Quote 1:
Broken Crayons still color.

Top 10 things you should stop today to be happy

1. Don's look for this kind of self help and trust on yourself.
2. Don's look for this kind of self help and trust on yourself.
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10. Don's look for this kind of self help and trust on yourself.

interview questions for job in IT audit

IT auditors review current company guidelines, evaluate system processes, and help redefine and improve technical systems. IT auditors review network hardware, software, and any processes used by employees to ensure the highest level of quality and security when it comes to software and hardware deployment. If you decide to jump into this career, here are some interview questions you might run across in your job search.

1. What is an RFC?

A: A “request for change” or RFC is the process of documenting changes to the network. RFCs allow you to have each department involved, so if their systems are changed, they are aware of the changes and approve them. RFCs are usually stored in software that keeps track of each manager’s approval.

2. What type of systems should be audited?

A: In most cases, all systems should be audited for security and uptime. But, you can answer this question with specifics such as the database because it holds the company data and servers because they run the company software.

3. Have you worked in a virtualized environment?

A: This question asks you if you’ve worked with virtual servers. Most companies use virtualization to maximize resources. You can mention any server virtualization software such as VMware or desktop software for end users such as XenDesk.

4. What is the most difficult part of auditing for you?

A: This is a personal question, but you can name any difficult process you find a challenge when auditing. You can find that working with change in the environment is difficult to avoid bugs or adding more process to an existing application.

5. Describe the most difficult auditing procedure you’ve implemented.

A: This question tests your leadership skills, because most auditors need to control the change management process to take control of issues that the company has with its systems.

6. What is change management?

A: Change management is the organization or group of people who manage any changes that occur on the network. Change management ensures that any bugs are dealt with, and major system outages are quickly handled, and any future changes are approved by each department.

7. What types of RFC or change management software have you used?

A: Most companies use internal software applications, but you can name some popular change management tools. For instance, with Microsoft .NET applications, you could mention TFS for software change control and how you manage it as an auditor.

8. What do you do if a rollout goes wrong?

A: Sometimes, mistakes happen when IT submit changes. There should be a rollback plan in place when a change fails. This rollback process should also be documented.

9. How do you manage system major incidents?

A: Major incidents are when critical systems get hit with issues and users are unable to access software or hardware. Each auditor handles these systems differently, but you must indicate that you want to document incidents while making the process easy for managers to quickly fix issues.

10. How do you ask developers to document changes?

A: software changes are inevitable on a network. Answer this question with change management solutions you use to document and make changes with software but keep backups for rollbacks.

Have you been having trouble setting yourself apart from other candidates in your auditing interviews? If so, you should consider looking into the CISA (Certified Information Security Auditor) certification to set yourself apart from the crowd. Fill out the form below for a course syllabus and pricing information on our instructor lead, live online and self paced training options.

The Writer’s Technique in Thirteen Theses: Walter Benjamin’s Timeless Advice on Writing

“The more circumspectly you delay writing down an idea, the more maturely developed it will be on surrendering itself.”


http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/04/15/the-writers-technique-in-thirteen-theses-walter-benjamin/

The Magic and Logic of Color : “A thing is never seen as it really is.”

In visual perception a color is almost never seen as it really is — as it physically is. This fact makes color the most relative medium in art.

In order to use color effectively it is necessary to recognize that color deceives continually. To this end, the beginning is not a study of color systems.

First, it should be learned that one and the same color evokes innumerable readings. Instead of mechanically applying or merely implying laws and rules of color harmony, distinct color effects are produced-through recognition of the interaction of color-by making, for instance, two very different colors look alike, or nearly alike.

THE RELATIVITY OF COLOR

A color has many faces, and one color can be made to appear as two different colors. Here it is almost unbelievable that the left small and the right small squares are part of the same paper strip and therefore are the same color. And no normal human eye is able to see both squares -- alike.

Practical exercises demonstrate through color deception (illusion) the relativity and instability of color. And experience teaches that in visual perception there is a discrepancy between physical fact and psychic effect. What counts here — first and last — is not so-called knowledge of so-called facts, but vision — seeing. Seeing here implies Schauen (as inWeltanschauung) and is coupled with fantasy, with imagination.

AFTERIMAGE EFFECT

The 'afterimage effect' demonstrates the interaction of color caused by interdependence of color: On the left are yellow circles of equal diameter which touch each other and fill out a white square. There is a black dot in its center. On the right is an empty white square, also with a centered black dot. Each is on a black background. After staring for half a minute at the left square, shift the focus suddenly to the right square. Instead of the usual color-based afterimage that would complement the yellow circles with blue, their opposite, a shape-based afterimage is manifest as diamond shapes -- the 'leftover' of the circles -- are seen in yellow. This illusion double, reversed afterimage is sometimes called contrast reversal.

Albers believed that in normal seeing, we use our eyes so much because the world is controlled by our vision, but we become so accustomed to it that we take things for granted. And when he talked about visual perception, he meant something much more profound than just the way we look at the world — he would stop and look at the world, look at the smallest object, smallest event, and see through it in a deep kind of way. … He would see magic, he would see something deeper. And he believed that the majority of people just missed the true reality — it was available for everyone to see, but nobody was looking. And that was where his notion of “to open eyes” really comes from.

Easy to know that diamonds are precious. Good to learn that rubies have depth. But more to see that pebbles are miraculous.

What gorillas are moving through your field of vision that you fail to see?

It is amazing how malleable memory and perception can be – much more than we think. For example, in one research study subjects were standing at an airport ticket counter. The ticket agent pretended to drop something, ducked behind the counter and a different person finished the transaction. Many of the subjects didn’t even recognize the change had been made. We tune out big chunks of the environment. In another study, subjects were asked to count the number of times players with white shirts passed a basketball in a video. Most of the subjects achieved a fairly accurate account of the passes, but only 42% saw something more important. A person in a black gorilla costume walks right into the center of the action, beats his chest and moves off. More than half the subjects were so engrossed in the task at hand that they couldn’t see the gorilla. An entire gorilla, right in front of their eyes! It is very sobering to think about. Our models and attention create blinders that limit what we see. What gorillas are moving through your field of vision right now that you fail to see?

The Bamboo Principle

I learn from many people that are experts in their field. I get regular emails packed with information from Dave Lavinsky, of
GrowThink University. In a recent column, he shared this interesting information:
“After being planted, timber bamboo plants are hardly noticeable above the ground for nearly four years. But once their
roots are fully formed around the four-year mark, they can grow a remarkable 80 feet in just six weeks.
The key to their amazing growth is their extremely solid foundation. To learn about how emerging companies can create a
solid foundation for their businesses, the other day, I interviewed Ken Lodi , creator of The Bamboo Principle.
What Ken explained to me is that the solid foundation of a company is rooted around its employees. But, importantly, Ken
explained that a company's greatest resource is NOT its employees.
Rather, the greatest resource is the TALENT of its employees.
The fact is this - most companies have some great employees that are underutilized. Conversely, great entrepreneurs and
business owners are able to figure out what their employees like to do. Interestingly, what they like to do is oftentimes what
employees are best at, and what they will achieve the best results at.
Ken equated this to sports. Players on your team, he explained, don't necessarily have to be great at everything. For
example, on a football team, the quarterback doesn't need to be a great punter. And the punter doesn't need to be a great
quarterback. The problem arises when your quarterback is spending his days punting. The business owner must figure this
out and make the requisite changes.
The best way to figure this out is to mentor and coach your employees. You need to figure out what their values and goals
are, and modify their roles as needed to leverage them. When meeting with employees ask open ended questions (not just
"yes" and "no" questions). For example, ask "if you could spend the majority of your work day doing just one thing, what
would it be?"
Employees too must figure out what they value and enjoy and make sure their job roles are in line with this. This is the key
to improving employee productivity, satisfaction and performance. It's called "making a vacation out of your vocation."
Both employees and entrepreneurs/business owners should develop a fresh assessment of themselves. What do you/they
like to do most in their jobs? What makes you/they say "cool?" And, ask yourself, "if money wasn't an issue and you could
do one thing with your work life, what would it be?"
Success requires a solid foundation. Six minute abs don't work. Nothing is fast and easy. You need to work hard to build a
solid foundation from which you can build success. And this foundation is your employees. And making sure you are
leveraging your employees to their best potential.
So make sure you quarterback is not playing defen