ISACA ITCA: Networks and Infrastructure Fundamentals Online Training

The Information Technology Certified Associate (ITCA) certification from ISACA is a five-part test of associate-level IT knowledge and skills. Earning the ITCA is worth it for a junior IT professional at the start of their career who needs to prove their familiarity with computing, networks, cybersecurity, software development and data science. There are very few other early-career certifications that cover as much material as the ITCA, it's a great place to start a career.

The Networks and Infrastructure Fundamentals certificate is one of the five smaller certificates that make up the IT Certified Associate (ITCA) cert. There's actually no final exam for the ITCA – you earn it by completing the five smaller certifications. The networks and infrastructure cert proves entry-level familiarity with network architecture, infrastructure, and network components, along with the basic language of networking.

To earn the entire ITCA, you have to pass the certifying exams for the five smaller certifications: computing, networks and infrastructure, cybersecurity, software development and data science. Since each smaller certification costs $150, the entire ITCA costs $750 to earn. If you're a member of ISACA, the ITCA only costs $600. And since an ISACA membership only costs $145, you can save money by becoming a member.

If you're brand new to the topic, learning about networks and network infrastructure can be pretty challenging. The subject comes with lots of technical concepts like IP addressing, subnetting and protocols that can be both complex and abstract. Hands-on practice is essential for learning these concepts, especially because the reason for learning them is to know how to be effective at managing and configuring networks.

This course on the networks and infrastructure portion of the ITCA is great for new IT professionals, particularly people who would like to work as network administrators or IT support specialists. It's good for newer professionals in adjacent fields like cybersecurity or systems administration, who need to develop their familiarity with networking to expand their current roles and responsibilities.