I was explaining my career progression to a new mentee recently, someone new to IT, and it got me thinking about how, early in life, it can be unclear how someone might transition through multiple jobs or careers. For many, these transitions are driven by interest, necessity such as being laid off, or a drive… Read More: Thinking Back on Career Transitions »
Introduction Microsoft released Security Copilot worldwide on April 1, 2024. This service provides a natural language, generative AI assistant for Security Operation Center (SOC) analysts. Security Copilot is a generative AI-powered chat assistant add-on designed for various Microsoft Security tools. It enables security analysts to converse with an AI assistant, share conversations, and use generative… Read More: Microsoft Security Copilot Alternatives »
A simplified approach to following the DOD (U.S. Department of Defense) Zero Trust roadmap using Microsoft security solutions. Introduction The DoD Zero Trust Portfolio Management Office (ZT PfMO) released the Department of Defense Zero Trust Strategy and Roadmap on Nov 22, 2022. It defined what the DOD needs to do to execute Zero Trust. A… Read More: DOD Zero Trust with Microsoft Made Simple »
I’m still recovering from my third year at Black Hat and DefCon. The physical and emotional exhaustion, social overload, and post-event sniffles are all signs of a great conference. This year, I added an extra day for the first-ever Black Hat AI Summit. I was drawn to the topic, the networking opportunities, and my usual… Read More: Hacker Summer Camp 2024 »
I returned from my second Hacker Summer Camp a few weeks back, Black Hat and DEF CON, and I’m excited to share my observations and notes. What is Hacker Summer Camp? DEF CON was started by Jeff Moss (known as Dark Tangent) at the age of 18 in 1993, with around 100 attendees, and it… Read More: Hacker Summer Camp 2023 »
Are your Entra ID (AAD) logs getting too expensive in Sentinel? I have a theory on this. These logs appear to be created primarily for reporting purposes. Optimal sizing may not have been a primary consideration. In my experience these logs can grow rapidly and may become too expensive to retain in Sentinel. The two… Read More: Ways to reduce Entra ID (AAD) log size in Microsoft… »
It is often necessary to setup alert or ticket integration between two monitoring solutions. For example, sending alerts from one system to an ITSM or SIEM. I will refer to the data being transferred as alerts here for simplicity. Where do you start? First determine your requirements: Look for out of the box and community… Read More: How to design a ticket integration solution? »
There are many opportunities in our professional lives to provide feedback on peers, managers, company direction, instructors, vendors, etc. You may be tempted to use these opportunities to focus on the negative by providing constructive criticism and negatively weighted responses. I suggest that you consider focusing on the positive. Consider that these feedback requests are… Read More: Providing constructive criticism on professional feedback requests »
At some point in your technical career, someone is going to ask you to research a new technology and to educate others on what you learned. Maybe you are a SME, consultant, salesperson, instructor, or you simply drew the short straw. I have been fortunate to experience this process many times in my professional career.… Read More: How to learn like a teacher »
Forged in Fire is a great analogy for a job interview. Forged in Fire is a one-hour blacksmithing competition show where four contestants compete in three rounds to identify the Forged in Fire Champion. Each round involves sword and knife forging competitions. Professional and amateur blacksmiths compete in timed rounds to forge weapons within specific… Read More: 10 Interview Tips Inspired by Forged in Fire »
The Information Technology career field draws people from many industries. If this is your first career or your third career; here are a few tips on how to be awesome at IT Admin. Most IT Admins are not programmers. Learn at least one programming language fluently. For those entering college that means taking the computer… Read More: Tips for IT Career Excellence »
Here are some useful links for job seekers. I will update the list periodically.
Microsoft Specific, Resume Services, Soft Skills, Cyber Learning, Tech Training, Vet Resources, Tech Projects
Here is a list of over 1,000 hours of book recommendations (70 titles) from an audiobook and podcast addict. Walking, driving, shopping, cleaning, or just relaxing. Hopefully I can share my addition with others. May you also get strange looks from onlookers as you laugh unexpectedly or carry a silly grin or intense scowl. Enjoy!… Read More: Audiobook Reading List »
The two most important interview questions in my opinion are around your passion for technology and the company. Interviewers want to know that you are technology focused and that you are particularly interested in serving their organization. How do you stay up on technology? The core of this question is an attempt to assess your… Read More: Two most important technical interview questions »
Here is a screen shot of me preparing for my 2017 interview with Microsoft. Here are a few remote interview tips. Look closely… I have a high-end web camera mounted on a tripod at a flattering angel. Many laptops place the camera at an unusual angle. The larger camera provides a better focal point for… Read More: Rock the Remote Interview »
Do not get taken to the cleaners by web hosting companies with insufficient security controls that upsell you to expensive website protection services. They have a financial incentive not to protect your websites. I host my WordPress websites with a big hosting company. One of my sites was attacked. My hosting company was quick to… Read More: Protecting your WordPress website »
How will you prepare for your next interview? Please let me share my tips on preparing for and landing the interview for your dream job. Crushing the interview begins long before the actual interview. Identify your dream job (get your head out of the “any” job mindset). Determine the type of work, a short list… Read More: Interview Strategy »
Quick tips for achieving the Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification. There are no prerequisites. You only need to complete AZ-300 and AZ-301. I do highly recommend completing AZ-900, AZ-103, and AZ-500 prior. Be prepared to retake 2-3 exams along the way. Test early and test often. These exams overlap and have a cumulative effect. Starting… Read More: Become a Certified Azure Expert! »
Are you at a fork in the road? Time to polish your resume or maybe time to write your first resume? I have completed over 100 technical interviews, mostly for college and veteran hiring programs. I see a lot of bad resumes and would like to share some tips on resume writing. In my experience,… Read More: Resume Writing Tips »
Arg! Why pirates? Halloween is just around the corner… I created a set of 400 flashcards on Quizlett last year. The deck is based on the recently retired AZ-533 exam (now known ad the AZ-103 or Azure Administrator Associate exam). I refer to these cards periodically as a refresher. Due to the rapid evolution of… Read More: Free Azure Admin Flashcards! »