From my experience, I don’t think becoming a Certified Secure Computer User would
benefit one’s IT career or salary. The information is a good reminder of the security
precautions we all must keep in mind when using computers for work, study, or play.
The topics covered in the course and exam are, what I think, basic security measures
all users should know before using computers or anything related to information
technology. I’ve learned that you have to be careful in what you chose to get certified
in. Because accumulating a bunch of certifications in some cases can work against
you. In the technology-driven times of the 21st century, the Certified Secure Computer
User (CSCU) exam is very valuable for individuals who use the internet for varying
reasons such as work, play or study. The CSUS certification would be beneficial for
me as well as my personal career goal as it would create an opportunity for me to
gain insight, skills, and knowledge to safeguard information assets. While working on
getting the certification, I would get the opportunity to immerse myself in an
interactive environment where I could acquire a thorough insight into a broad range of
computer as well as network security threats such as credit card fraud, identity theft,
etc. (Certified Secure Computer User (CSCU): EC-Council. EC, 2020).
In order to prepare for the certification program, numerous resources could be used.
Besides the materials that have been provided in the course, the two other resources
that I could use to prepare for the exam are learning resources from EC-Council.
Apart from this, I could also use YouTube as a vital learning resource while preparing
for the exam. The videos and tutorials on the certification would help to plan my
preparation approach so that I would be able to empower myself as a learner on the
specific academic domain. CISSP is mother (or father) of all security certifications
IMHO. You need five years’ full time experience, you need another certified person
to endorse you, the study guide is 4 inches thick (maybe 5). Obviously you don't just
pay the fee and take the test and you are done. That said taking classes like this one
is a start, the Associate (ISC)2 is a great way to get in the game (no experience is
required). The SSCP might be then next step. Managing progressively bigger and
better jobs along the way and the CISSP is quite doable. I believe getting this
certification would be beneficial to show you are knowledgeable in
real world situations that may arise while at work. While I am sure having this
certification doesn’t mean that you are still not susceptible to making a mistake, but I
think it would give some peace of mind. You are far less likely to click a phishing
email, hoax, or you would be able to identify other various security issues that may
arise. I would also hope that by getting this certification I would be more hirable. I
am sure not all employers care about certifications, or even this one specifically but it
may put you ahead of the next guy who didn’t have this particular one. For me, my
first resource would be my brother who is in cybersecurity. I would likely ask him
for help for tips on studying or just his knowledge in general. Aside from the
materials that it looks like the site would give you I am sure reading up on any
cybersecurity books would be beneficial. The SSCP certification is one we have not
talked about. This certification focuses on the practical aspect of security (i.e., putting
security into practice) vs. theory.(ISC)2 (International Information Systems Security
Certification Consortium) certifications, besides the demanding test, require a fair
amount of on-the-job experience and then a certified (ISC)2 member to vouch that
you can do what the cert says you can. It is quite an involved process but, in the
end, it ensures the certificate holder can do what the cert says.No process is foolproof,
but I think (ISC)2 does a good job of ensuring the quality of its certificate holders.
Additionally, to keep the certificate in good standing annual training is required. My
career goals include working in the field of software and cyber security in a mobile
arena (not in a cubicle). There are many benefits of attaining a Certified Secure
Computer User that would help me towards my goal. With the test taking 2 hours to
complete 50 problems, it makes me wonder how difficult they really are.. Some of
these benefits can include advanced learning of the newest programs, security and
networking software available as well as how to maneuver through them with minimal
issues. The CSCU certification enables you to become a valuable asset to any
organization intent on protecting their data. An assortment of network and security
threats are introduced and examined when preparing for the certification exam.
A knowledgeable colleague who already has the certification would be very helpful in
preparing for the exam. There are other online study guides that are available for a
fee with some being no cost or low cost. One of the more undeniable facts about the
world today is that everything is going digital. Although this makes things much more
convenient and easier from a process standpoint, this also centralizes a lot of threats
and vulnerabilities. Whether it is directly or indirectly written into a job description,
basic IT skills are necessary for jobs in any industry. This certification is one of the
few universally accepted means of establishing an IT skillset professionally.
A few sources I have found that assist effectively in preparing for the exam would be
Inforventure and Astra Security Academy. Both sources accurately identify the skills
the Certified Secure Computer User (CSCU) certifies in a user, details the breakdown
of questions the exams cover, and provide courses that provide and cover all materials
necessary to know in order to pass the exam. Each training program is competitively
priced and ultimately pays dividends for your career in the long run. For someone
more adept to the subject matter, the EC Council website offers blueprints that
highlight the subject matters needed to pass an exam. The benefits from this
certification is that I will be more aware of how to protect not only my information,
but the company that that I work for information assets. This exam will introduce me
to various computer and network security threats such as identity theft, credit card
fraud, online banking phishing scams, virus and backdoors, email hoaxes, sex
offenders lurking online, loss of confidential information, hacking attacks and social
engineering. Within the United States Postal Service, only personnel authorized by the
CISO are permitted to conduct network scanning, intrusion detection, penetration
testing, and vulnerability scans of Postal Service information resources. This industry
certification could help me move to a position with the OIG, who during audits and
investigations may conduct scanning, penetration testing, and vulnerability scans. The
Certified Secure Computer User exam is a certificate that shows that you have basic
knowledge in the security field. It is very helpful to potential employers in displaying
the knowledge and drive that one has in this field and may set someone apart from
others applying for the same position. The certificate is good at demonstrating that the
person knows about credit card scams and phishing scams as well as some basic
threats. This certificate as well as others would help someone stand out to employers
depending on what field in Information Technology they choose to specialize in. This
also could lead to higher salaries when you have the credential.
Also, there are several guides available online to help on study for the exam. There
are also a few different websites focused on the exam and also offer classes. Earning
a certificate will provide immediate professional credibility. Having one or more of
these certifications demonstrates your dedication and motivation on a professional
level. Working at my current job promotions is one of the prime accomplishments. IT
staff who have passed a certification exam or exams can be presumed to have more
specific knowledge and can be more productive when responding to an incident.
Having these certificates can help me move up the corporate ladder or into a better,
higher-paying job within the company that would give me the opportunity to learn
new technologies and or skills. Plus having a degree or certificate is required when
you're trying to move up within the company. The Information Technology field
branches out in many directions and security is essential to any company or
organization. If I want to be competitive in a pool of potential employees, I need a
certification on top of a degree that shows I have the ability to understand the
complex systems used to control assets. I want to work in the field of cyber security
and to do that I will need to earn the certification to establish the fundamentals. I can
earn the Certified Secure Computer User or CSCU certification through an exam to
establish the entry base level of knowledge for using computers securely. A
certification of this type will show my potential employers that I am knowledgeable in
the potential threats that can occur and that I have the skills to protect the systems
especially those that store financial assets. There are a few resources I can do such as
taking a course through an EC-Council recognized training class at an accredited
training center to gain the eligibility(“Certified Secure Computer User (CSCU)”, 2021).
Then to take the test I must do so at a certain locations that meets the EC-Council
requirements and procedures (“Certification Exam Policy “, 2014). Through more
research I found that the EC-Council serves the standard test across the board for the
CSCU certification. Therefore, I can use the certification in various places to apply for
positions geographically. According to www.businessnewsdaily.com “The Certified
Security Computer User (CSCU) is an entry-level certification aimed at individuals
with a basic understanding of protecting information assets” the site goes on in some
detail about what having this certification means. To Myself I feel this certification
shows an beginning to career path, I aim to be manage a team of IT staff and the
beginning base this certification shows, I am learning it from the ground up. This
school provides a lot of information and prepares whole heartly for the test but if you
are like me and like to double check your knowledge these too sites have decent
reviews on getting people prepared. First Certified Secure Computer User (CSCU) |
EC-Council provides training and education. Second Certified Secure Computer User
(CSCU) Certification Information (computer-networking-success.com) though I feel this
focus more so on the start. Either way a quick search showed several websites that
promise you will pass and minimum cost. Overall a certification can always lead to
more compensation. Certification has many benefits and as we know the purpose of
the CSCU is to recognize the competency and expertise of a professional in security
and networking skills thereby adding value to the workplace. By hiring Certified
Secure Computer Users, organizations are able to decrease the learning curve of a new
employee and increase productivity.
Certified individuals have an assured means of demonstrating formal recognition of
their expertise and skills on their resumes to prospective employers. This improves
their prospects for employment advancement, higher salaries, and greater job
satisfaction. Established and credible proofs of technical abilities can open doors for
increased responsibility and better opportunities.This certification is an excellent
complement to educational offerings in the domain of security and networking. The
CSCU certification verifies a candidate's knowledge and skills to protect their
information assets. The candidate is introduced to various computer and network
security threats such as identity theft, credit card fraud, online banking phishing scams,
virus and backdoors, email hoaxes, loss of confidential information, hacking attacks,
and social engineering. The Associate of (ISC)² allows those just starting out in the
information security workforce to demonstrate their competence in the field. Associates
have passed a rigorous (ISC)² certification exam, proving their cybersecurity
knowledge, and maintaining their continuing professional education (CPE) requirements
while working toward completing the experience requirements to become fully certified
as a CISSP, SSCP, CCSP, HCISPP, CCFP, CAP or CSSLP."I would add that the
Associate of (ISC)² certification and any experience in IT is a good start towards a
full-time cybersecurity job. At the heart of cybersecurity is an understanding of
all/most aspects of IT, from access control to system maintenance to IT procurement
to configuration management to IT asset inventory to operations and much more.
The certification in Secure Computer User is very well rounded it gives you a chance
to learn skills in security as well as networking. The security portion of it helps you
to be aware cyber threats that may be lurking not only on your personal computer but
your work computer as well. Once you have been certificate it gives you an
opportunity to network with others and share what you have learned through this
certification.To prepare for the exam I have located The Academy Florida where you
can access there curriculum to prepare the test properly. It is a 2 day class that will
help you identify various threats from identity theft to credit card fraud. There are 3
ways to take this course: Instructor based, video based or live online classroom. Either
option you choose will give you the information you need to be equipped to take the
CSCU Exam.
I can benefit from this industry certification because, it can definitely upgrade my
skillset. This industry certification can help me with knowledge it can help me with
obtaining jobs. Also, I can open a business where this knowledge will be very helpful.
I can also use this information to enhance my house as far as security is involved.The
2 resources that can be used in preparation for this test is exam prep with a Certified
Secure Computer User eBook, which can be purchased through VitalSource. the eBook
features, a program that to provide individuals with the knowledge and skills. This is
helps education offerings in the domain of security and networking. The purchase
amount is $106.92. Online practice exams can also be a good resource as it helps to
prepare for the examination. There are about 70 questions that cost about $50. These
two resources can be used to prepare for the exam. There are many different
certifications that will prepare you for a career in many different fields. This
certification will show that you have the knowledge and understanding of the current
field of study. Having quite a few different certifications in different fields I
understand the impact that it can have on if you are qualified for a job or if you are
not. All of the different certifications have a different area that they focus on and how
hard they focus on that area. when it comes to being prepared for certification exams
there are many different pieces of materials that you will need to pass the exams.
When you want to get a certification you don't want to only focus on one piece of
study material. You want to get a variety of different study materials including books
and practice exams. Being able to read through multiple pieces of study material and
then go and pass a mock exam will show that you are ready and understand the
material enough to go and pass the real exam. This is my opinion and how it has
helped me the best. In my view point this will help the company reach its goal(s)
mainly because it is very helpful to know who is using what. This will also know if
a person have some type of offers when it comes to using the computer. The biggest
thing I took away from this is that it is a way to make sure customer information is
safe and not only safe. But as well as making sure that the company does not hire
anyone that has credit card fraud and they are working for a bank or something they
can one not hire the person or two look and see if it will be a good fit. This will not
only look very helpful to see if everyone meet the lowest requirement. This will also
lower the risk of hacker and loss of information. The second part of this one thing I
love is that if it is a bank that everything is secure and lower the risk of people
trying to steal information from other people. This will help level everything out. I
am currently working as a Senior Security Analyst, Delivery Lead, and I love the job.
I have been learning a bounty of information as each day passes, but I am not
certified in the field. I could benefit from taking the CSCU exam; however, I believe
the Bachelor's in CyberSecurity will make me a more rounded individual in the
Security arena, and allow for me to select which avenue to pursue.
The CSCU exam and preparation can be accomplished through the EC-Council, as we
have learned. I also found some valuable information on the Alpine Security, National
Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (NICCS) web site. NICCS offers an
on-line class as well as an in-person classroom option for the preparation for taking
the exam.
The Institute of Information Technology (IIT) also offers a comprehensive online
preparation course for the CSCU exam, as well as many other certifications. Since
everything is done on a computer and online and most of careers require some
computer knowledge, most people have the opportunity to land their dream job by just
getting the right certificate and actually learn the subject they are getting certified in ,
personally I am interested and currently studying CompTIA A+ and CCNA which are
going to help me tremendously in my line of work, as for CSCU it would be a great
addition to my resume as it it falls in the same category as well when you add them
all together and show your employer that you are equipped with computer and
networking security I think it will open the door to a bright career future.
For me I am using Udemy and CBT Nuggets as resources right now because they
provide a verity of classes with different instructors and approaches, they can be
expensive some times but I always look for the classes that are on sale , if not I'll
just go to YouTube because sometimes I would like to find the content for free. I am
a believer in the certification process and it’s use to establish a standard of knowledge
when an organization seeks talent. This specific certification could be leveraged as a
supplement to a more prominent degree or industry specific certification. The Certified
Secure Computer User (CSCU) shows the employer that you have an awareness of
common security concerns and how you could address them using common
technology. I recognize the value of any professional obtaining this certification under
their belt.
You Tube is always a great resource for learning however the EC-Council offers
resources to study toward achieving this certification at a cost. Courses are also
offered through Aspen and the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and
Studies (NICCS). Overall it doesn’t hurt to have this certification even if your not an
IT professional. The purpose of the CSCU is to acknowledge the competence and
experience of an individual in security and networking skills thereby adding value to
the workplace. By hiring Certified Secure Computer Users, organizations are able to
decrease the learning curve of a brand new employee and increase productivity.
Academic establishments will give larger value to students by providing them a solid
base from which to boost their career within the corporate world.Certified people have
an assured means of demonstrating formal recognition of their experience and skills on
their resume to prospective employers. This improves their prospects for employment
advancement, higher salaries, and larger job satisfaction. Established and credible
proofs of technical skills will open doors for enhanced responsibility and higher
opportunities.This certification is a wonderful complement to academic offerings within
the domain of security and networking. The CSCU certification verifies a candidate's
knowledge and skills to shield their data assets. The candidate is introduced to
numerous computer and network security threats like fraud, credit card fraud, on-line
banking phishing scams, virus and backdoors, emails hoaxes, sex offenders lurking on-
line, loss of lead, hacking attacks and social engineering. The Certified Secure
Computer User Certification is not necessarily required when it comes to security
companies hiring personnel. But to be honest it’s a great asset to your resume to
show the security companies that you have the knowledge and skills to control a
computer. This certificate is able to show the employer that you have the knowledge
about phishing scams, different virus attacks, and other fraud scams that can occur.
There are lot of different resources to prepare you for the exam. The first one is
videos, I was able to google resource links for the certificate and it popped out
videos. The second one I suggest would be different links for educational websites
that be very useful. The Certified Secure Computer User certification is a highly
recommended certification. This certification recognizes the expertise of someone in
the security and networking skills department. Some of the content included in this
certification include such threats like, phishing scams, virus, hacking attacks, theft and
even fraud. More importantly, the skills learned from this class can help students take
the necessary steps to reduce the threats security exposure.By having a certification
like this, companies can decrease the learning curve for these employees which will in
turn increase productivity.This can also help improve companies with onboarding new
employees. Hiring someone with a credited certification like this, will only improve
chances of being hiredThere are some other great resources out there that can vastly
help with the education. There are a lot of resources on linked in that can help. I also
did a search on youtube and there are quite a few videos that could help. The
Certified Secure Computer User Certification is used to recognize the capability to
comprehend and demonstrate professionalism for security and networking skills. This
helps decrease the necessity in training new employees in proper security methods and
improve productivity. The ability to acquire this certification will benefit my career
goals in many forms, even at my current employment. I currently work as an Auto
Tech in a family-owned shop, currently we have been advancing with technology
integration by using tablets to fill out multi-point inspections for vehicles. Our system
depends on the network functioning properly, with the certification it will allow me to
help demonstrate proper security measures needed. Being able to help in security and
networking can add experience towards my resume for possible career changes to the
IT field. Even though it is dealing with a smaller network it will help understand the
concept better when it comes to a bigger network. Having some experience along side
education can help increase chances for consideration from a potential employer, once
in an interview it will be up to me to show why giving me a chance is a good
decision. The practice exam for this certification is an excellent resource to use
because it helps give a feel on what to expect on the official exam. Online multiple
training courses are offered to help better understand such as Mind hub, it just
depends on which one suite the person the best. Though cyber security certifications
are not required from my future employer as an inspiring software developer, the
skills provided in these certification can come in handy in my career. As a software
developer, you can face multiple cyber threats coming from all different sources. The
company will be entrusting you will access to their network and data, so you need to
be able to do whatever it takes to protect the companies assets. Another benefit of
having a CSCU certification as a software developer is that you well be able to
communicate with the IT or cyber team more effectively. If the team asks you a
question or you see a mass email to the company pertain to a cyber threat, you will
be more informed to answer/assist the cyber team with any needs.One of the best
recommended training resources available for this the CSCU certification are
CertiWizard. This website is very user friendly and sets you up for other industry
recognize certifications.A cheaper alternative to CertiWizard is Udemy. Udemy offers
thousands of video content from all different professionals. You can get a descent
quality course for around $15-$20. The Certified Secure Computer User certification is
a great way to show employers that you posses the knowledge and skills to safely
operate a computer. Through this certification a potential employer knows that you
have knowledge on how to handle receiving a phishing attempt. And an employee
possessing this certification can prove that they are knowledgeable about malware,
social engineering, and in general best practices like the importance of complex
passwords that are changed routinely, and encrypting sensitive information. This would
help greatly as a lot of employers look for individuals who not only have a degree
but also have a certification in the industry they are applying for. The certification
would help complement what I have already learned in the field by reinforcing my
knowledge in those areas. It would also teach me about areas that I may have
forgotten or didn’t know about. This certification will also let employers know that I
am aware of the risks involved with using simple passwords, email threats and how
encryption can help to protect company data.I believe that researching articles on the
web that talk about how to protect against hacking, phishing attempts and protecting
data with encryption will help to prepare for this exam. Any type of article that talks
not only about the basic steps to take to secure my computer and how to be smart
about browsing the web and opening emails with help greatly to prep for the exam. I
have found some articles from Bitdefender and Malware bytes to be the most helpful
in my searches for information in these areas.
