Well....this sucks. Court says that room scans can't be used for online testing.

I have to imagine that this particular ruling is only applicable to government schools— the case was about the Fourth Amendment freedom from unreasonable search and seizure (by the government), and the school in question was a college run by the state of Ohio. But if this impacts online testing in general (if the specific case becomes precedent for general applicability), private testing services (such as those that provide certification testing) might restrict or end online options. And this would a true shame: the convenience and other benefits of remote testing is a boon to our world, not something to fear.

You can read the court’s decision here: https://bbgohio.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/MSJ-decision.pdf

Recent CCSP Exam Feedback

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One of my former students, Mark Landes, shared this with me today. Mark reminds us of the purpose and use of practice questions: not to learn the material, but to prepare for how to deal with questions about the topics. Thanks, Mark, and congratulations!

”Hi Ben. I was in the CCSP boot camp with ISC2 conference last November. Just wanted to let you know I passed the certification exam in December and got the confirmation of award in late January. Your class and books (study guide and practice exams) were a great help. There were not a lot of direct ‘book questions’ from either, but rather a lot of questions applying the cloud models and technologies the books taught. The practice of answering all those sample questions really helped prepare from a psychological perspective. Thanks again!”

Big News: ISC2 Online Testing

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ISC2 is finally going to experiment with offering online testing. It’s the last major INFOSEC certification body to do so, and it’s taken a long time to get to this point. I applaud this evolution, and am pleased that underserved communities will finally be able to leap the barrier to entry that physical testing required. (I’m also glad that online testing will reduce pollution necessitated by travel.)

Well done, ISC2!

https://www.isc2.org/News-and-Events/Press-Room/Posts/2021/01/11/ISC2-To-Offer-Online-Exam-Proctoring-for-CISSP-and-Other-Cybersecurity-Certifications

40. Test Prep Books With Prashant Mohan

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39. Prob gonna get hate for this but....

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The links we promise in the episode:

 

California law related to gender identity in employment/trade associations:

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB396

 

Canadian law regarding gender identity:

https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/AnnualStatutes/2017_13/FullText.html

 

The Canadian province of Prince Edward Island takes this a bit further, as do several of the Canadian jurisdictions:

https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/legislation/H-12%20-Human%20Rights%20Act.pdf

Here’s the ironic (and wildly contradictory) section (12):

“12. Discrimination in advertising prohibited

(1) No person shall publish, display or broadcast, or permit to be published, displayed or broadcasted on lands or premises, or in a newspaper or through a radio or television broadcasting station or by means of any other medium, any notice, sign, symbol, implement or other representation indicating discrimination or an intention to discriminate against any person or class of persons.

Free expression of opinion

(2) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to interfere with the free expression of opinion upon any subjectin speech or in writing. 1975,c.72,s.12”