I just completed the five-day International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc., (ISC)²® Certified Information Systems Security Professional course called the CISSP Common Body Knowledge. It was five days of some of the most intense training that I’ve ever done. After a day that started at 8:00AM each morning and lasted until just about 5:30PM . Then, it was back to study from about 6:30 to 10:00 or 11:00 each night. Then, on Saturday, a 250 question multiple choice exam with six hours to do it. That’s six hours and if you need to use the wash room, or eat lunch or take a break it was on “your time”. It ate into the six hours that you had to complete the exam.
It was like going back to university again. Like, maybe, doing a semester’s course in a week and then follow it up with a double final exam. It’s been about 15 years since I went through anything like it.
I think that I passed… Maybe….
Anyway, it is a great course if your job involves computer security. Take a look at the program at (ISC)²® Certified Information Systems Security Professional web page.
About Mike Pelley
Let’s see… A little about me…
I’ve been around information technology since 1983 with computers such as DEC Rainbows (weird machine – the standard DOS couldn’t format its own floppy disks – remember them? – and I had to format them on a friend’s IBM PC) to Radio Shack TRS-80 to Apple ][e and Apple //c in the beginning.
I have programmed in 8-bit assembly language on 6502, FORTRAN and COBOL on IBM System/370 (and I still hate JCL), VAX BASIC and COBOL (and a weird and massive WordPerfect 4.0 macro) on DEC VMS (Alpha), C/C++ on Digital Unix (ALPHA), and C/C++, Perl (it may be powerful but I still hate it), PHP on Linux (Red Hat, Centos, Ubuntu, etc.).
I have work with databases such as Digital RDB (later to become Oracle RDB), Oracle DBMS, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL and PostgreSQL on VAX, Alpha, Sun and Intel.
Check out my professional profile and connect with me on LinkedIn. See http://lnkd.in/nhTRZe
I still think that Digital created some of the best ideas in the world: VAX clustering, DSSI disks (forerunner to SCSI) and the Alpha processor (first commercial 64-bit processor – Red Hat screamed on an Alpha!). DEC just could not seem to be able to give air conditioners away to someone lost in the Sahara Desert!
VMware is one of the best ways to get the most out of an x64 server. And I have tried Oracle VM, Virtual Box and Microsoft Virtual Server.
Outside of that I am a huge military history buff starting in the early 20th century. I love Ford Mustangs (my ’87 Mustang GT was awesome) and if I had the money I would have a Porsche 928S4. If I had a lot of money I would have a Porsche 911 Turbo.
I also play too much AmrA 3 Exile mod. Over 5,000+ hours...
I have a wonderful son, Cameron. I have a long suffering (Do you really need all that computer junk?) wife, Paula. I live in Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador.
