When you and I consider the word "traffic," images of data packets and protocol streams inevitably spring to mind. However, the everyday users that we all support would undoubtedly have visions of slowly-moving automobiles in congested masses on our road systems-- agitated drivers honking their horns and exchanging vulgarities with gestures of digital impudicus as they attempt to travel from source to destination in utter frustration.

Many users experience the same level of desperation in their cubicles, as network traffic and other system issues impede their work flow. That is why it is critical to have your network infrastructure designed and implemented by someone who knows how to properly configure a Microsoft network.

And that is why Microsoft originally created the MCSE certification program: to design a metric by which one could measure the competence of a network engineer based on a standard of knowledge. Being an MCSE meant that you knew what you were doing, and you had applicable knowledge -- field skills - to get the job done.

So I've always been amused by those who criticize the certification on the grounds that no security training is covered. They are right -- the MCSE did not include security training, but it was not supposed to. The certification was for a "Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer," not a Security Engineer.

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