Observations of Instructor Led Training with Real Hardware

TechNow has heard many students talk about virtualized/remote training that TechNow Does Not Do.  While training our most recent offering of PA-215: Palo Alto Networks Firewall Essentials FastTrack a student told his story of how he endend up in our course.  His story we have heard for other technologies like Cisco, VMware, BlueCoat and other products.

A large percentage of training is moving to the virtualized/remote lab environments.  Students are asked to use some variant of remote access software and remote into the training company's lab environment. Our student in our Palo Alto Networks Firewall course informed us that he went to a very costly offering of that course from the vendor and was not able to perform any labs.  There were either network connectivity issues, or issues with the remote access software, or other problems.  The whole training experience was very frustrating and not productive.

We keep our labs open to students if they would like after hours, or before hours access.  Repeatedly going through a lab engrains that knowledge for later recall.  Touching hardware is so critical in understanding the problems that arise when a cable comes loose, or a cable gets plugged in the wrong port.  There are other scenarios such as just pulling the power cable, or turning off a power strip, or accidently overwriting a configuration.  These disaster scenarious requires hands-on physical access to hardware.  Preventing and recovering from disasters is what it's all about, and that requires hands-on, instructor led, real hardware.

TN-913: Cloud Security Fundamentals

 

Course Overview:

TechNow Cloud Security Fundamentals addresses the loss of hands-on control of system, application, and data security in the Cloud computing environment.  Security teams wrestle with the impact and liability of Cloud computing on an organization.  This course enables the security team to assist in contract language and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) when utilizing Cloud Service Providers (CSPs).

Compliance and auditing are introduced with strategies for control verification and audit analysis in the CSP environment.  Software as a Service (SaaS) to Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and everything in between require a compliance strategy.  Students will go in-depth into the architecture and infrastructure fundamentals for private, public, and hybrid clouds.   Topics covered include: patch and configuration management, virtualization security, application security, and change management. Policy, risk assessment, and governance within cloud environments will be covered with recommendations for both internal policies and contract provisions to consider.

TechNow has worked worldwide enterprise infrastructures for over 20 years and has developed demos and labs to exemplify the techniques required to effectively manage security in the cloud environment.

Attendees to TN-913: Cloud Security Fundamentals will receive TechNow approved course materials and expert instruction.

Date/Locations:

Date/Time Event
05/27/2026 - 05/29/2026
08:00 -16:00 		TN-913: Cloud Security Fundamentals
TechNow, Inc, San Antonio TX
09/09/2026 - 09/11/2026
08:00 -16:00 		TN-913: Cloud Security Fundamentals
TechNow, Inc, San Antonio TX
12/07/2026 - 12/09/2026
08:00 -16:00 		TN-913: Cloud Security Fundamentals
TechNow, Inc, San Antonio TX

Course Duration: 3 days

Course Objectives:

  • Cloud computing introduction
  • Security challenges in the cloud
  • Infrastructure security in the cloud
  • Policy, risk, and governance for cloud computing
  • Compliance and legal considerations
  • Audit and assessment for the cloud
  • Data security in the cloud
  • Identity and Access Management (IAM)
  • Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning (DR/BCP) in the cloud
  • Intrusion detection and incident response

Course Prerequisites:

  • GSEC, CISSP, CASP or equivalent experience in managing enterprise infrastructures
  • Managing or administering at least one of UNIX, Windows, Databases, networking, or security

Comments

Latest comments from students

User: reedrobt

Instructor comments: Dave is like an encyclopedia of technical topics...what "doesn't" he have expertise in?

Facilities comments: Home2 location was well-kept and convenient to other services.

 

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CT-395: CySA+ Cybersecurity Analyst

 

Course Overview:

CT-395: CompTIA CySA+ Cybersecurity Analyst is for IT professionals looking to gain IT security analyst skills, and for those following the recommended skills pathway to achieve cybersecurity mastery. It provides a bridge between CompTIA Security+ (CT-325) and CompTIA SecurityX (CT-425), thus completing a certification path within the CompTIA family of certifications. As attackers have learned to evade traditional signature-based solutions, an analytics-based approach has become extremely important. CySA+ applies behavioral analytics to the IT security market to improve the overall state of security. The CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) certification verifies that successful candidates have the knowledge and skills required to configure and use threat detection tools, perform data analysis and interpret the results to identify vulnerabilities, threats and risks to an organization, with the end goal of securing and protecting applications and systems within an organization. Let us help you bridge this gap, and leave you prepared for the certification exam (CS0-003).

TechNow is a CompTIA partner uses official CompTIA CySA+ curriculum.

Dates/Locations:

Date/Time Event
03/02/2026 - 03/06/2026
08:00 -16:00 		CT-395: CySA+ Cybersecurity Analyst
TechNow, Inc, San Antonio TX
06/01/2026 - 06/05/2026
08:00 -16:00 		CT-395: CySA+ Cybersecurity Analyst
TechNow, Inc, San Antonio TX
08/24/2026 - 08/28/2026
08:00 -16:00 		CT-395: CySA+ Cybersecurity Analyst
TechNow, Inc, San Antonio TX
11/16/2026 - 11/20/2026
08:00 -16:15 		CT-395: CySA+ Cybersecurity Analyst
TechNow, Inc, San Antonio TX

Duration: 5 Days

Course Objectives:

  • Threat Management
  • Vulnerability Management
  • Cyber Incident Response
  • Security Architecture and Tool Sets

Prerequisites: 

While there is no required prerequisite, the CompTIA CySA+ certification is intended to follow CT-325: Security+ or equivalent experience.  It is recommended for CompTIA CySA+ candidates to have the following:

  • 3-4 years of hands-on information security or related experience
  • Network+, Security+, or equivalent knowledge.

Comments

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TN-535: Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE)

CCFE Core Competencies

  • Procedures and Legal Issues
  • Computer Fundamentals
  • Partitioning Schemes
  • Data Recovery
  • Windows File Systems
  • Windows Artifacts
  • Report writing (Presentation of Finding)
  • Procedures and Legal issues
  1. Knowledge of search and subjection and rules for evidence as applicable to computer forensics.
  2. Ability to explain the on-scene action taken for evidence preservation.
  3. Ability to maintain and document an environment consolidating the computer forensics.
  • Computer Fundamentals
  1. Understand BIOS
  2. Computer hardware
  3. Understanding of numbering system (Binary, hexadecimal, bits, bytes).
  4. Knowledge of sectors, clusters, files.
  5. Understanding of logical and physical files.
  6. Understanding of logical and physical drives.
  • Partitioning schemes
  1. Identification of current partitioning schemes.
  2. Understanding of primary and extended partition.
  3. Knowledge of partitioning schemes and structures and system used by it.
  4. Knowledge of GUID and its application.
  • Windows file system
  1. Understanding of concepts of files.
  2. Understanding of FAT tables, root directory, subdirectory along with how they store data.
  3. Identification, examination, analyzation of NTFS master file table.
  4. Understanding of $MFT structure and how they store data.
  5. Understanding of Standard information, Filename, and data attributes.
  • Data Recovery
  1. Ability to validate forensic hardware, software, examination procedures.
  2. Email headers understanding.
  3. Ability to generate and validate forensically sterile media.
  4. Ability to generate and validate a forensic image of media.
  5. Understand hashing and hash sets.
  6. Understand file headers.
  7. Ability to extract file metadata from common file types.
  8. Understanding of file fragmentation.
  9. Ability to extract component files from compound files.
  10. Knowledge of encrypted files and strategies for recovery.
  11. Knowledge of Internet browser artifacts.
  12. Knowledge of search strategies for examining electronic
  • Windows Artifacts
  1. Understanding the purpose and structure of component files that create the windows registry.
  2. Identify and capability to extract the relevant data from the dead registry.
  3. Understand the importance of restore points and volume shadow copy services.
  4. Knowledge of the locations of common Windows artifacts.
  5. Ability to analyze recycle bin.
  6. Ability to analyze link files.
  7. Analyzing of logs
  8. Extract and view windows logs
  9. Ability to locate, mount and examine VHD files.
  10. Understand the Windows swap and hibernation files.
  • Report Writing (Presentation of findings)
  1. Ability to conclude things strongly based on examination observations.
  2. Able to report findings using industry standard technically accurate terminologies.
  3. Ability to explain the complex things in simple and easy terms so that non-technical people can understand clearly.
  4. Be able to consider legal boundaries when undertaking a forensic examination

TN-825: Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) Seminar

Course Overview:

The Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification program is developed specifically for experienced information security managers & those who have information security management responsibilities. The CISM certification is for the individual who manages, designs, oversees and/or assesses an enterprise’s information security (IS). The CISM certification promotes international practices & provides executive management with assurance that those earning the designation have the required experience & knowledge to provide effective security management & consulting services. Individuals earning the CISM certification become part of an elite peer network, attaining a one-of-a-kind credential. The CISM job practice also defines a global job description for the information security manager & a method to measure existing staff or compare prospective new hires.

This course is designed to assist in your exam preparation for the CISM exam.

Attendees to TN-825: Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) Seminar will receive TechNow approved course materials and expert instruction.

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Dates/Locations:

Date/Time Event
02/23/2026 - 02/27/2026
08:00 -16:00 		TN-825: Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) Seminar
TechNow, Inc, San Antonio TX
08/17/2026 - 08/21/2026
08:00 -16:00 		TN-825: Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) Seminar
TechNow, Inc, San Antonio TX
11/16/2026 - 11/20/2026
08:00 -16:00 		TN-825: Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) Seminar
TechNow, Inc, San Antonio TX

Duration: 5 Days

Course Objectives:

  • Information Security Governance (24%)
  • Establish and/or maintain an information security governance framework and supporting processes to ensure that the information security strategy is aligned with organizational goals and objectives
  • Information Risk Management (30%)
  • Manage information risk to an acceptable level based on risk appetite to meet organizational goals and objectives
  • Information Security Program Development and Management (27%)
  • Develop and maintain an information security program that identifies, manages and protects the organization’s assets while aligning to information security strategy and business goals, thereby supporting an effective security posture
  • Information Security Incident Management (19%)
  • Plan, establish and manage the capability to detect, investigate, respond to and recover from information security incidents to minimize business impact

Prerequisites:

A minimum of five years of information security work experience, with a minimum of three years of information security management work experience in three or more of the job practice analysis areas.

Comments

Latest comments from students

User: tracycampbell

Instructor comments: Dave had great command of the class and the flow of information. The lessons seem relevant to the exam and the course material should assist greatly with passing. As a bonus, his breakdown of PKI helped with my current job requirements.

Facilities comments: The Home2Suites by Hilton was FANTASTIC!

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