If you are thinking of building a career in IT security, then the MTA: Security Fundamentals certification is the right choice, as it testifies your fundamental knowledge and skills in the security field. It also defines if this field suits you or not. Though the designation is intended for newcomers, having some hands-on experience with Windows-based networking, Windows Server, Active Directory, firewalls, anti-malware products, network ports, network devices, and topologies will be beneficial for you. The exam one has to pass to gain the Microsoft accreditation is 98-367. Since this vendor aims to equip candidates with the most relevant knowledge and skills, this evaluation is available till June 30, 2022.
Though this Microsoft designation requires no prerequisites, exam-takers are expected to have some practical experience in dealing with Windows-based networking, Active Directory, Windows Server, anti-malware products, firewalls, network devices and topologies, network ports.
Exam 98-367 proves that a candidate has primary knowledge and skills in the security field. It will include 52 questions which you are to crack within 50 minutes. The questions you are to solve will be of different types, such as multiple choice, drag and drop, hot spot, active screen, mark review, among many. Before taking the test, you need to register at Certiport or Pearson VUE platform and pay the exam fee of $127.
Speaking of the exam content, it includes four topics in which you need to be proficient. The first topic is all about security layers and your understanding of them. In this section, you should demonstrate your knowledge of the main security principles, physical security, Internet security, and wireless security. For that purposes, you should be proficient in social engineering, threat modeling, mobile device security, browser security settings, and MAC filters.
The second topic is devoted to understanding of operating security system. Within this subtopic, your understanding of user authentication, permissions, password policies, audit policies, malware, and encryptions will be checked. This domain focuses on your knowledge of multifactor authentication, RADIUS, virtual and physical smart cards, Active Directory, share permissions, inheritance, and file system permissions and your primary skills to work with them. You should show how good you are at understanding the password complexity, password length and history, procedures of the password reset, and types of auditing. In addition, you should be ready to demonstrate how to enable auditing, secure audit information, deal with EFS, VPN, certificate services, lock down devices, polymorphic viruses, Trojan horses, worms, and zero day attacks.
The third topic aims to test your understanding of network security. This requires you to have comprehensive knowledge of dedicated firewalls, network isolation, and protocol security. The examiners should be knowledgeable of types of hardware firewalls and their characteristics, firewall inspection, security baselines, routing, VPN, IPsec, domain, and server isolation. Besides, your primary skills to work with tunneling, protocol spoofing, DoS attacks, and common attacks will be measured.
The fourth topic will check your understanding of security software. This includes client protection, email, and server protection. You should have a solid knowledge of antivirus, UAC, principle of least privilege, as well as how the protection against unwanted software installations should be organized. Speaking of the email protection, you should be knowledgeable of how to work with phishing, pharming, spoofing, antispam, client and server protection, PRT records, and SPF. Candidates should also be able to deal with DNS updates, hardening, separation of services, RODC, and disabling unsecure authentication protocols.
Regarding the salary, having the MTA: Security Fundamentals certification, you can earn annually about $64,468 per annum, as indicated on the Ziprecruiter website.