Re: Employee new to industry

["Steve" <securityfocus () delahunty com>]

Sounds like you need her to be able to converse with customers at least a
bit, and understand what the staff is saying when they talk about
"installing an SLL  VPN" for a customer.

Ziff Davis had a book called How Networks Work, really basic.  There must
also be a Networking for Dummies book.

Have her take a look at this Networking chapter from a basic Computer
Textbook online:
http://wps.prenhall.com/bp_capron_computers_8/0,7482,635562-,00.html
Dig around and you can find the PowerPoint that goes with the chapter, good
basic stuff.

Someone noted training is a must and that is good.  Consider a seminar like
this, although topics might be over her head it will be a good start and she
will learn much:
http://www.compumaster.net/SemMDetail.html?ST=CMNET2&FS=&ZC=&m=1&dCat=Netwo

I have found these other tech lingo resources to be good, especially
webopedia:
An encyclopedia of tech terms and technologies -- http://www.webopedia.com/
Layman's Guide to Tech Speak -- http://www2.darwinmag.com/learn/glossary.cfm
An online Tech Encyclopedia -- http://content.techweb.com/encyclopedia/
The ultimate computer acronyms archive - http://www.acronyms.ch/
A great place to find just about any definition you need -
http://whatis.techtarget.com/

Somebody else noted the How Stuff Works link, good idea there too.

Hundreds of tutorials for many tech topics - http://www.techtutorials.com/

Hope this helps,
STEVE

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kris Wingard" <kwingard () synergisticusa com>
To: <security-basics () securityfocus com>
Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 3:24 PM
Subject: Employee new to industry


Hey all, I have a question about educating a new employee who is not a
computer person at all.  We're a small consulting company that does
LAN/WAN design and implementation (a Microsoft/Cisco/Dell shop).  We
recently hired someone new to be an office manager/service coordinator.
She is very smart and has good customer service skills, but is new to
the computer game.  I'm having a hard time finding good beginner's
resources to even the terminology used in our line of business, let
alone resources that explain a little more about computer networking and
security.  This person does not need to become a technical guru at all,
but needs to be able to understand what the engineers are doing when
they go out into the field.  I've done a few google searches but can't
find what I'm looking for.  Anyone out there know of any links or
perhaps have some advice to offer based on experience with breaking
someone into this field?  Thanks!

---------------------------------------------------
 Kris Wingard
  Network Engineer
  Synergistic Networks, Inc.
  7 South Main Street
  Suite 217
  Wilkes-Barre, PA  18701
  Phone: 570.408.9888
  Fax: 570.408.9889
  Email:  kwingard () synergisticusa com
  Web: www.synergisticusa.com
---------------------------------------------------