Validate Your Technical Skills and Knowledge with Tanium Certifications – Tech Talks #98 - 103

Welcome to this new six-part series of Tanium Tech Talks all about Tanium Certifications. In the following videos, host Ashley McGlone chats with a series of Tanium technical training experts about Tanium’s certification program, including the types of certifications available, the benefits of Tanium certification, and how IT security and operations professionals can become certified.

In part one of this series, Ashley speaks with Manon Latta, the director of certification operations at Tanium. They discuss the Tanium certification program, registration steps, training, and exam-taking processes.

Overview of the certification program

The Tanium certification program includes various exams, starting with the Tanium Certified Operator exam, and provides a detailed exam guide and candidate profile.

Candidate handbook and resources: The candidate handbook offers rules, exam prep resources, fee information, scheduling details, and post-exam procedures, including retake and recertification policies.

Registration process: The registration process involves filling out a form with legal names matching government IDs, preferably using a corporate email, and updating profile information.

Exam preparation: Training is recommended but not sufficient alone; hands-on experience and skill application are crucial for passing the exams.

Exam experience: Exams include multiple-choice questions and simulations, with a tutorial provided for the simulation section, emphasizing correct clicks and task completion.

Resources and support: Additional resources include the Tanium Resource Center, FAQs, and support from the certification team, with options for taking exams at events like Converge.

Part Two: Tanium Certified Operator (TCO) exam

In part two of this series, Ashley welcomes Mason Dillon to Tech Talks. Mason Dillon is a curriculum developer at Tanium with extensive experience in developing certification exams, writing courses, and building lab environments, and in this video they discuss the Tanium Certified Operator (TCO) exam, including exam content, preparation tips, and the importance of practical experience.

Introduction to the Tanium Certified Operator (TCO) exam​

Mason recommends starting with the exam blueprint available on the Tanium website and highlights the importance of understanding the core Interact experience.

Experience requirements: The TCO Exam is intended for individuals with one to three years of IT operations or security experience and three to six months of hands-on Tanium experience.

Importance of practical knowledge: Mason emphasizes the need for practical knowledge in asking questions and taking actions within Tanium, as this is where many candidates struggle.

On-prem vs. Cloud environments: There is no significant difference in the exam content for on-premises versus cloud environments, except for cloud-specific management tasks.

Exam blueprint overview: The exam blueprint includes key areas such as asking questions, refining questions, report generation, and taking action, with a significant focus on question-related tasks.

Navigation and module functions: The exam may include questions on navigating and using different Tanium modules, but these are designed to be high-level and not overly specific.

Taking actions: Understanding how to deploy actions, including filtering and scheduling, is crucial for the exam. Best practices like using the “distribute over” option are highlighted.

Reporting: For reporting, candidates need to know how to build and modify reports using Tanium’s reporting features, focusing on data exploration and report customization.

Part three: the Tanium Certified Administrator (TCA) exam

In part three of this series, Mason Dillon is back to discuss the Tanium Certified Administrator (TCA) exam. The TCA exam covers operationalizing, maintaining, and troubleshooting the Tanium platform, specifically in a Tanium Cloud environment.

Introduction to the Tanium Certified Administrator exam

The TCA exam covers operationalizing, maintaining, and troubleshooting the Tanium platform, specifically in a Tanium Cloud environment.

Relevant Courses: Key courses for the TCA exam include Getting Started with Tanium and Tanium Administrator 2.0, which build on the knowledge from the Tanium Certified Operator (TCO) certification.

On-prem vs. Cloud: The TCA exam is based on tasks relevant to Tanium Cloud customers and does not cover on-premises specific tasks.

Initial configuration and networking: The exam tests knowledge on configuring Tanium, including setting up users, user groups, and managing subnets for optimal network performance.

Client status and troubleshooting: Client Status in the Tanium console is crucial for monitoring endpoint health and troubleshooting connectivity issues.

Part four: the Tanium Certified Specialist Cloud Deployment (TCSCD) exam

Next up is the Tanium Certified Specialist Cloud Deployment (TCSCD) exam. The TCSCD exam focuses on planning and deploying Tanium in the Cloud, and Gene Fields, a senior support technical account manager, joins Ashley to provide some insights.

Introduction to the Tanium Certified Specialist Cloud Deployment (TCSCD) exam

The exam covers topics like identity providers, environment architecture, deployment scenarios, and the differences between Tanium Cloud and on-prem deployments. It is suitable for administrators who need to understand the setup, planning, and operationalizing of Tanium Cloud deployments, particularly focusing on identity management and other administrative tasks.

Training resources: Tanium offers a comprehensive training course for Cloud Deployment, which includes hands-on experience and covers the exam’s objectives and requirements.

Cloud Management Portal: The Cloud Management Portal (CMP) is crucial for administrators, allowing them to manage identity providers, maintenance windows, security exceptions, and network egress settings.

Support and resources: In addition to training, Tanium provides extensive documentation and support to ensure candidates are well-prepared for the certification exam.

Part five: the Tanium Certified Professional Endpoint Management (TCPEM) exam

Moving to part five in this series, Ashley hosts Chris Brucker, a director of technical account management, to discuss the Tanium Certified Professional Endpoint Management (TCPEM) exam. Chris Brucker provides insights into the exam content, preparation tips, and the balance between official training and hands-on experience.

Introduction to the Tanium Certified Professional Endpoint Management (TCPEM) exam

The TCPEM exam tests a candidate’s knowledge and skills in managing endpoints using Tanium, covering various use cases and modules in the operations area. The TCPEM certification validates a candidate’s proficiency in using Tanium for endpoint management, which is crucial for effective IT operations.

Exam creation and content: Topics include configuring modules, taking action, applying permissions, maintaining and troubleshooting use cases, and understanding core platform content.

Preparation tips: Preparation involves studying product documentation, taking web-based training, and gaining hands-on experience with Tanium modules.

Specific preparation tips: Understanding user groups, roles, access controls, and data retention methods is essential for exam preparation.

Core platform and integrations: The exam covers the use of Tanium data in integrations with systems like ServiceNow and the relevance of modules like Enforce, Patch, Deploy, and Performance.

Troubleshooting and support: Knowing how to troubleshoot and gather support information is crucial for the exam.

Exam environment: Taking the exam at Tanium Converge offers a conducive environment for certification, with access to hands-on labs and expert support.

Part six: Tanium Certified Professional Endpoint Risk & Security (TCPRS) exam

In this sixth and final installment of Tanium’s Tech Talk series on certifications, technical account manager Jesh Sax joins Ashley to cover the Tanium Certified Professional Endpoint Risk & Security (TCPRS) exam.

Introduction to Tanium Certified Professional Endpoint Risk & Security (TCPRS) exam

The TCPRS exam is a new certification focusing on risk, security, and compliance using Tanium modules. The episode features Jesh Sax, a technical account manager at Tanium who helped create the exam.

Exam creation and content: Jesh Sax explains his role in creating the exam, emphasizing the importance of detail and collaboration among subject matter experts to define the exam blueprint and write questions.

Exam guide and preparation: The exam guide can be found on the Tanium website under the Customer section. Candidates should have at least two to three years of IT experience and be familiar with security, risk, and compliance terminology.

Key modules overview: Modules like Reveal, Benchmark, and Integrity Monitor are discussed. Reveal identifies sensitive data, Benchmark provides an overview of the security posture, and Integrity Monitor helps meet regulatory compliance by tracking changes in sensitive directories.

Threat Response module: The Threat Response module is highlighted, showing how it helps manage alerts, remediate issues, and collect forensic artifacts. Jesh demonstrates the flexibility and power of this module.

Comply module: The Comply module is essential for managing compliance and vulnerabilities, with features like prioritizing CVEs and understanding compliance findings to improve security posture.