Hey there mates, it’s Jack Sea from Null - Byte! I heard a lot of you came to this site so I decided to drop on by and write a few posts. This first one covers a nifty cert I picked up recently from the Microsoft Technical Associate line.
Why is this important to me? Well, you might not be interested in database administration, but if you plan on becoming an ethical hacker or security guru, you need to understand how they work and how to secure them.
So what is on the exam? Honestly the exam was 95% multiple choice, with around 38 questions. 2-3 questions asked you to re-order code so that is worked properly, which is incredibly simple if you know just the basics of SQL. A lot of questions asked about functions of the database such as views, user groups, and even one question about injections. (This was also on the MTA: Security cert)
How can I study for this exam? Well first off, you need to learn SQL. Microsoft has a practice database called “AdventureWorks2012” which you can download and install, along with an ebook that walks you through the fundamentals of database design. From the fundamental principle of what is a table all the way to normalization, this 200 page ebook gives you plenty of exercises and practice. 100% of the material I learned from it was found on the actual cert exam.
What am I going to do next? This was my quick intro to 0x00sec, I hope to post more soon. If you’re interested in DBA or anything like that, I’ll happily share my knowledge and create SQL tutorials, SQL injections, and something that Null-byte didn’t have – the administration of databases.
databases are essential to storing and ordering data, and if you know how to exploit them, you win! 
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