISSP CBK Changes

Effective April 15, 2015, the CISSP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) is changing, which affects the CISSP exam and CPEs.

FREE CISSP Cert Webcasts from ISC2

ISC2, the organization that awards the CISSP certification, provides 1 FREE webcast about the 10 CISSP security domains, as well as several FREE webcasts about the CISSP concentrations.

Free CISSP Review Material, Practice Exams

I just found some more FREE CISSP review material and practice exams. One exam is 100 questions, the other 250.

2014 Top Paying Certs (United States)

Below is a list of the top paying certs for 2014 (including average salary amount).

The list is based on the 2014 IT Skills and Salary Survey conducted by Global Knowledge and Penton, completed in October 2013.

After the list, I offer a few comments on some of the certs and the salaries.

Free CISA Prep: Self-Assessment Exam

If you’re planning to take the CISA exam, you need to take ISACA‘s own CISA Self-Assessment exam (get it here).

The exam consists of 50 questions that allow exam candidates to “assess their knowledge of the CISA job practice areas and determine in which information security areas they may have strengths and weaknesses.”

Why CISSP?

This post answers these questions: Why get the CISSP certification? What has it done for me? What else do I need to know?

Charles, one of my readers, asked me, “Do you have postings related to CISSP?” Not many, but here’s one….

CISA vs. CIA Certification

If you’re an IT auditor (or want to be one) and don’t have any audit certifications, which certification should you get, the CISA or the CIA? If you want to get both, which one do you get first?

Full disclosure: I have the CISA, but not the CIA. Back when the CIA was 4 exams, I studied for all the CIA exams except the financial exam, but ended up not taking any of the exams. I also have the CISSP.

FREE CISA Study Guide

When I was studying for the CISA, I created a 40-page study guide for myself that you can download for free.

If you decide to use it, here’s a couple points to keep in mind:

Top 7 Reasons for Security Certification

Here’s my top 7 reasons for getting a security certification:

1. It opens the hiring door. Or more simply stated, employers are looking for them. More and more, if you’re not certified, your resume won’t get past Human Resources. When they scan your application and resume, you’ll end up in the digital delete bucket if the screening software doesn’t see those special letters (CISSP, GIAC, CISA, CCSP, CISM, etc.).

More on the CisA Exam

This topic will be assorted rambles and comments regarding what I now call the “CisA” exam. Check out this post that started it all:  Where is the IS in CISA?

Where is the IS in CISA?

Why do so many IT auditors who pass the CISA know so little about IS and security–and in my opinion aren’t worth hiring* for that and several other reasons?

Well, I think I figured it out. So what clarified my understanding? I took the CISA exam.

How to Pass Certification Exams

Getting ready to take the CISA, CISM, CISSP, CIA, PMP, MCSE, or other certification exams? Here’s what you need to do to pass those tests:

Top 10 Pay-Boosting Tech Certifications

According to Dice, the job search site, certain certifications increase technology professionals’ salaries at all experience levels.

After surveying nearly 17,000 techies, Dice found that the following certifications draw the most additional dollars (no particular order):