4/1/2009 -- According to CompTIA's seventh annual "Trends in Information Security" survey, human error is the biggest reason for most severe security breaches to occur.

The survey also found that fewer organizations provided security training for non-IT staff in 2008 compared to 2007. Given the exponential way in which security issues keep cropping up, CompTIA could be on to something here...

Revisiting Microsoft Numbers
Last time, I noted this line included in one press Microsoft press release: "Since the economic downturn, more people than ever are pursuing Microsoft certification credentials." I was curious as to the how those numbers add up.

Well, ask and ye shall receive. According to a follow-up with Microsoft spokesperson: 

"1. Microsoft has trained roughly 51 million software developers and technology workers globally over the past decade. In the past year, Microsoft has experienced 15 percent growth in certification credentials. Microsoft training and certification continue to rate highly among the top satisfaction drivers for IT professionals in the annual MCP Customer Satisfaction Survey."

And,

"2. Since Microsoft shifted to the new generation of certification exams, a process that has just finished a three-year rollout, it has seen a higher uptake among developers and a steady increase in certification among IT professionals."

You can get more information on the worldwide MCP numbers here.

Novell Linux Certifications Incrementing
Now that SUSE Linux has gone to version 11, Novell is in the process of beta testing changes that need to be made to its Linux certification exams from version 10. The SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 Administration (Course 3102) is presently in beta mode (in the Novell world, the objectives for the courses lead straight to the objectives for the exams). As such, it will focus on the following topic areas, according to Novell:

• "Install SUSE Linux Enterprise 11
• Manage System Installation
• Administer Linux Processes and Services
• Administer Storage
• Configure the Network
• Manage Hardware
• Configure Remote Access
• Monitor SUSE Linux Enterprise 11
• Automate Tasks
• Manage Backup and Recovery
• Administer User Access and Security"

More information can be found here.

Product of the Week: Digital Short Cuts
Cisco Press recently added a number of new entries to its Digital Short Cuts line. These short books are published online and average at around 100 pages each. They're meant to provide content for topics that may not be able to justify regular publishing, but they go through the same editorial process and are worth the price. Check out the three latest entries:

• CCDE Quick Reference by Russ White and Mosaddaq Turabi
• CCSP SNAA Quick Reference by Ryan Lindfield
• CCSP SNRS Quick Reference by Andrew Mason

Books of the Week: 'Beyond Bullet Points' and 'Why Most PowerPoint Presentations Suck'
If there were ever two books that should always be read together, it would be Beyond Bullet Points by Cliff Atkinson and Why Most PowerPoint Presentations Suck by Rick Altman.

Both books make the assertion that PowerPoint presentations have become so bland and boring as to defeat their very purpose. One of the reasons for this is that most users think PowerPoint is so easy to use that they never spend more than 15 minutes figuring it out.

With some additional information, which these books provide, you can learn how to focus your presentation, clarify it into the right blend of message and media, and engage your audience so they're not napping until you finish. While some overlap exists between the two, I can't really recommend one book without the other. What I do recommend, though, is that you purchase them and take to heart the information they share.