Three Rules for Making Yourself Indispensable at Work

With increased turnover and less time to prove yourself to higher-ups, how can you make yourself indispensable?

Demonstrate measurable results. “You’re only going to be as valuable as your last project,” says Levit. Resumes are quickly becoming irrelevant, she says – it’s not about titles or official responsibilities. (After all, even poor performers can sometimes hide behind an illustrious pedigree.) Instead, it’s about results. “You have to be able to explain your projects in a way that shows how you added value to the bottom line,” she says.

Sell yourself. Squeamish about tooting your own horn? Levit says to get over it. “You have to be very good at your job,” she says. “But you also have to make sure the right people know about your results, and subtly tout your accomplishments.” Without building a cadre of supporters in your organization, your career may be in imminent jeopardy if your boss or mentor departs. When it comes to job security, says Levit, “If higher-ups don’t know the value you add, your contributions don’t matter.”

Forget authenticity. In the Internet era, we’ve heard plenty about the need to “be yourself” and “express the real you.” Levit isn’t convinced. “You need to be the most professional version of yourself,” she argues. That doesn’t mean inventing a new personality or pretending to be someone else. But it does mean filtering anything that would embarrass you at work. “I believe in self-censorship,” she says. “Even online, regardless of privacy settings, there’s no forum where you can say absolutely anything you want.”

Source: Forbes

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Must-Have Job Skills in 2013

Even as employers remain cautious next year about every dollar spent on employees, they'll also want workers to show greater skills and results.

For employees who want to get ahead, basic competency won't be enough.

To win a promotion or land a job next year, experts say there are four must-have job skills:

1. Clear communications

Whatever their level, communication is key for workers to advance.

"This is really the ability to clearly articulate your point of view and the ability to create a connection through communication," says Holly Paul, U.S. recruiting leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers, the accounting and consulting firm based in New York.

Looking for a job? Looking for a promotion? Marketwatch's Kelli Grant and WSJ's Simon Constable discuss the top skills you must have to have a successful career in 2013.

For job seekers in particular, clear communication can provide a snapshot of their work style to employers. "I can walk away from a five-minute conversation and feel their enthusiasm and have a good understanding of what's important to them," Ms. Paul says.

As office conversations increasingly move online, some workers are losing or never developing the ability to give a presentation, for example. Others may be unable to write coherently for longer than, say, 140 characters.

"Technology in some ways has taken away our ability to write well. People are in such a hurry that they are multitasking," and they skip basics such as spelling and proofing, says Paul McDonald, senior executive director of Robert Half International, a Menlo Park, Calif., staffing firm.

2. Personal branding

Human-resources executives scour blogs, Twitter and professional networking sites such as LinkedIn when researching candidates, and it's important that they like what they find.

"That's your brand, that's how you represent yourself," says Peter Handal, CEO of Dale Carnegie Training, a Hauppauge, N.Y., provider of workplace-training services. "If you post something that comes back to haunt you, people will see that."

Workers also should make sure their personal brand is attractive and reflects well on employers. "More and more employers are looking for employees to tweet on their behalf, to blog on their behalf, to build an audience and write compelling, snappy posts," says Meredith Haberfeld, an executive and career coach in New York.

Ms. Haberfeld has a client whose employee recently posted on her personal Facebook  page about eating Chinese food and smoking "reefer."

"I saw it on Facebook. Her supervisors saw it," Ms. Haberfeld says.

3. Flexibility

The ability to quickly respond to an employer's changing needs will be important next year as organizations try to respond nimbly to customers.

"A lot of companies want us to work with their employees about how to get out of their comfort zone, how to adapt," says Mr. Handal. "Somebody's job today may not be the same as next year."

The ability to learn new skills is of top importance, says George Boué, human-resources vice president for Stiles, a real-estate services company in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. "We want to know that if we roll out a new program or new tools that the folks we have on board are going to be open to learning," he says.

4. Productivity improvement

In 2013, workers should find new ways to increase productivity, experts say. Executives are looking for a 20% improvement in employee performance next year from current levels, according to a recent survey by the Corporate Executive Board, an Arlington, Va., business research and advisory firm.

"When you are at your job, do you volunteer for projects? Are you looking for creative ways to help your organization," Mr. McDonald says. "The way to really differentiate yourself is to be proactive."

Companies that are considering adding workers in coming years want current employees to operate in growth mode now. "My clients are looking for employees that have a great ability to understand what is wanted and needed, rather than needing to be told," Ms. Haberfeld says.

Even hiring managers need to work on certain skills as organizations consider expanding next year. "The ability to spot talent and hire people has fallen out of use over the last several years," says Ben Dattner, an organizational psychologist in New York. "As the economy turns around, companies will have to work harder to retain talented employees. Companies have trimmed the fat, and now they have to build the muscle."

Source: Wall Street Journal

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15 Top Paying Certifications for 2013

Having earned an IT certification, many individuals think they are automatically entitled to a huge raise. The truth is that several factors, including geography, industry, experience, and yes, certifications, combine to play a major role in determining an individual's salary. However, certain certifications do have greater impact on the earning potential of an individual. Here, we take a look at the 15 certifications with the highest earning potential for 2013.

Note: The rankings below are derived from certifications that received the minimum number of responses to be statistically relevant in the Global Knowledge annual salary survey completed in October 2012. Certain certifications pay more, but are not represented due to their exclusive nature. These include CCIE: Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert and VCDX: VMware Certified Design Expert, for example.

1. PMP: Project Management Professional - $105,750

The Project Management Institute's (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) credential is recognized as the most important certification for project managers. It is globally acknowledged, in heavy demand, and highly sought after by corporations and individuals alike. A Project Management Professional designation demonstrates that you have not only the experience but also the education to successfully lead and direct projects. The PMP credential is for experienced project management professionals, as the qualifications and testing for this certification are rigorous, as are the required continuing education requirements. All of these factors ensure that the PMP credential is widely respected. The PMP experience and exam requirements focus on five process groups: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Controlling, and Closing.

2. CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional - $103,299

The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) credential is primarily intended for security managers and profes¬sionals who develop policies and procedures in information security. The CISSP certification has become the gold standard in information security certifications and education. Earning and maintaining a CISSP certification is required for many government, military, and civilian security positions. The CISSP was the first credential in the field of information security, accredited by the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) to ISO (International Organization for Standardization) Standard 17024:2003.

3. MCSD: Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer - $97,849

The Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer is the new Microsoft developer certification that replaces the old Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer certification. The new certification validates a candidate's ability to design and build application solutions. These solutions may span multiple versions of a single technology or integrate multiple technologies. Developers are expected to analyze and design enterprise solutions using different Microsoft languages and development tools.

Currently, there are three separate certification tracks for those seeking to earn this certification: MCSD: Windows Store Apps, MCSD: Web Applications, and MCSD: Application Lifecycle Management. Each MCSD track requires anywhere from three to six separate exams. Microsoft has introduced a recertification requirement for the new MCSD. Current certification holders will have to recertify every two years, ensuring that they remain current on the base technology that will have changed due to service packs, revisions, and new product releases. (Those holding MCSE certifications will have to recertify every three years).

4. MCDBA: Microsoft Certified Database Administrator - $95,950

Access to information is critical in today's fast-paced, global environment. Corporations are even more dependent on quick and reliable systems to process and retrieve information. This means they must operate their own database servers and business intelligence software to access this information in order to grow and become more successful, and Microsoft Certified Database Administrators (MCDBA) are the ones who provide this expertise. An MCDBA-certified individual has proven his or her ability to design, implement, and manage SQL Server 2000 databases. This certification was retired on September 30, 2012, though if you achieved it before that date it will still appear on your transcript as a legacy certification. There are two new MCSE certifications for SQL 2012: Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE): Data Platform and Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE): Business Intelligence.

5. CCDA®: Cisco Certified Design Associate - $94,799

The Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA) indicates that the certified individual has a strong foundation and apprentice knowledge of network design for Cisco converged networks. A CCDA certification is for network design engineers, technicians, and support engineers, who enable efficient network environments. The CCDA-certified individual has the skills to design a routed and switched network infrastructure and services involv¬ing LAN, WAN, and broadband access for businesses and organizations.

6. MCAD: Microsoft Certified Application Developer - $93,349

The Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) credential provides industry recognition for professional developers who build powerful applications using Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and Web services. Responsibilities include implementing requirements, developing, testing, deploying, and maintaining department-level applications components, Web or desktop clients, or back-end data services by using Microsoft tools and technologies. The MCAD certification is appropriate for Programmers, Analysts, Software Engineers, Software Application Specialists and Application/Software Developers.

7. VCP-DV: VMware Certified Professional Datacenter Virtualization - $92,400

Virtualization, and those who are knowledgeable on virtualization products, are in heavy demand, especially those professionals with datacenter virtualization skills. In the highly competitive virtualization market it is essential to distinguish yourself with a certification that validates your technical capabilities. VMware is one of the leading vendors of virtualization products and earning a VMware certification is the first step toward gaining industry-recognized expertise in virtual infrastructure. Earning the VCP-DV certification demonstrates that you have not only completed a VMWare-authorized training course but also have the necessary experience and training to successfully install, deploy, scale, and manage VMware vSphere environments.

8. CNE: Certified Novell Engineer - $91,350

The Certified Novell Engineer (CNE) shows that those certified individuals have the expertise and knowledge to solve advanced company-wide support problems and high-level network problems. They perform planning, installation, configuration, troubleshooting, and upgrade services for networks. The Certified Novell Engineer (CNE) has been recognized as one of the IT industry's leading certifications for advanced networking and troubleshooting professionals.

9. ITIL v3 Foundation - $90,900

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITILv3) is a foundational process that provides for quality IT Service Management. The success of ITIL is through the use of documented and proven processes that cover the entire Service Lifecycle. The ITIL Expert level is the third of four levels. The ITIL Expert level certification is aimed at those individuals who are interested in demonstrating a superior level of knowledge of ITIL Version 3 (v3) in its entirety. Once you have achieved ITIL Expert level you will also satisfy the pre-requisite entry criteria for the ITIL Master Level; the highest level of certification within the ITIL v3 scheme, though the Master level is still under development.

10. CCA: Citrix Certified Administrator - Citrix XenServer 6 - $90,850

The Citrix CCA is an entry-level certification. Earning this certification validates the candidate's skills with one of 11 specific Citrix products, the most popular being XenApp, XenDesktop, and XenServer. The Citrix Certified Administrator (CCA) for Citrix XenServer 6 certification validates the certified individual's ability to effectively install, configure, administer, troubleshoot, and maintain XenServer 6.0 Enterprise edition and Provisioning Services 6.0 in an enterprise environment.

11. MCITP: Database Administrator - $90,200

The MCITP certification validates that the IT professional is capable of deploying, building, designing, optimizing, and operating technologies for a particular job role. MCITP certifications builds on the technical proficiency measured in the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certifications. In order to earn the MCITP: Database Administrator you must first pass the Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist certification in SQL Server 2008 (by passing the 70-432 exam) and then pass the 70-450 exam. The MCITP Database Administrator demonstrates knowledge of SQL Server instances and database solutions, database server security solutions, high availability databases, backup and recovery solutions, monitoring strategies, database management and maintenance strategies, and data distribution strategies.

12. MCTS: SQL Server 2005 - $90,100

Those who have earned the MCTS: SQL Server 2005 certification are IT professionals who may pursue careers as database administrators, database developers, or business intelligence developers. They may also be people who do not work with Microsoft SQL Server as a part of their primary job functions but who want to show their breadth of technology experience, such as developers, systems administrators, and others. This certification validates that the IT professional can implement and maintain databases by using specific instructions and specifications.

13. MCT: Microsoft Certified Trainer - $89,949

Those holding the Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCTs) certification are the premier technical and instructional experts on Microsoft technologies. An MCT has earned at least one premier certification on a Microsoft product and maintains that certification. Some of the benefits of earning and maintaining an MCT include access to the complete library of Official Microsoft Learning Products; substantial discounts on exams, books, and Microsoft products; members-only newsgroups and online community resources; and invitations to exclusive events and programs. MCT's must renew each year by completing an online application, pay an annual fee, and meet a number of program requirements to renew your certification for the coming year.

14. CCNP®: Cisco Certified Network Professional - $89,749

There are two tracks available at the Associate and Professional levels - Designing and Networking. The Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) demonstrates that you have the ability to plan, implement, verify, and troubleshoot local and wide-area enterprise networks. A CCNP-certified individual is expected to work collaboratively with other Cisco specialists on advanced products such as security, voice, wireless, and video solutions.

15. CCA: Citrix Certified Administrator - Citrix XenDesktop 5 - $89,499

The Citrix CCA is an entry-level certification. Earning this certification validates the candidate's skills with one of 11 specific Citrix products, the most popular being XenApp, XenDesktop, and XenServer. The CCA for Citrix XenDesktop 5 certifies the expertise required to install, administer, and troubleshoot an enterprise environment containing a XenDesktop implementation, including Provisioning Services, XenServer, XenApp and the Desktop Delivery Controller

Summary

Earning a certification does not guarantee that you will walk into a higher paying job. Certification counts, but employers look at several factors, including experience. There was a time when certification holders were reasonably assured of landing a job. Today it is more of a qualifier - not having a certification means you may not even get an interview.

Source: Global Knowledge

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PRISM Would Have Come Off Better With Better PowerPoint Design

I don’t know what to believe about the world anymore. First of all, how does an NSA contractor have the ability to wiretap anyone, ANYONE, from an infrastructure level to a legal level? Is the legal part that “terrorism” is important enough to bypass a court? Is the infrastructure part that the data is available on the NSA’s servers somewhere, and this guy who worked at Booz Allen for three months was given clearance for it? How did this happen?

This part isn’t clear for me, though Michael Arrington has some plausible theories.

Still, I and the rest of the world, six days after the first story broke, have little idea whether this AIM, Facebook Messenger, Paltalk conversation you and I are having is directly accessible to the U.S. government, which, at anytime — and whether or not anyone has clearance — can look at it (Hi guys?!). What we do know for a fact though is that the NSA sucks at PowerPoint. 

Whistleblower Edward Snowden says you can wiretap Obama if need be, but the NSA has done a poor job of expressing that impact through its PRISM PowerPoint presentation. Exactly how much access the government has to company data is completely belied by its shitty graphic design skills.

“The top banner with the logos, it’s horrible, you cannot avoid it,” French PowerPoint designer Emiland De Cubber, who turned the government’s laughable deck into something more design-friendly (above), tells me. “You cannot say it’s bad — for someone who is not a designer to not know design at all. But you can say you didn't think very much about what you wanted to say. It’s sad. Because people did not think about those slides.”

And their eventual audience of, I dunno, 2 billion or so people.

De Cubber is, yes, a PowerPoint slide designer who believes the U.S. government could have conveyed its message more effectively through visual design: “Half of the people don’t care about design, but the other half do care about it. It’s like a PowerPoint cliché, and not as threatening as it actually is.”

And his opinion on the guy who leaked the terrible slides in the first place? “He’s in a good place to be TIME Man Of The Year.”

Stop spying on us, American government.

Source: TechCrunch

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Don’t be Caught up: How to Clear Your Browser Memory

Your internet browser’s cache stores certain information about web pages you visit, so that they’ll load more quickly in the future. This information include browsing history, saved passwords, auto –fill information etc.

It is considered healthy practice to clear your browser’s memory once in a while even on your own devices as most web sites you visit can track you or even steal your information; you’ll be lucky if such is not used against you.

Clearing your browser memory is pretty simple, which is way more important if you are using a public computer like a cyber café.

On your browser simply press “Ctrl+Shift+Delete” simultaneously.

This opens a dialogue box asking you to select what you want to delete.

Check the boxes you want deleted and click “Ok”

Here are instructions with screenshots on how to clear the cache for all major browsers. If you are unsure of what browser version you are currently using, you can visit whatbrowser.org to find out.

It will be safe to set your browser to clear your cache memory on exit.

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EXPOSED: How to Identify Phishing Scams

Like death and taxes, online scams are inevitable. Among the most widely known flimflams is phishing, in which perpetrators try to steal your private information, such as online-account logins and personal financial data, via fake e-mails, websites, and even phone texts.

A typical phishing solicitation appears to be from a company or service you trust and possibly already do business with, including a bank, a payment service such as PayPal, internet banking or an agency such as the NIMC or a telco.

But a number of telltale signs can help you identify phishing cons. Read on for tips on staying safe and protecting your information.

How to Identify Phish

Here are some ways you can vet an e-mail that makes you suspicious.

• Look for grammar and spelling oddities and errors
• Check the addresses—are they legitimate, or a little off?
• Hover over links within the e-mail to see the real URLs.
• Don’t click on any link in the e-mail; type the given URLs into your browser.
• If you’re unsure of a site, try signing in with the wrong password first. 
• Below are some real-life examples of phish e-mails as well as the warning signs we spotted in each

Common Examples of Phishing Exploits are given below:

Scammers will send you tons of emails like one shown above, but you should be able to tell the this is a scam by looking at the spellings, hovering your mouse on the sender’s name will reveal the actual address of the sender, and a bogus link asking you to fill in some information.

Fake-antivirus attacks are the biggest security trap when you’re using a browser. Here’s what can happen.

The attacker pops up a box like the one above, telling you your PC is infected. You’re convinced to click a “scan” button to “clean up” your PC. This actually installs an exploit that causes problems, such as hiding files, desktop items, documents, and pictures. The attacker then asks for a fee to fix the damage it “finds.”

Fake AV can be cleaned up without paying a fee to the hacker, but it can be a tricky, multi-step process. To avoid the fake-AV trap, learn the messages your own security software gives. And always assume a pop-up warning is bogus, until you check it thoroughly.

Get Knowledge, Be Protected!

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Yahoo! Hacked: Tips To Better Password Security

In light of the Yahoo Voices hack where 450,000 passwords have been compromised, it’s time again to let the world know what they are doing wrong when it comes to passwords. According to CNET:

• 2,295 accounts used 123456 as their e-mail account password.
• 160 accounts used 111111 as their e-mail password and;
• 70 accounts used 000000 as their passwords.

Common Ways Hacks Happen

Dictionary attacks: Avoid consecutive keyboard combinations— such as qwerty or asdfg. Don’t use dictionary words, slang terms, common misspellings, or words spelled backward. These cracks rely on software that automatically plugs common words into password fields. Password cracking becomes almost effortless with a tool like John the Ripper or similar programs.

Cracking security questions: Many people use first names as passwords, usually the names of spouses, kids, other relatives, or pets, all of which can be deduced with a little research. When you click the “forgot password” link within a webmail service or other site, you’re asked to answer a question or series of questions. The answers can often be found on your social media profile. This is how Sarah Palin’s Yahoo account was hacked.

Simple passwords: Don’t use personal information such as your name, age, birth date, child’s name, pet’s name, or favorite color/song, etc. When 32 million passwords were exposed in a breach last year, almost 1% of victims were using “123456.” The next most popular password was “12345.” Other common choices are “111111,” “princess,” “qwerty,” and “abc123.”

Reuse of passwords across multiple sites: Reusing passwords for email, banking, and social media accounts can lead to identity theft. Two recent breaches revealed a password reuse rate of 31% among victims.

Social engineering: Social engineering is an elaborate type of lying. An alternative to traditional hacking, it is the act of manipulating others into performing certain actions or divulging confidential information.

Tips to Make Your Passwords Secure:

Make sure you use different passwords for each of your accounts. (Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, Google etc)

Be sure no one watches when you enter your password.

Use comprehensive security software and keep it up to date to avoid keyloggers (keystroke loggers) and other malware.

Avoid entering passwords on computers you don’t control (like computers at an Internet café or library)—they may have malware that steals your passwords.

Avoid entering passwords when using unsecured Wi-Fi connections (like at the airport or coffee shop)—hackers can intercept your passwords and data over this unsecured connection.

Don’t tell anyone your password. Your trusted friend now might not be your friend in the future. Keep your passwords safe by keeping them to yourself.

Depending on the sensitivity of the information being protected, you should change your passwords periodically, and avoid reusing a password for at least one year.

Do use at least eight characters of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols in your password. Remember, the more the merrier.

Strong passwords are easy to remember but hard to guess. Iam:)2b29! — This has 10 characters and says “I am happy to be 29!” I wish.

Have fun with known short codes or sentences or phrases. 2B-or-Not_2b? —This one says “To be or not to be?”

Memorize your passwords and PIN codes, never write them down on paper.

Check your password strength. If the site you are signing up for offers a password strength analyzer, pay attention to it and heed its advice.

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Educate Yourself: Cyber Security is Big Business

The cyber security market may reach $870 million by 2017, according to a recent report by the worldwide industry analyst firm IDC. As reported in a recent IBN article discussing the report, IDC indicated there was an increase in Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks in 2012, which is driving the demand for more proactive solutions to the DDoS problem. But DDoS is only one issue that industries are facing when it comes to cyber threats. In a recent Threat Analysis by security researcher Brett Stone-Gross, Ph.D., with the Dell SecureWorks Counter Threat Unit (CTU), Brett discovered a new Android Trojan Horse called Stels. 

A Trojan horse, or Trojan, is malware (or malicious software) that is installed on a user's computer or mobile device without the user's knowledge. The user unknowingly will activate the malware by innocently performing a desirable function, but instead the function facilitates unauthorized access to the user's computer system, or in this case, mobile device. One of the main purposes of Stels is to steal text messages; these messages may include Mobile Transaction Authentication Numbers (mTAN Numbers) used in Two-Factor Authentication for Mobile and Wire Bank Transfers. The Stels malware can also harvest a victim's contact list, send, as well as  intercept Text Messages, make phone calls (including calls to Premium, expensive  numbers),  and install additional malware packages.

It is apparent that as mobile devices increase in popularity, they become a lucrative target for cybercriminals. The eroding corporate perimeter is becoming more of a playground for malicious activity. As an organization, understanding how the increased adoption of mobile devices affects the security of your network is imperative to understanding that we are no longer bound by a "perimeter" and that defense begins with the user. Education is paramount, but so is embracing the idea that the cyber threats are pervasive and so should be security.

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