Q. Could you tell us something about your  educational background?

B. Tech Electronics and Communication, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala.

Q. After your education, what made you go for IT Security certifications?

I was well aware of the field by the time of graduation, also i had enough exposure in Linux.

Q. As a security student how did you find the CEH and ECSA programs at Intercop (Inter-networkz-Security division)?

CEH and ECSA under my trainer Arun Thomas was superb, the knowledge you get from these courses depends on the exposure of the trainer. 

At intercop, the facilities in the security lab is very good, and the certifications are the hottest in the market.

Q. About the Certification exams.

The courses were interesting and preparing for the certification was like a mission.  I had taken training  for CEH from Intercop and cleared in first attempt. Later I did my ECSA and got through the exam with 100% .

Q. You have done your LPT (Licensed Penetration Tester) as well. Could you explain a bit on the license and how it would help you in your career?

LPT certification is not a training program, it is a license issued to a security professional for conducting legal and ethical penetration testing on corporate networks.  It is an international license and provides access to proprietary software, templates and penetration testing methodologies from EC Council.

In the case of LPT certification, EC Council will endorse if you are genuine and ethical. Police clearance from the police department is a must to gain in this certification. Also you have to pay some yearly fee to maintain the certification

Q. How did the certification and the training help you in getting the job?

I only attended one interview and i got selected, didn’t try for another one even though i got lot of interview calls. I joined the company, the very next day after the ECSA exam. In this field the job prospects truly depend on your skills. But the certifications help you in getting interview calls.

Q. Were the interview questions related to CEH/ECSA courseware?

No, the questions were mostly based on real world scenarios.

Q. After joining Nous Infosystems Pvt Ltd, how do you find the real time experience as a security professional?

100% it depends on your interest. I am working as a penetration tester here and I wouldn’t be happy if I was just a “defensive” security guy. My job profile includes web application penetration testing, Product security testing, Risk Assessments / Security Audit, Security Policy and Process Design, Analyzing security quality/security vulnerabilities in the applications etc.

Q. What advice could you give to freshers, who opt for security courses?

Unless and until you have a deep interest in the field, there is no use spending lot of money for the studies. Also, a few certifications up your sleeve will never gain you a good job unless you have the sufficient skills. In this field, real skill matters.

What made you choose Networking?

I always believed I could improve my professional career, and make it fruitful in the networking field. Though there were opportunities in other fields of knowledge, my keen interest was to be a Networking Expert by Profession.

How did you find the CCNA/CCNP Courses and CCNA certification exam?

The courses were interesting as I had a passion towards it. I found the exam not that difficult as I prepared for it in advance, and attempted the exam with confidence.

Your learning experience at INTER-NETWORKZ

My learning experience in INTER-NETWORKZ is satisfactory because I had trainers, who were well qualified in CCNA, CCNP courses. They could guide me in the best possible way and help me in securing the certificates. They were friendly and maintained very good relation with their trainees.

About placement assistance at Inter-networkz.

The Placement Assistance team, has played a key role in developing the students professionally and personally. They have helped me in guiding through the various stages of placement process. It was through the placement facility at Inter-networkz that I got my job as Tech Support Network Engineer in Accenture, Bangalore.

How much has the Certification helped you with your job placement?

The confidence to face the interview was only because of my education in the networking field.  I could apply my knowledge effectively when I was going through the placement process. The certificates value a lot more than anything if you are a professional in networking. 

A few words for those who are planning to go for Networking (CCNA)?

The networking field can provide you with huge lot of career opportunities that’ll fetch you a lot more than what you get in other fields.

Q. Your educational background?

 A Chemical Engineer and an MBA, who fell in love with computers….

Q. Something about your earlier work domain in Thomson Reuters?

I was supporting Thomson Reuters proprietary applications. Was into application support, server-client architecture.

The Learning Experience……

Q. Why did you decide to switch to Information Security?

Ever since I saw an internal email that had a virus attack, while working in my previous company (one of the biggest technological companies), it kindled my interest in the field of security. Later that interest turned into passion towards network security.

Q. As a newbie to Security, how did you find the CEH and ECSA programs?

The CEH & ECSA courseware and modules go in-depth, at the same time is very lucid and easy to understand. EC-Council has done a fantastic job in terms of providing the best materials and awesome tools. If one masters the modules, I feel he/she can get a very strong foundation in the field of Network Security. They have also incorporated the latest technology which keeps the programs up to date.

Q. How did your CEH/ECSA exams go?

The exams were very standard, and make you think twice before you click on the answer. I went through the entire kit provided by EC Council, which not only helped me clear the exams, but also get through the interview.

Q. What suggestions could you provide for other CEH/ECSA candidates on ‘tackling’ it the right way?

I suggest them to make good use of the materials that EC-Council provides, and also practice all the labs and improvise on it.

Donning the New Role                                                              

Q. Post certification, how did the shift to your current job happened?

Just couple of days after my certification I saw an internal job requirement in my company for the position of IT Security Analyst. I had two rounds of interview, where the questions were related to the current security trends.

Q. As IT Security Analyst, what responsibilities do you handle?

I perform Vulnerability Assessment on the Internet Facing Servers in my company, and give them solutions on patching up the security weakness. I handle the testing of various vendor patches and deploying them in the servers. Also, I analyze logs from IDS and IPS to ensure that there are no security compromises in my network 

Q. How did your CEH/ECSA exams go?

The exams were very standard, and make you think twice before you click on the answer. I went through the entire kit provided by EC Council, which not only helped me clear the exams, but also get through the interview.

Q. What suggestions could you provide for other CEH/ECSA candidates on ‘tackling’ it the right way?

I suggest them to make good use of the materials that EC-Council provides, and also practice all the labs and improvise on it.

Donning the New Role

Q. Post certification, how did the shift to your current job happened?

Just couple of days after my certification I saw an internal job requirement in my company for the position of IT Security Analyst. I had two rounds of interview, where the questions were related to the current security trends.

Q. As IT Security Analyst, what responsibilities do you handle?

I perform Vulnerability Assessment on the Internet Facing Servers in my company, and give them solutions on patching up the security weakness. I handle the testing of various vendor patches and deploying them in the servers. Also, I analyze logs from IDS and IPS to ensure that there are no security compromises in my network

Q.  Does your learning experience at Internetworkz/Intercop support your real-time job profile?

It does to a great extent. The knowledge and the skill that my trainer, Mr. Arun, helped me gain is helping me in my current role. My managers are also happy that they need not have to spend a lot of time in training me to carry out my current role as they feel that I already know the concepts well.

On IT Security

Q. In your experience how do you find the scope of Information Security in the current IT realm?

 IT security has a very good scope in the industry especially now that Cloud Computing is gaining popularity. Also the recent cyber attacks on companies like Sony, PayPal, Visa, have served as a wakeup call for many companies, and have made them relook their current security infrastructure and improve them.

Q. Do IT Security guys stand the chance of a big fat paycheck compared to their Software  Counterparts?

IT Security is definitely a domain that is very promising. With good knowledge and experience, it’s not difficult to get a 7 digit income.  Pay in software, tends to become a little stagnant at some point, and the increase would be gradual, but is exponential in IT security. There is a big demand for knowledgeable Security Analysts, and the companies don’t really mind giving them fat paychecks

Your Say………

Q. How do you see your career path ahead? Does planning help or stagnation push you?

Right now I am concentrating on learning and gaining knowledge through my current role. Planning certainly helps, as one cannot afford to sit back and watch the parade pass by. IT security is a very interesting and promising domain, but one has to constantly keep updating in terms of technology and skills.

Q. “THE BIG” Question: – Does certifications really help?

It surely does. Certification is a proof of one’s knowledge. When we apply for a job, our Resume goes to the interviewer before us. So it’s good to have an interesting Resume. Also certification helps one gain knowledge and expertise on the subject.

Q. What advice could you give freshers/graduates on certifications and career decisions?

 Be sure of what you want to pursue. Always follow your passion. It’s very satisfying when your passion becomes your work. Don’t look at certifications just from the point of clearing exams, look at them from the point of gaining knowledge.

About Internetworkz (Intercop)

Three years back I joined Inter-Networkz and completed my CCNA. Though I did not know about security then, the very atmosphere, the faculty & staff and the infrastructure made me come back and enquire when I wanted to pursue Security, and was fortunate enough to have made the right decision.

None of this would have been possible without the help of my trainer, Mr. Arun Thomas. I am not from computer science background, but am a guy who just loves computers. Mr. Arun Thomas is an expert in this field, his lucid training method, and attention to detail, made the entire training very informative and helpful. I could not have done this without his help and his expertise.

During training he constantly gave his guidance on how to apply for jobs and how to prepare for interviews, also the kind of jobs that we need to apply for. My sincere gratitude to him and to Inter-Networks.

with Ms. Renuga, CCNA

Your Educational Background?

I have done my B.E, ECE.

STINT WITH CCNA…

Q. What made you choose CCNA?

I had always wanted to go into the networking field. Since CISCO covers nearly 80% of Networking, I thought CCNA certification would be valuable.

Q. How did you find the CCNA course and    Networking concepts?

In the beginning I thought it was difficult to study. But once I involved into Networking, I feel it is really interesting.

Q. Were you able to finish the modules in your  scheduled time?

Yes. Our faculty maintained good timing in finishing the modules.

Q. How did your CCNA exams go?

For the exams there were total 50 questions which included 3 simulations. I found it rather easy.

Q. What helped you most in clearing the tests in first attempt?

Learning the concepts both theoretically and practically with good teaching helped me a lot to clear the test easily.

 YOUR PLACEMENT AT CISCO…

Q. How did CISCO happened?

My resume was forwarded by the placement officer at Internetworkz. I was shortlisted and called to an interview for CISCO.

Q. How were the interview rounds?

First round is a written test which includes 50 objective type questions. Second round is Face to Face interview. That went on to nearly 2 hours. I was asked questions in networking as well as from my engineering background.

Q. Do certifications really help (in interviews/ getting job/ at work)?

For the interview which I attended, only CCNA certified candidates were preferred and considered for interview. I felt the interview was somewhat easy since I already had good training in networking.

Q. What is your work profile in CISCO?

Coding the commands for CISCO products.

Q. How does your learning experience at Internetworkz support your real-time job?

We’ve already practiced the commanding codes in CCNA during the training. Hence it helps a lot in my job.

Q. What plans do you have for your career ahead?

I need to maintain a good name in CISCO. So I am planning to learn more about my job.

Q. What advice could you give to freshers, like you, who opt for CCNA?  

Always select the best path where you can implement your learning experience.

ABOUT INTERNETWORKZ

I came to know about Internetworkz through my friends. The learning experience at Internetworkz  was interesting and enjoyable. Totally my skills improved a lot and i am very happy that i got a job in the field of Networking.

Q. Apart from the coaching, did you get any career guidance from your faculty?

Our faculty at Internetworkz possessed good knowledge in all the fields and that helped in guiding us to choose the best suitable career path.

Q. Was the Placement Cell effective for you?

The placement in Internetworkz is very effective. Once I got my certification, my resume was forwarded to suitable job vacancies by the Placement Department. Thus I ended up attending the interview which got me my dream job in CISCO.

JOB DESCRIPTION
• CCIE certified with exposure to Nexus, ASR, 7600, 6500 routers and switches.
• Hands on experience on the above preferred
• Security experience with ASA , IPS, ACE etc
• IPT knowledge and exposure is added advantage.

Interested candidates please forward your resume to
placement@inter-networkz.com

Requisites:

Data (Non Voice – Technical & Non Technical)

Degree /BE /MCA / Diploma with basic knowledge on hardware and networking

Should have good language skills (written )

 Basic Objective:  (Technical Support Representative ) Non –Voice

 Deliver Technical Support to US customers over chat support and resolve customers’ issue. This at times might include providing remote troubleshooting where the agent takes control of the customer’s desktop and resolves the issue.

 Salary: 10000(CTC) +2500- incentives based on performance

 Working Conditions:

 Willing to work in shifts, rotating as schedule requires. The weekly offs may not necessarily fall on the weekend. The candidate should be willing to work on public holidays/festivals if scheduled/required. The job requires strict adherence to schedules.

Experience in troubleshooting OS issues, MS office , Virus issues, Outlook Express , MS Outlook , Windows live Mail , Data Backups , Mail Backup, Basic Networking, Connecting to DSL Internet Connections, Wireless Access Points, Printers, Scanners or all in ones (Both wired and wireless) , external USB devices such as backup drives, USB digital audio players.

Interviews will be held from 2/3/2011 to 4/3/2011 (Wednesday to Friday), from 2PM to 4 PM.

For venue of interview and further details, contact:
Anitha Manoharan
Placement cum Recruitment Officer
Inter Networkz
Bangalore-560001
080-41525671/72
e-mail:anithamanoharan@inter-networkz.com

Role:Designing
The suitable candidate will be working with a Senior Engineer supporting System Design and Drafting for Industrial Compressors. The suitable candidate will undergo on-job training on Engineering activities.

Skills required:
AutoCAD Electrical proficiency is a must
Good Communication Skills
Attitude to learn and work with a team

Qualification:
Engineering/Diploma in Electrical and Electronics
Experience: 0 to 2 years

Location: Bangalore
For further details contact:
Anitha Manoharan
Placement cum Recruitment Officer
Inter Networkz
Bangalore-560001
080-41525671/72
e-mail: anithamanoharan@inter-networkz.com

Location: Bangalore.
Interviews will be held from 10 A.M to 5 PM from 1st to 4th of March 2011.
For further details, contact:
Anitha Manoharan
Placement cum Recruitment Officer
Inter Networkz
080-41525671/72

642-902 ROUTE Implementing Cisco IP Routing (ROUTE)

642-813 SWITCH Implementing Cisco IP Switched Networks (SWITCH)

642-832 TSHOOT Troubleshooting and Maintaning Cisco IP Networks (TSHOOT)

Once, an individual is certified on all the above papers, then he can proceed to the Expert level, the CCIE which comprises of CCIE- theory, and the CCIE – Lab

If you are interested to do the above, please contact Internetworkz on +91-80-41525671/2/3 or email on info@inter-networkz.com and they will assist you to get professionally certified