Dwayne Natwick is the author of Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect Exam Ref SC-100 we got the chance to sit down with him and find out more about his experience of writing with Packt.
Q: How did you become an author for Packt? Tell us about your journey. What was your motivation for writing this book?
Dwayne: I was approached by Packt in 2021 about writing the Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator book. I had always wanted to write a book, so this was an excellent opportunity. I also took on authoring the Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals exam guide at the same time. Both of these published in early 2022. I was motivated to author the book for the new Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect exam to round out the set of Fundamentals, Associate, and Expert exams. I also wanted to have the first exam preparation guide for this exam on the market, which we were able to accomplish.
Q: What is the name of your book?
Dwayne: Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect Exam Ref SC-100.
Q: What kind of research did you do, and how long did you spend researching before beginning the book?
Dwayne: I used my own experience and knowledge of Microsoft and cloud infrastructure security, as well as my knowledge as an instructor for Microsoft materials to guide me. Being someone that works in the field, additional research was not a large piece of my preparation. Since the Microsoft Cybersecurity Reference Architecture is a substantial part of this certification topic, I did dive deeper into this framework for guidance as well.
Q: What key takeaways do you want readers to come away with from the book?
Dwayne: I want readers to gain the skills needed to architect strong cybersecurity within Microsoft 365, Azure, and hybrid architectures. They should be prepared to pass the exam as well as apply the information in real-world scenarios.
Q: Can you share any blogs, websites and forums to help readers gain a holistic view of the tech they are learning?
Dwayne: One of the best resources from Microsoft is Learn. Microsoft has expanded this with Learn Experts and Learning Rooms. I have one of these rooms for Cloud and Cybersecurity, but there are others from MVP, MCT, and Microsoft employees that you can join and collaborate for learning new technologies. Joining the rooms can be done by completing this form: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/custom/page/page-id/learn.
Q. Did you face any challenges during the writing process? How did you overcome them?
Dwayne: In contrast to the first two books that I wrote with Packt, this book has a stronger focus on the architectural design rather than the hands-on execution of tasks. This created challenges in the explanation of the content. To overcome these challenges, I had to think link a consultant and an architect for what they would need to provide the recommendations to those that would need their guidance to execute.
Q. How would you describe your author journey with Packt? Would you recommend Packt to aspiring authors?
Dwayne: My author journey has been excellent with Packt. I have enjoyed working with the Packt team as well as the technical reviewers that collaborated with me on my books. I would recommend Packt, and have to a few aspiring authors already, as a great team to work with.
Q. Why should readers choose this book over others already on the market? How would you differentiate your book from its competition?
Dwayne: I believe that I have provided a helpful guide that not only focuses on the objectives and knowledge necessary to pass the exam, but also practical information that can be applied to real world scenarios.
Q. What is/are your specialist tech area(s)?
Dwayne: Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 infrastructure and overall cloud security.
Q. What advice would you give to readers jumping into this technology? Do you have any top tips?
Dwayne: This book is practical knowledge for architectural design of cybersecurity. Though the book does not have hands-on exercises, I still highly recommend going into Microsoft 365 and Azure to review and analyze how these solutions and technologies work and interact together.
Q. What’s your take on the technologies discussed in the book? Where do you see these technologies heading in the future?
Dwayne: Cybersecurity is an ever evolving subject and topic. When you add the aspect of cloud technologies, then change is the only constant. The speed of accelerations of cloud security is difficult to keep up, so you need to stay one step ahead. The technologies within the book will continue to evolve as will the solutions with Microsoft and other hyperscalers.
Q. How did you organize, plan, and prioritize your work and write the book?
Dwayne: When I am creating content, I attempt to put specific time aside that is only focused on that content. To be successful, you should keep that schedule and focused time.
Q. What are your favorite tech journals? How do you keep yourself up to date on tech?
Dwayne: A good portion of how I stay up to date is through social media and following other community leaders. I also follow the key analysts from Gartner, Forrester, IDC, and others to understand technology trends that are emerging. Additionally, my company has an expert community that is always sharing trends and innovations.
Q. Would you like to share your social handles? If so, mention them below.
Dwayne: Yes, of course. Here you go: 1. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dnatwick/;
2. Twitter: @DwayneNcloud;
3. YouTube: https://youtube.com/@CaptainHyperscaler.
Q: What is that one writing tip that you found most crucial and would like to share with aspiring authors?
Dwayne: As stated previously, create a schedule with focused writing time and stick to it. If you make it a habit, you will stay on track to complete your writing.
You can find Dwayne’s book on Amazon by following this link: Please click here
