April 2026 Edition  Hayyy Splunk Education Enthusiasts and the Eternally Curious!   We’re back with this month’s edition of indexEducation, the newsletter that takes an untraditional twist on what’s new with Splunk Education. (And, speaking of untraditional, can you identify this month’s theme?) We hope the updates about our courses, certification program, and self-paced training feed your obsession to learn, grow, and advance your careers. Let’s get started with an index for maximum performance readability:  Training You Gotta Take | Things You Needa Know | Places You’ll Wanna Go     Training You Gotta Take    SPL2 the moon | Helping your search skills reach total velocity  Houston, we have liftoff. Inspired by Artemis II, Splunk Education has launched three new eLearning courses that might also take your breath away. These new additions to the catalog will help you master SPL2, which is the next-gen search processing language built for data in motion and at rest. These free and hands-on courses are designed for different audiences at different levels to make SPL2 feel less like rocket science and more like second nature with cleaner syntax, faster workflows, and more control of the results.    Gotta take the newest launches | Hone your SPL2 skills     Full Observability Pipeline | Countdown to telemetry  Like the Artemis II astronauts who just witnessed formerly unseen terrain of the moon, we’re sharing a new course that helps you observe the dark side of your data. Full Observability Pipeline with Splunk OpenTelemetry is the new Splunk Education 9-hour instructor-led course that teaches you how to build, configure, and troubleshoot a complete telemetry pipeline using the Splunk distribution of the OpenTelemetry Collector.   Gotta get full visibility | Launch your observability pipeline    Things You Needa Know    The 2025 Splunk Career Impact Report | Splunk proficiency leads to career liftoff  Much like the thrust needed to propel the NASA astronauts to space, learning Splunk is proven to propel careers. The latest Splunk Education executive blog breaks down the 2025 Splunk Career Impact Report and the data around Splunk Education and Certifications. Demand for Splunk practitioners has doubled since the Cisco acquisition, and interest in building those skills is up 107% year over year. Plus, 77% of certified users report increased earnings, while 72% have been promoted.   Needa see the proof | Read the blog and click through to the full report    Cybersecurity Defense Architect | The journey continues  When you were a kid, maybe you wanted to be an astronaut or an architect. Well, if both of those seem out of reach today, we’ve got news for you. The new Splunk Certified Cybersecurity Defense Architect certification is here, and it’s built for those ready to think beyond alerts and instead are ready to architect for what comes next. This expert-level certification validates your ability to design scalable, data-driven security operations. It’s in beta, which means the exam is free for a limited time.     Needa think bigger | Explore the Architect certification    Places You’ll Wanna Go    Splunk Academic Alliance Program | Do you feel the pull?   The Splunk Academic Alliance Program is expanding its mission to grow talent today for the benefit of society tomorrow. In addition to Splunk Platform and Splunk Security learning paths, member universities can now incorporate curated curriculum from the Cisco Networking Academy – networking courses that provide a more complete view of how data moves, how systems connect, and how security operations function in real environments. Like the planets in our solar system, we’re hoping to show our learners the interconnectedness of all the systems in the Splunk/Cisco universe.   Gotta take a networking journey | Explore the expanded portfolio    Splunk Lantern | A bright star in the Splunk universe  When you’re navigating complex systems or traveling the unknown, let Splunk Lantern be the guide that helps you find your way. This month’s updates bring new use cases for contact centers, smarter strategies for managing critical data, and AI-powered analysis tools designed to surface what matters most. And now, with Japanese translations available, learners all over the earth can benefit from the discoveries.   Gotta go toward the light | Explore the latest from Lantern    Find Your Way | Learning Bits and Breadcrumbs    Go Stream It | The Latest Course Releases (Some with Non-English Captions!)  Go to STEP | Get Upskilled  Go Discuss Stuff | Join the Community  Go Social | LinkedIn for News  Go Index It | Subscribe to our Newsletter    Thanks for sharing a few minutes of your day with us – whether you’re looking to grow your mind, career, or spirit, you can bet your sweet SaaS, we got you. If you think of anything else we may have missed, please reach out to us at indexEducation@splunk.com.     Answer to Index This: A stamp  ... View more

Can you feel it? There’s a certain energy that comes with a product launch, a marketing launch, and a rocket launch – it’s the anticipation, the bated breath, the sense that this is just the beginning of something bigger. That’s exactly where we are with this month’s Splunk Education new course releases. Think of it as our Artemis II moment: not the first mission, but the one that proves we’re ready to go further.  This latest set of courses is all about momentum. We’re continuing to invest in the future of the platform with a new SPL2 learning journey that meets learners where they are by offering both foundational knowledge and deeper, hands-on application. Whether you prefer self-paced eLearning or immersive lab challenges, we have three new offers to help you build fluency and confidence in SPL2.  Beyond that, we’re expanding access and relevance. Those focused on Splunk Observability can sharpen their skills with new eLearning, while platform users benefit from refreshed instructor-led courses designed to keep pace with the latest capabilities.     And as our global community continues to grow, so does our commitment to supporting learners in their preferred language. This release includes new foundational courses now available in Japanese.  The mission is simple: make it easier for you to learn, apply, and grow. Each release is another step forward. You can get more details on all the courses here.   Happy Learning!  ... View more

Have you heard the latest? The 2025 Splunk Career Impact Report is here, and it tells a powerful story about you and our amazing community.    First, thank you. This report exists because of the thousands of Splunk Community members, learners, and certified professionals who shared their experiences. Your insights are shaping the future of learning and proving the real-world impact of Splunk skills.  And the results? They’re hard to ignore. Demand for Splunk practitioners has doubled since the Cisco acquisition, while interest in building Splunk skills has surged 107% year over year. Even more compelling, 77% of certified users report increased earnings, and 72% have been promoted.  This isn’t just data. It’s validation. Every course you take, every lab you complete, every certification you earn, it’s building momentum in your career. The time you invest in learning Splunk is translating directly into opportunity, growth, and recognition in the field.  What makes this even more powerful is the role of the Splunk Community. Whether you’re asking questions, sharing insights, or learning alongside peers, you’re part of a global network that’s driving each other forward. That collective momentum is what turns learning into lasting impact.  Click on the image to read the full infographic Want to go deeper into the findings? Check out the full breakdown and insights from Splunk Education leader, Henry Villar, in his blog.      Keep learning. Keep growing. The data says it’s working.  🎓Take a training class! 📛 Get Splunk Certified.   ... View more

March 2026 Edition  Hayyy Splunk Education Enthusiasts and the Eternally Curious!   We’re back with this month’s edition of indexEducation, the newsletter that takes an untraditional twist on what’s new with Splunk Education. (And, speaking of untraditional, can you identify this month’s theme?) We hope the updates about our courses, certification program, and self-paced training feed your obsession to learn, grow, and advance your careers. Let’s get started with an index for maximum performance readability:  Training You Gotta Take | Things You Needa Know | Places You’ll Wanna Go     Training You Gotta Take    Detection Engineering in Action | Your security bracket just got stronger  March is when the stakes are high, the pressure builds, and the real contenders show up. That’s how we feel about Splunk ES Premier: Detection Engineering in Action. This hands-on lab series helps detection engineers sharpen their ability to identify threats, create detections, and correlate data to uncover complex attack patterns. Working in Splunk Enterprise 10.0.1 with ES Premier 8.4, learners get practical experience tracking down suspicious activity and turning insight into action. Just like March Madness, only the top strategies advance.  Gotta take the lab | Start detection engineering training    Splunk Certified Cybersecurity Defense Architect | Get ready to advance  Whether you’re on the court or watching from the stands, there’s strong competition all around. If you’re in the cybersecurity game, that same tournament spirit applies. That’s why we’re offering a new Splunk Certified Cybersecurity Defense Architect certification that’s built for experienced security professionals ready to step into an architecture role. This expert-level credential validates your ability to design data-driven security operations, build scalable defense systems, and align advanced capabilities with enterprise risk and governance frameworks.   Gotta prove your architecture skills | Explore the certification    Things You Needa Know      Career Impact Report | The stats indicate strong competition   Every year during March Madness, some fans go to great lengths to study the stats before filling out their brackets. Turns out, the numbers tell a strong story for Splunk skills too. According to the 2025 Career Impact Report, professionals were 80% more likely to report being very proficient with Splunk in 2025 compared to 2024. Even more telling? Splunk Training and Certification ranked as the top resource (52%) for building that expertise. And the perceived importance of Splunk skills more than doubled to 43% in 2025. When it comes to building cybersecurity talent, the scoreboard is clear: training matters!  Needa see the numbers | Read the 2025 Career Impact Report     Main Character Moments | Kwentin takes center court  When the top players step into the spotlight and chaos ensues, you know you’re in the middle of March Madness.  In the latest Main Character Moments companion video, cybersecurity analyst Kwentin Shelton is in center court talking about the experiences that shaped his career - from the curiosity that opened the first door to the learning moments that kept him moving forward. His story is a reminder that growth rarely happens alone, and advancing in our careers really is a team effort.  Needa know Kwentin | Let his story fuel you     Places You’ll Wanna Go    Splunk Lantern | Award-winning guidance validated by Stevie  Everybody loves a good Cinderella story, especially if their bracket picks were random. But this year, Splunk Lantern has proven to be a top seed and a feel-good story. Splunk Lantern earned a 2026 Silver Stevie Award, recognition that reflects just how far it has come from a modest library of 46 articles in 2020 to a powerhouse ecosystem of more than 1,200 articles today. The judges recognized not just the thought leadership, but the smart technical experience that helps users actually find what they need.   Gotta go to the finals | See where Splunk Lantern placed     Authorized Learning Partners | Meet Fast Lane Dubai  Every great team has a strong foundation of trainers, coaches, and strategists behind the scenes. In the world of Splunk Education, our Authorized Learning Partners (ALPs) are an integral part of our team foundation. ALPs deliver official Splunk courses, guide learners through hands-on labs, and help partners meet training requirements within the Cisco 360 Partner Program. And today, we’re excited to welcome Fast Lane Dubai as our newest ALP. Their team will bring local expertise and global training experience to customers and partners across the region so more learners can sharpen their Splunk skills and move forward in their careers.  Gotta meet the partner | Learn more about Fast Lane Dubai     Find Your Way | Learning Bits and Breadcrumbs    Go Stream It | The Latest Course Releases (Some with Non-English Captions!)  Go to STEP | Get Upskilled  Go Discuss Stuff | Join the Community  Go Social | LinkedIn for News  Go Index It | Subscribe to our Newsletter    Thanks for sharing a few minutes of your day with us – whether you’re looking to grow your mind, career, or spirit, you can bet your sweet SaaS, we got you. If you think of anything else we may have missed, please reach out to us at indexEducation@splunk.com.     Answer to Index This: March Madness        ... View more

Some months are packed with Splunk New releases. Others are about one big release that deserves your full attention. This is one of those months.  New this month Splunk ES Premier: Detection Engineering in Action (Lab Exercise) has officially arrived, and it’s built for hands-on defenders who want to move beyond theory and into real detection work. In this interactive lab, learners work in Splunk Enterprise 10.0.1 and ES Premier 8.4 to simulate real-world detection engineering scenarios and track down threats across cloud and network environments.  In this lab, you will:  Master behavior-based detections to spot insider threats and anomalous cloud activity  Write event-based detections (EBDs) for suspicious Lambda activity with MITRE ATT&CK mapping  Learn about finding-based detections (FBDs) for high-fidelity alerting  Correlate activity across the kill chain to stop threats before impact    In Case You Missed It: Last Month’s New Releases  Here are a few recent releases worth another look.   Instructor-Led Training (ILT)  Our instructors continue to deliver deep-dive learning experiences for those who want to learn directly from the experts.  Full Observability Pipeline with Splunk OpenTelemetry – Learn how to build, configure, and troubleshoot a full observability pipeline using the Splunk Distribution of the OpenTelemetry Collector.  Splunk Search Expert Fast Start – Refine advanced search techniques and accelerate your expertise. Delivered by Splunk Authorized Learning Partners.  Splunk Power User Fast Start – Build reports, dashboards, and visualizations that drive real decisions. Delivered by Splunk Authorized Learning Partners.  eLearning with Labs  For self-paced learners who like to get their hands on the keyboard:  Using Splunk IT Service Intelligence 4.2 – A 6-hour course covering Service Analyzer, Notable Events Review, Glass Tables, Deep Dives, KPI Alerts, and more.    Don’t Sleep on These New Courses  If you’ve been meaning to sharpen your detection-engineering skills, refine your searches, or build stronger observability pipelines, consider taking another look at what’s new with Splunk Education. Explore all new and recent Splunk Education releases and check out the hundreds of Splunk Training courses here on our course catalog.  ... View more

In cybersecurity, defenders respond to threats. Architects design the systems that stop them.    As organizations grow and security environments become more complex, companies increasingly need professionals who can think beyond individual alerts or investigations. They need architects who can design security programs that scale—systems that combine automation, data strategy, governance frameworks, and risk-aligned planning.  From Defender to Architect  The Splunk Certified Cybersecurity Defense Architect certification was created for professionals ready to step into that role. This new expert-level certification validates the ability to design and mature modern security operations by architecting data-driven defense systems that support enterprise-scale environments.  Validating Architecture-Level Expertise  Security architecture requires more than operational expertise. It requires the ability to connect technical capabilities with strategic outcomes. The Splunk Certified Cybersecurity Defense Architect certification validates skills such as:  Designing scalable security defense controls across complex environments  Architecting data-driven security workflows and automation strategies  Aligning security capabilities with organizational risk and governance frameworks  Planning and orchestrating security operations at enterprise scale  In other words, it recognizes professionals who can move from executing security operations to designing how those operations work.  The Value of Becoming Splunk Certified  Splunk certifications have long been recognized as valuable credentials for security and IT professionals looking to advance their careers. According to the 2025 Splunk Career Impact Report:  77% of certification holders reported increased earnings due to their Splunk proficiency  72% reported receiving promotions  71% said their certification helped them get hired  Certification demonstrates practical expertise with Splunk technology while also signaling to employers that you can apply those skills to real-world security challenges.  For experienced professionals, the Cybersecurity Defense Architect certification represents the opportunity to validate strategic design expertise, not just operational proficiency.  Now Available in Beta  The Cybersecurity Defense Architect certification exam is currently in Beta, providing an opportunity for qualified candidates to take the exam early and help shape the final version.  During the Beta period:  Cost: $0 USD   Length: 120 minutes  Format: 120 multiple-choice questions  Delivery: Pearson VUE testing partner  Because the exam is in Beta, candidates will not receive immediate pass/fail results. After analyzing Beta exam performance data, the Splunk Certification team expects to release results in the latter half of 2026. Beta participation helps ensure the final exam reflects real-world expertise and maintains the high standards expected of Splunk certifications.  Ready to Architect the Future of Security?  If you’re ready to validate your ability to design and scale modern cybersecurity defenses, the next step is to explore the certification details and register for the Beta exam.  Start by:  Reviewing the Cybersecurity Defense Architect certification page  Exploring the certification track flowchart  Studying the exam blueprint to understand exam objectives  Registering through Pearson VUE  If you already have a Pearson VUE account with Splunk and are ready to take the exam, you can log in to view your exam authorization and register.  If you do not see the exam authorization in your Pearson VUE account, please email splunk_certification@cisco.com.    The cybersecurity landscape continues to evolve—and the professionals who design its defenses must evolve with it. The Splunk Certified Cybersecurity Defense Architect certification is built for those ready to step into that architectural role and shape the future of modern security operations.  ... View more

We live in a world full of origin stories, plot twists, and those “how it started vs. how it’s going” moments. And we’re here for it! Welcome to Main Character Moments – a new Splunk Education series where Splunk users play the protagonists in their own life story. Episode 1 features Kwentin Shelton, a cybersecurity analyst navigating a big life and an exciting journey through tech. He shares how curiosity opened the first door, how continuous learning is growth serum, and why asking for help when you’re neurodivergent isn’t a weakness but a superpower.     In this companion video, cybersecurity analyst Kwentin Shelton takes center stage. From following curiosity into the world of security to leaning on community-powered learning along the way, Kwentin reflects on the moments that helped shape his career and perspective. Watch the video to hear how persistence, asking questions, and embracing continuous learning helped him turn opportunity into momentum—and why no one has to navigate their career journey alone.  https://youtu.be/tkgITVdmMdg    Watch the video to revisit Kwentin’s inspiring path and his advocacy within the neurodivergent community. Let his success story spark your next move with Splunk!  Get more inspiration about starting your own learning journey by going to Splunk Education.      ... View more

  February 2026 Edition  Hayyy Splunk Education Enthusiasts and the Eternally Curious!   We’re back with this month’s edition of indexEducation, the newsletter that takes an untraditional twist on what’s new with Splunk Education. We hope the updates about our courses, certification program, and self-paced training will feed your obsession to learn, grow, and advance your careers. Let’s get started with an index for maximum performance readability:  Training You Gotta Take | Things You Needa Know | Places You’ll Wanna Go      Training You Gotta Take    New Releases | Add these to your “Brainy Early Friday Morning” playlist  If your 2025 Spotify Wrapped leaned more guilty pleasure than graduate program, allow us to recalibrate your aura. Each month, Splunk Education releases new and updated courses built for the realities of modern security operations including automation, analytics, visualization, and beyond. Consider these new courses – some that are free, some including labs, and many delivered by experts – part of your intellectual soundtrack for 2026. Curate a new vibe and then hit fast forward on your professional development.  Gotta take the latest courses | You’ll look good and get noticed (in tech)    Splunk Lantern | Practical guidance is center stage  While the Super Bowl halftime show gave Bad Bunny a much-talked-about spotlight, another kind of light is shining on how you can learn Splunk. Check your feed because Splunk Lantern has entered the chat. This month’s Lantern guidance features the premiere of Splunk Enterprise Security 8.3 – complete with new Premier and Essentials tiers that reshape how your SOC runs the show. Not to be overshadowed, but there’s also a new Solution Accelerator to help financial services teams tackle data compliance.   Gotta learn with Lantern | Highlights in the spotlight      Things You Needa Know    Keeping it Simple | A new recipe for recertification  You know that feeling when you’ve got only 5 of the 14 ingredients to make Mongolian Beef and yet those 5 simple ingredients somehow make it taste better? That’s what’s happening with Splunk Certification recertification. We’re simplifying the process so it’s clearer, cleaner, and easier to follow – with the coursework renewal option being retired. To maintain your certification, you’ll either retake the same exam within the final year of your recertification window or earn a higher-level certification in the same track. Think: Splunk Core Certified Power User to Splunk Enterprise Certified Admin.   Needa know about recertification | It’s simple and sufficient      Main Character Moments | Don’t be an NPC in your career  We live in a world obsessed with origin stories, plot twists, and “how it started vs. how it’s going.” And we’re here for it! Welcome to Main Character Moments – a new Splunk Education series where Splunk users play the protagonists in their own life story. Episode 1 features Kwentin Shelton, a cybersecurity analyst navigating a big life and an exciting journey through tech. He shares how curiosity opened the first door, how continuous learning is growth serum, and why asking for help when you’re neurodivergent isn’t a weakness but a superpower.   Needa know Kwentin | Let his story fuel you      Places You’ll Wanna Go    Splunk University at GovSummit | We’re in session  While news headlines have been about shutdowns and budget battles, the nation’s Capital will still be buzzing when Splunk GovSummit lands in Washington, DC on April 8, 2026. Expect deep dives into AI, Zero Trust, cloud, compliance, fraud prevention, and edge security, plus keynotes, breakouts, peer conversations that lead to action. And, attendees can further their education with hands-on experience at Splunk University the day before -- on April 7.    Gotta go where learning is never shut down | Registration today!    Splunk Classroom Chronicles | This is no sitcom, but it’s fun  When you think back to a typical classroom, you might picture an OG chalkboard, late homework, detention, and maybe watching Saved By the Bell on Saturday morning. But Episode 4 of Splunk Classroom Chronicles proves this isn’t Bayside High, it’s real-world tech enablement. In this episode, we head to Egypt for a Partner Strength & Depth Accelerator where Gary and Adham delivered the training with combined skill and curiosity – creating the vibe that generated a buzz.   Gotta go to class | Read about the grown-up experience      Find Your Way | Learning Bits and Breadcrumbs    Go Chat | Join our Community User Group Slack Channel  Go Stream It | The Latest Course Releases (Some with Non-English Captions!)  Go to STEP | Get Upskilled  Go Discuss Stuff | Join the Community  Go Social | LinkedIn for News  Go Index It | Subscribe to our Newsletter     Thanks for sharing a few minutes of your day with us – whether you’re looking to grow your mind, career, or spirit, you can bet your sweet SaaS, we got you. If you think of anything else we may have missed, please reach out to us at indexEducation@splunk.com.     Answer to Index This: Silence  ... 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March 1 marked the start of a simpler approach to maintaining your Splunk Certifications.  As we’ve been sharing over the last few months, we’ve updated our Recertification Policy to make it clearer and more consistent across tracks. Moving forward, recertification through coursework completion has been retired. Instead, there are now two straightforward ways to keep your certification current:  Retake your certification exam within the final year of your recertification window, or  Earn a higher-level certification in the same track.  If your recertification window is approaching, now’s a great time to plan your next move—whether that’s leveling up or locking in your current credential. Check out the FAQs.  For complete details, including timelines and requirements, review the full Splunk Recertification Policy. If you have additional questions, please reach out to the Splunk Certification team at splunk_certification@cisco.com.  ... View more

If you’re low-key depressed that the 2026 Winter Olympics are over, we get it. But here in Splunk Education, we’re still committed to our training plans and want to share those with you. Maybe having the February New Course Releases to review will give you something else to occupy your downtime.   Instructor-led Training  Our instructors continue to stand tall at the virtual ‘podium,’ so if you are energized by learning from the experts then these courses are for you.   Full Observability Pipeline with Splunk OpenTelemetry: This course will help you to build, configure, and troubleshoot a full observability pipeline using the Splunk Distribution of the OpenTelemetry Collector. Enroll today.   Splunk Search Expert Fast Start: This updated course helps you refine advanced search techniques and accelerate your expertise. This course is delivered by our Authorized Learning Partners. Enroll today.   Splunk Power User Fast Start: Our refreshed Splunk Power User Fast Start ensures power users can confidently create reports, dashboards, and visualizations that drive real decisions. This course is delivered by our Authorized Learning Partners. Enroll today.   eLearning with Labs  If you’re a self-motivated human with a passion for hands-on learning, we have a new eLearning with Labs course to help you compete at the service level.  Using Splunk IT Service Intelligence 4.2: In this 6-hour course, you'll learn how to use Splunk IT Service Intelligence features, such as Service Analyzer, Notable Events Review, Glass Tables, Deep Dives, KPI Alerts and more.  Building Excellence Everyday  The Olympic spotlight may shift every few years, but excellence is built daily. At Splunk Education, we believe this is also true for us mere mortals who are just looking to excel in our careers. Explore February’s releases, enroll in your next challenge, and bask in the glory of a win.   Happy Learning to all of our champions!  ... View more

On April 8, 2026, Splunk GovSummit returns to the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C., bringing together public sector technology leaders who are navigating one of the most complex threat landscapes in history. And, if you’re obsessed with building a more modern Security Operations Center (SOC), then the real action begins on April 7 with Splunk University.    Registration is open for Splunk GovSummit on April 8  From safeguarding national security and protecting critical systems to safely adopting AI and meeting strict compliance baselines, agencies today are balancing innovation with responsibility in real time. GovSummit is where those conversations get real — with deep  dives into reducing fraud, closing cybersecurity workforce gaps, managing federated data at scale, and building a SOC that’s ready for whatever comes next.   Register here for Splunk GovSummit  Step Into the SOC at Splunk University on April 7  The day before Splunk GovSummit officially kicks off, the real action begins. April 7 is your opportunity to move from theory to practice – working inside a modern SOC.  Enhancing SOC Operations with Attack Simulations is an instructor-led course where you’ll take on the role of a SOC analyst, detection engineer, or automation engineer and work through realistic attack scenarios. Leveraging Splunk SOAR or Adaptive Response in Enterprise Security, you’ll test detections, refine remediation strategies, and collaborate across SOC roles to strengthen investigative and incident response skills. It’s immersive, hands-on, and designed for beginner to intermediate practitioners ready to elevate their game.  Watch Alex, from Splunk Education, describe what you'll learn in class from our YouTube Shorts channel.     Splunk University registration details  This full-day course (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) is priced at $500 or 50 Training Units and requires GovSummit registration to participate. Payment can be made via credit card or Training Units, with TU submissions reviewed by the Splunk Education team prior to confirmation. Previous experience with Splunk Enterprise Security or Splunk SOAR is recommended to maximize the experience.  Learn more about registration    If Splunk GovSummit is about enterprise strategy, Splunk University is about security execution. Don’t just attend GovSummit — come with valuable knowledge!       ... View more

Welcome to Main Character Moments — where we hand the mic to our Splunk community members so they can tell their story. They take the stage to give us a glimpse into their path, perspective, and problem-solving so we all can learn from each other.  I’m your host, Callie Skokos, and for Episode 1, I couldn’t be more excited to kick things off with Kwentin Shelton, a Cybersecurity Analyst whose path into security is rooted in curiosity, persistence, and community-powered learning.  Callie Skokos: Hi Kwentin, welcome to Main Character Moments! Where are you joining us from right now?  Kwentin Shelton: Hi Callie! Thanks for having me. I live in the Atlanta area, and I currently work with an MSSP based in Alpharetta, GA where I’m a Cybersecurity Analyst.  Callie: We love to get to know our community. Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing?  Kwentin: I love to travel — both solo and with groups. I’ve been to places like California, New York City, Boston, Florida, the Carolinas, and internationally to Costa Rica and Portugal. I’m also really into rock climbing, hiking, zip lining, and playing open-world games in my spare time.   Callie: How did you first get introduced to Splunk?  Kwentin: I was introduced to Splunk while working in IT at Kennesaw State University. KSU had a partnership with the Splunk Academic Alliance, which gave me access to training and certifications. Because of that program, I was able to train on Splunk and take my certification exam for free.  Callie: How has Splunk influenced your career growth?  Kwentin: I started using Splunk in 2022 and by 2024, I realized how highly respected Splunk is in the cybersecurity job market. Learning Splunk made it easier to pick up other data tools, like KQL for Microsoft Sentinel. I earned my Splunk Core Certified User Certification and honestly, having Splunk listed on my resume — with real hands-on experience — was enough to help me land my current role at an MSSP.  Callie: What was one of the most exciting things you learned about using Splunk?  Kwentin: One thing that really stood out as I was learning Splunk was the ability to build dashboards and tables where you didn’t need deep SPL knowledge. The syntax was embedded into buttons, charts, and visualizations, which gives IT teams a more UI-friendly way to investigate issues instead of digging through raw data.  Callie: Who inspires you professionally?  Kwentin: I’d say Henri Davis host of the Techtual Chatter YouTube channel. Around 2024, I knew I wanted to move into a more mature role outside of the service desk at KSU. Watching Henri’s content helped me realize that I was already doing cross-functional cybersecurity and IAM work. Watching his channel made me realize that the tools I was already using — like Duo, KnowBe4, Splunk, Active Directory, Jamf, and Intune — were all critical to shaping my skill set. That confidence carried into interviews and opened doors I didn’t think were possible before. That realization helped me restructure my resume and ultimately land a cybersecurity role. I was later featured on his channel and shared my experience breaking into tech with autism to help guide others.  Callie: I watched your interview on the Techtual Chatter podcast! It was so good. You were very open about accessibility and inclusion. Can you tell us more about what you shared?  Kwentin: Absolutely. As someone on the autism spectrum, navigating the world can be challenging. I wanted to give others hope and confidence that people with autism can pursue tech opportunities. I gave the audience some suggestions about submitting applications, interviewing, and testing. In fact, because test-taking can be challenging, I reached out to Splunk Education before taking my Splunk Certification exam and the team helped me secure testing accommodations, including extended time. That made a huge difference. I really appreciate how intentional Splunk has been about making certification accessible and inclusive for people with learning disabilities.  Callie: Tell us more about your experience with the Splunk Academic Alliance Program.  Kwentin: The Splunk Academic Alliance Program gave me free access to training and certification exams. The program really helped me deepen my Splunk knowledge. I learned to use Splunk through self-paced training, quizzes, and especially the hands-on labs on the Splunk Education platform. The labs were huge for me because I’m a visual learner. Being able to interact with a temporary cloud environment and follow step-by-step guides helped me retain the material much better than just reading and lectures alone. I passed my certification on the first attempt in October 2025.  Callie: What’s next for you with Splunk?  Kwentin: I want to earn more Splunk Certifications so I can use Splunk more effectively across different cloud environments, system and network protocols, and eventually expand my opportunities nationally and internationally.  Callie: Final question — what would you say to someone just getting started?  Kwentin: Use the resources available to you, especially hands-on labs. Don’t underestimate the experience you already have, and don’t be afraid to ask for support. Programs like Splunk Academic Alliance really do change lives.  Callie: Thank you so much, Kwentin. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you and learn from you.  Kwentin: Thank you so much!   That’s it for Episode 1 of Main Character Moments. Huge thanks to Kwentin for sharing his story — and for reminding us that learning, accessibility, and community can be career-defining. Stay tuned for more conversations that spotlight the people powering the Splunk ecosystem, one main character at a time.  ... View more

Welcome back to Splunk Classroom Chronicles, our ongoing series where we shine a light on what really happens inside a Splunk classroom. This time, we’re giving you an insider’s view of a recent Partner Strength & Depth (PSD) Accelerator in Egypt. Traveling across the globe, two of our seasoned Splunk instructors—partnering with Silicon21—delivered more than just training; they brought the energy, shared real-world expertise, and helped strengthen a growing community of Splunk users.    One big location, hundreds of big ideas  The PSD Accelerator is part of our Splunk Funded Partner Training initiative, designed to help partners level up together. The idea is simple but powerful: bring a large group of partners into one location, deliver instructor-led Splunk Education onsite, and focus on building a deep, shared foundation of Splunk knowledge. These programs are ideal for reaching larger audiences (often more than 50 learners at a time), with Splunk covering the cost of training, instructor travel, and certification exam vouchers. These PSD sessions are typically hands-on, lab-infused, and taught by certified Splunk instructors who know how to keep the room engaged from initial login to final feedback form.   Egyptian learners tackle Enterprise Administrator bootcamp  For the Egyptian audience, we combined the core content from Splunk Enterprise System Administration and Splunk Enterprise Data Administration into a streamlined Enterprise Administrator bootcamp. This allowed learners to move efficiently through core concepts—managing License Managers, Indexers, and Search Heads, then diving into Forwarders, Data Ingestion, and Deployment Servers—seamlessly and in less time. Same depth, slightly tighter format, and a whole lot of ah-ha moments.  Go to the head of the class  Oh, but those instructors, though. Gary Swanson and Adham Labib Ali showed up with a rare mix of deep technical fluency and real-world perspective that immediately set the tone for the week. They knew when to go deep, when to zoom out, and how to turn complex concepts into practical, usable knowledge. Their curiosity and authenticity sparked thoughtful questions, generated lively discussions, and created a classroom vibe that felt more like a collaborative workshop than a traditional lecture.  People are talking  The learner feedback posted publicly on LinkedIn illustrated how many learners experienced the bootcamp. Yousef AbdulFattah, Cyber Security Solution Engineer at Silicon21, responded to Adham’s overview post saying, “It was truly a pleasure meeting you and attending this session. The energy in the room and engaging discussions made it a very impactful experience. Many thanks to Adham and Gary for the valuable insights and for making this session such a great one.”  Another note submitted directly into the team summed up the vibe perfectly, calling out how interactive, collaborative, and genuinely enjoyable the week was—driven by instructors who showed up with professionalism, clarity, and a real passion for teaching.  In a classroom or in your own room  Whether you’re interested in learning collaboratively and building community, or appreciate going solo, Splunk Education offers a learning modality that’s sure to suit your needs. If we’ve piqued your interest in the value of Splunk Education and you’d like to increase your Splunk knowledge or get started on your own journey, here are some useful resources:  Course Registration: Ready to take the next step? Register for any of our courses here.   Splunk Education: Visit the official Splunk Education website to explore more courses and certification details.  Splunk Lantern: Get field-tested guidance on use cases and best practices using Splunk Lantern.  Community Insights: Join the Splunk Community to connect with other users and get insights into best practices and troubleshooting.  Splunk Certification: Validate your Splunk proficiency with any of our Splunk Certifications.  Stay tuned for the next episode of Splunk Classroom Chronicles—we’ve got plenty more training tales to tell. Stay curious, keep learning, and we look forward to seeing you in one of our upcoming classes – virtually or in person!  ... View more

January 2026 Edition  Hayyy Splunk Education Enthusiasts and the Eternally Curious!   We’re back with this month’s edition of indexEducation, the newsletter that takes an untraditional twist on what’s new with Splunk Education. We hope the updates about our courses, certification program, and self-paced training will feed your obsession to learn, grow, and advance your careers. Let’s get started with an index for maximum performance readability:  Training You Gotta Take | Things You Needa Know | Places You’ll Wanna Go   Training You Gotta Take Developing SOAR Playbooks for Splunk Enterprise Security | For the win  Write the play. Run the play. Win the game. Like every great football team, every strong security team has a playbook. Developing SOAR Playbooks for Splunk Enterprise Security is a brand-new paid eLearning course that shows you how to run circles around threats using Splunk SOAR and Splunk Enterprise Security (ES). You’ll learn how to design, test, and troubleshoot playbooks that execute directly from ES, with hands-on labs to illustrate how it works.   Gotta run the right plays | Build automation that actually executes   Using Splunk UEBA to Detect Insider Threats | Think like an insider  Being an insider isn’t always about backstage passes and early access—it’s sometimes about malicious behavior. In Using Splunk UEBA to Detect Insider Threats, you’ll step into a one-hour hands-on lab built for SOC analysts and threat hunters who want to spot risky behavior before it becomes a headline. You’ll investigate anomalies, tune detections, and cut through the noise to focus on what actually matters. Prior Splunk Enterprise Security experience recommended, curiosity required.  Gotta train at your pace | Build your security muscle anytime  Things You Needa Know Splunk University at GovSummit | Back to school, civics edition  Fresh notebooks. New ballpoints. Big goals. Splunk GovSummit is bringing that energy back to Washington, DC on April 8, 2026—with Splunk University kicking things off the day before at the Marriott Marquis. This two-day public sector event is built for government and government-focused organizations ready to tackle today’s threat landscape head-on. Expect deep dives into AI, Zero Trust, cloud, compliance, fraud prevention, and edge security—plus keynotes, breakouts, and plenty of peer talk. Join the one-day class, then stay for the experience that ties it all together.  Need know where policy meets practice | Registration opens early 2026  Legacy Certifications | In the New year, we’re going vintage  New year, new changes. Starting January 1, we’ve introduced Legacy Certifications—credentials that still mean something, but won’t be refreshed going forward. Think of these like a classic band tee: it’s still cool even if the band isn’t touring anymore. Splunk Enterprise Security Certified Admin, Splunk SOAR Certified Automation Developer, and   Splunk IT Service Intelligence Certified Admin are now officially “legacy.” Don’t worry, though, these certs continue to hold value for the right roles and environments, they’re just no longer evolving with product releases.  Needa know what’s changed | Some Splunk certifications are legacy now  Places You'll Wanna Go Boss of the SOC for Higher Ed | Step up to the mic  Bruce Springsteen is The Boss because he is relentless in pursuing artistic excellence. Show your relentless pursuit of excellence by participating in the Boss of the SOC: Higher Ed Edition on Wednesday, April 15 (1–5 PM ET). This is a live, hands-on threat detection challenge built exclusively for colleges and universities using Splunk. You’ll battle realistic attack scenarios, sharpen investigation speed, and pressure-test detection workflows alongside peer institutions. You’ll walk away with skills, greater stamina, and serious SOC street cred.   Gotta go take on the battle | Prove you run the SOC  Splunk Lantern | A smarter site, guided by how you use it  If you haven’t clicked around Splunk Lantern lately, the October refresh is worth a scroll. We updated navigation, streamlined content, and added a no-login feedback button to make sharing input fast and friction-free. The result? More feedback in six weeks than we received in the previous five years combined — helping us prioritize updates, tune guidance, and keep Lantern aligned to how Splunk is really used in the field. You’ll find the feedback button on almost all of our articles. Use it—we’re listening.  Gotta go read the blog | Help shape what comes next  Find Your Way | Learning Bits and Breadcrumbs  Go Chat | Join our Community User Group Slack Channel  Go Stream It | The Latest Course Releases (Some with Non-English Captions!)  Go to STEP | Get Upskilled  Go Discuss Stuff | Join the Community  Go Social | LinkedIn for News  Go Index It | Subscribe to our Newsletter    Thanks for sharing a few minutes of your day with us – whether you’re looking to grow your mind, career, or spirit, you can bet your sweet SaaS, we got you. If you think of anything else we may have missed, please reach out to us at indexEducation@splunk.com.     Answer to Index This: Your age    ... View more

At Cisco, purpose isn’t a tagline—it’s a commitment. Cisco’s FY25 Purpose Report outlines how the company is working to power an inclusive future for all, with education recognized as the ultimate equalizer for building opportunity in the digital era. That vision is grounded in four pillars—Community Resilience, Our People, Responsible Innovation, and Energy and Sustainability—and brought to life through programs that create real access to skills, careers, and technology.  We’re proud that the Splunk Academic Alliance is featured in this year’s report as a small but mighty example of that purpose in action. The program is designed to meet learners where they are—providing students, faculty, and IT staff at nonprofit colleges and universities with free Splunk training and industry-recognized certifications. As cybersecurity and data roles continue to evolve, Splunk Academic Alliance has expanded to include hands-on learning with Splunk Enterprise Security and Splunk SOAR, helping learners build skills in incident detection, response, and automation—areas the Splunk Community knows are more critical than ever.  The impact is global and growing. In the past year alone, Splunk Academic Alliance supported more than 31,000 enrollments and trained 16,000 learners across 44 countries, with innovative programs at institutions like the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Louisiana State University, and California Polytechnic State University.   For Splunk users, educators, and practitioners, this is a reminder that the tools we use every day are also shaping the next generation of technologists. Whether you’re already involved—or curious about getting your institution involved—we invite you to explore the Cisco FY25 Purpose Report, share it with your network, and see how Splunk is helping turn education into opportunity at scale.  See how the Splunk Academic Alliance is featured in Cisco’s FY25 Purpose Report—and why it matters to the Splunk Community.  ... View more

A new year often inspires reflection—and reinvention. Whether your goals include strengthening your security posture, automating incident response, or turning data into clearer insights, one thing remains true: greater proficiency creates greater opportunity.  To kick off 2026, Splunk Education is rolling out a series of new and updated courses designed to help you stay current, confident, and promotion-ready. These releases reflect the real-world skills Splunk users need most right now—across security operations, automation, analytics, and visualization. Let’s take a look at what’s new.  Strengthen Your Security Foundation with Updated Splunk ES Training  Security teams are under constant pressure to do more with less and expertise matters.  That’s why we’ve updated two of our most critical instructor-led Splunk Enterprise Security (ES) courses:  Administering Splunk Enterprise Security  Using Splunk Enterprise Security (Version 8 – Updated)  These refreshed courses align with the latest ES capabilities, helping practitioners like you manage, tune, and operationalize Splunk ES more effectively. If you’re responsible for maintaining or using ES in a production environment, these updates ensure your skills keep pace with the platform—and with today’s threat landscape.  Automate, Orchestrate, Accelerate: New Splunk SOAR 7.0 Courses  Automation is no longer optional—it’s essential. To support security teams adopting the latest version of Splunk SOAR, we’ve updated four instructor-led training (ILT) courses for Splunk SOAR 7.0.0:  Developing SOAR Playbooks  Administering Splunk SOAR  Investigating Incidents with Splunk SOAR  Advanced SOAR Implementation  Together, these courses guide learners from foundational concepts to advanced implementation, helping teams reduce response times, standardize processes, and scale security operations with confidence.  Get Started Faster with Updated ES Fundamentals  New to Splunk Enterprise Security—or looking to refresh the basics? The updated Introduction to Enterprise Security (ES) eLearning course for ES 8.x provides a clear, accessible on-ramp to the platform. This fundamentals course helps learners understand core ES concepts, workflows, and use cases—making it an ideal starting point for analysts, engineers, or anyone supporting a security operations team.  Detect Insider Threats with Hands-On UEBA Training  Insider threats are complex, subtle, and increasingly costly. Our new interactive lab course, Using Splunk UEBA to Detect Insider Threats, gives learners hands-on experience identifying risky behaviors and potential threats using UEBA analytics. If your role involves threat detection, investigation, or risk management, this lab-focused experience builds practical skills you can apply immediately.  Turn Data into Insight with Updated Dashboard Courses  Dashboards make data visible and actionable. We’ve released updated versions of two popular eLearning courses:   Introduction to Dashboards  Dynamic Dashboards  These refreshed courses help learners design more effective, interactive, and insightful dashboards—so stakeholders can see what matters most, faster.  Why It Matters: Proficiency Powers Possibility  Every new skill you build expands what you can do—with Splunk and beyond. These new and updated courses are more than content refreshes; they’re opportunities to:  Stay current with the latest Splunk releases  Build confidence in high-impact tools like ES, SOAR, and UEBA  Increase your value to your team and organization  Prepare for what’s next in your career    Whether you’re leveling up in your current role or preparing for your next one, learning momentum matters. Bookmark our New Course Release page for all the latest course releases with links and head over to education.splunk.com to browse the catalog.   Happy new year of learning!   ... View more

As we embrace a new year, we’re making a small but important update to the Splunk Certification program. We’ve introduced a new category called Legacy Certifications — think of these as credentials that still hold value, but won’t be refreshed going forward.  The following certifications have been reclassified as Legacy Certifications:  Splunk Enterprise Security Certified Admin  Splunk SOAR Certified Automation Developer  Splunk IT Service Intelligence Certified Admin    While these exams won’t be updated with future product releases, they can still be meaningful for professionals working in specific roles or industries.  If your 2026 goals include sharpening your skills in Enterprise Security or SOAR, now’s a great time to look ahead. We recommend checking out our next-generation cybersecurity certifications:  Splunk Certified Cybersecurity Defense Analyst  Splunk Certified Cybersecurity Defense Engineer  These certifications are built around today’s security challenges and reflect the latest tools, techniques, and best practices for defending modern environments with Splunk. For more details check out the FAQs.  Thank you for being part of the Splunk Certified Community and for continuing to grow your expertise with us. Cheers to what’s next.  ... View more

December 2025 Edition   Hayyy Splunk Education Enthusiasts and the Eternally Curious!    We’re back with this month’s edition of indexEducation, the newsletter that takes an untraditional twist on what’s new with Splunk Education.  This month, we’re riffing on some very popular New Year’s resolutions. We hope the updates about our courses, certification program, and self-paced training will feed your obsession to learn, grow, and advance your careers. Let’s get started with an index for maximum performance readability:  Training You Gotta Take | Things You Needa Know | Places You’ll Wanna Go   Training You Gotta Take Resolution #1 | Improve your health with experienced instructors   Whether it’s feeding our bodies or feeding our minds, we often start the year off trying to do better. Well, that’s the plan until the sleeve of Oreos mysteriously disappears. While Splunk Education can’t stop your snack attacks, we can boost your brain health with courses that feel better than binging Netflix. Take Advanced SOAR Implementation 6.4.1 -- a 13.5-hour deep dive built for seasoned SOAR consultants ready to architect complex, high-impact solutions or wait for training on the latest version coming in mid-January. If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to spend less time on social media and more time improving your career, we are right there with you.   Gotta take steps to better health | Feed your mind with instructor-led training   Resolution #2 | Exercise regularly using labs  We know that sticking with a New Year’s resolution that requires a 5 a.m. wake-up call to claim a treadmill before everyone else does can be tough. But with self-paced learning from Splunk Education, you can build your muscle memory anytime – now with lab-only exercises.   Splunk Enterprise Security: Investigating and Responding in AWS is a new hands-on lab that places you in the investigator’s seat within the Wonderland SOC, guiding you through real-world incident response using Splunk Enterprise Security (ES) and SOAR in an AWS environment. Keeping this resolution should be no sweat.   Gotta be at your pace | Build your security muscle anytime  Things You Needa Know Resolution #3 | Get organized with Splunk Certifications  You know what they say, “Clear your space, clear your mind.” It’s a common New Year’s resolution especially for those who identify as borderline hoarders. In Splunk Certification, we get it. That’s why we’re doing a bit of cleanup in our program by consolidating three certifications into a new legacy category and simplifying our recertification policy. We know that by simplifying things, you’ll experience more clarity and will be able to focus on Splunk Certifications that fit your needs and your career goals more closely. Cheers to channeling your inner Marie Kondo. “Does this spark joy?”  Needa clear your mind | Get the details in this FAQ  Resolution #4 | Save more, spend less   Spend a little too freely on all the holiday festivities, so you resolved to follow a strict budget for the rest of 2026? That’s a common New Year's resolution, so you're not alone. If you’re determined to pinch those pennies, but you’re also prone to FOMO, we got you. The Splunk Education catalog offers over 80 free, self-paced eLearning courses. Get started with Splunk basics at your own pace and then move through the curriculum onto more advanced courses for Splunk Enterprise and Cloud, Security, and Observability. Remember, when you’re saving, you can also be investing.  So, let Splunk help you invest in your career with no money down.   Needa save and invest |  Try free eLearning courses from Splunk Education  Places You'll Wanna Go Resolution #5 | Learn a new skill  Every January 1, you swear this is the year you’ll finally learn piano… and by February 1, the keyboard is just an expensive piece of décor. If you’re craving a more realistic skill upgrade – one that fits right in your pocket – head over to the Splunk YouTube How-To channel. You’ll be in good company with 30,000 subscribers who prefer quick, visual learning without the guilt trip or steep learning curve. Make learning a habit and turn your resolution into one that grows your career and hits all the right notes.  Wanna go skill-up | The solution is in your pocket  Resolution #6 | Reduce stress with a guide  Daily meditation is probably one of those New Year’s resolutions that sounds great until that first Monday back to the office. And while mindfulness is a noble, research-backed path to calm, there are far easier ways to reduce stress at work. Enter Splunk Lantern, the online guide your nervous system didn’t know it needed. Built to light your path through key use cases, data insights, and smoother Splunk management, Lantern will have you breathing easier in no time.  Wanna find your zen | Breathe easier with Lantern  Find Your Way | Learning Bits and Breadcrumbs  Go Chat | Join our Community User Group Slack Channel  Go Stream It | The Latest Course Releases (Some with Non-English Captions!)  Go to STEP | Get Upskilled  Go Discuss Stuff | Join the Community  Go Social | LinkedIn for News  Go Index It | Subscribe to our Newsletter     Thanks for sharing a few minutes of your day with us – whether you’re looking to grow your mind, career, or spirit, you can bet your sweet SaaS, we got you. If you think of anything else we may have missed, please reach out to us at indexEducation@splunk.com.     Answer to Index This: A New Year’s Resolution  ... View more

There’s something special about this time of year—maybe it’s the glow of the holidays, maybe it’s the nostalgia, or maybe it’s the collective sense that we’re all ready to close one chapter and set the stage for something new.   At Splunk Education, this season always reminds us how grateful we are for you: the learners, the admins, the analysts, the partners, and the ever-curious humans who make this community sparkle a little brighter every month.  With that spirit of gratitude, we’re excited to share our latest round of instructor-led courses and translated offerings – new offerings designed to strengthen your skills before we turn the page on the calendar and welcome 2026. Whether you’re planning to spend the holidays curled up with cocoa or still charging ahead with your last big projects, there’s something here to help you step into the new year feeling confident and ready.  New Instructor-Led Training – Security   Advanced SOAR Implementation 6.4.1: This 13.5-hour course is intended for experienced SOAR consultants who will be responsible for complex SOAR solution development. (Enroll)  New Lab-Only Course – Security  Splunk Enterprise Security: Investigating and Responding in AWS: This hands-on lab places you in the investigator’s seat within the Wonderland SOC, guiding you through real-world incident response using Splunk Enterprise Security (ES) and SOAR in an AWS environment. (Enroll) Instructor-Led Translated Training -- Japanese    Splunk Enterprise System Administration 9.4: Build strong system administration fundamentals with localized instruction. (Enroll)  Splunk Enterprise Data Administration 9.4: Explore data ingest, management, and governance in your preferred language. (Enroll)    Quick Notes Before You Register  Splunk Training Units (TUs) do expire—something to keep an eye on as we roll toward year-end.  If your organization uses TUs, check in with your Org Manager before enrolling in paid classes.    As we toast to what’s ahead, we want to thank you for another year of learning, experimenting, troubleshooting, and championing Splunk in your organizations. You continue to inspire the courses we build, the content we share, and the community we’re proud to be part of.  Cheers to using your Splunk proficiency to earn that new promotion next year.    See you in class and see you in 2026.  ... View more

November 2025 Edition  Hayyy Splunk Education Enthusiasts and the Eternally Curious!   We’re back with this month’s edition of indexEducation, the newsletter that takes an untraditional twist on what’s new with Splunk Education.  This month, we’re sharing our thanks with a gratitude-filled edition. We hope the updates about our courses, certification program, and self-paced training will feed your obsession to learn, grow, and advance your careers. Let’s get started with an index for maximum performance readability:   Training You Gotta Take | Things You Needa Know | Places You’ll Wanna Go   Training You Gotta Take Developing Splunk UI Dashboards | Almost as fun as building with Lego bricks  It’s that feeling when you finally have a day off to build that 3,600 Lego piece Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise and now you’re ready to devour grandma’s homemade mashed potatoes. But instead, you’re building Splunk UI Dashboards with an experienced Splunk instructor because you’re enrolled in the Developing Splunk UI Dashboards class. This course is designed for developers looking to build dashboards using React and the Splunk UI toolkit. Almost as satisfying as snapping Legos in place, you’ll get hands-on experience creating dashboards with React components that match the native Splunk look and feel. Although the class day won’t end with a slice of grandma’s pumpkin pie, you’ll be thankful for gaining some new skills.    Gotta get developing | Grateful for dashboards and days off  Splunk Lantern | Learn from featured articles  There’s something magical about holiday lights this time of year. And, we’re even grateful for that one house on the block that outshines us all with a gazillion tiny bulbs generating a million watts. The brightest place in our community is Splunk Lantern and it’s also magical. If you haven’t stopped by Splunk Lantern in a while, you’ll notice we’ve made some glowing upgrades including a revamped home page and refreshed navigation experience – all thanks to feedback from our super users and amazing customers. Lantern offers so many ways to learn and increase your knowledge of Splunk – just follow the light.   Gotta get trained on use cases | Bright lights, big visualizations  Things You Needa Know Legacy certifications | Leaving behind three certifications  At the holiday table, we all have that great-uncle who toasts to the importance of leaving behind a legacy. FWIW, we never really know what he’s talking about. But at Splunk, we’re introducing Legacy Certifications – and clearly defining what that means. While the certifications in this category remain valuable, they will no longer be actively maintained or updated. These include Splunk Enterprise Security Certified Admin, Splunk SOAR Certified Automation Developer, and Splunk IT Service Intelligence Certified Admin. We are so thankful for all our Splunk Certified users and their relentless pursuit of skills validation. Hey, maybe becoming Splunk Certified could be the toast at this holiday family feast.  Needa know about certifications | Grateful for the validation  Getting data in | Now streaming  Maybe you’ve got Netflix, Hulu, or HBO cued up when the dinner dishes are cleared and the family is ready to relax. But did you know there’s also the latest episode of “Getting Data In” streaming from Splunk Academic Alliance? Part of our expanded Splunk Academic Alliance membership, we hosted a special Cybersecurity Awareness Month webinar and the replay is available to help you prepare and optimize your data for Splunk Enterprise Security (ES). The episode may not be as riveting as the first episode of the Game of Thrones, but it’s definitely more rewarding than the final one. Use your holiday downtime to learn more about getting data into Splunk.   Needa learn during that holiday downtime | Streaming on Splunk  Places You’ll Wanna Go Splunk How-To YouTube | Are we in your algorithm?  Sometimes all this new technology can seem daunting and feel super-sci-fi. But we’re thankful for all the different ways we can quickly reach our curious learners with valuable learning content. As an education organization, we know that our 30,000 YouTube subscribers like traditional training coursework, but are also looking for quick, visual ways to increase their Splunk proficiency. We appreciate that we’re part of your algorithm, and if we’re not, we’d be grateful if we were. Plus, if your sister is driving, you can actually learn some stuff on that annoying drive to Aunt Carol’s holiday brunch.   You’ll wanna go to YouTube | For how-tos and to meet Alex, from Splunk Education  Sarah’s blog | For a Cybersecurity Awareness Month wrap up  If you want to be the real hero at your upcoming holiday gatherings, then brush up on ways to keep your Nana and third-cousin Jimmy safe from cybercriminals – since it’s getting even harder these days to detect what's safe and what’s not. Sarah Ernst leads a team of security-focused technical training curriculum developers, so she lives and breathes cybersecurity education and training. She wants to help everyone understand the value of cybersecurity education so we can all stay sharp, stay curious, and stay vigilant – and it’s not just needed by your Boomer family members anymore.   Wanna go get some tips | Cybersecurity awareness is an intergenerational issue  Find Your Way | Learning Bits and Breadcrumbs Go Chat | Join our Community User Group Slack Channel  Go Stream It | The Latest Course Releases (Some with Non-English Captions!)  Go to STEP | Get Upskilled  Go Discuss Stuff | Join the Community  Go Social | LinkedIn for News  Go Index It | Subscribe to our Newsletter       Thanks for sharing a few minutes of your day with us – whether you’re looking to grow your mind, career, or spirit, you can bet your sweet SaaS, we got you. If you think of anything else we may have missed, please reach out to us at indexEducation@splunk.com.     Answer to Index This:To prove he wasn’t a chicken  ... View more

October 2025 Edition  Hayyy Splunk Education Enthusiasts and the Eternally Curious!   We’re back with this month’s edition of indexEducation, the newsletter that takes an untraditional twist on what’s new with Splunk Education. This month, we’re celebrating Rocktober with a music-inspired edition. We hope the updates about our courses, certification program, and self-paced training will feed your obsession to learn, grow, and advance your careers. Let’s get started with an index for maximum performance readability:  Training You Gotta Take | Things You Needa Know | Places You’ll Wanna Go   Training You Gotta Take Free Fallin’ | An ode to learning without limits  Cue Tom Petty, because we’re free fallin’ with over 80 free Splunk self-paced training courses! There’s no “freeway running through the yard,” but our self-paced training courses are accessible online, anytime - covering a wide range of topics from basic Splunk functionalities to advanced security operations. Get obsessed with dashboards, detections, and data, so you can show up at work like a rock star making a big stage entrance.  Gotta show up online | eLearning that rocks  Paradise by the Dashboard Light | Data visualizations on display  “Stop right there! Before you go any further,” learn how to create Splunk Dashboards that highlight your most important data. With our Introduction to Dashboards course, our instructors will show you how to use source code, layouts, and data sources to create dashboards that sing. Then, dial it up with Dynamic Dashboards, where you’ll add user inputs, drilldowns, and learn to create dynamically colored dashboards. Your dashboards will go from “meh” to Meat Loaf-epic.  Gotta know right now | Light up your visualizations  Things You Needa Know Start Me Up | New releases that never stop   Learning Splunk is so addictive that once you start, you’ll never stop. That’s why, every month we release new courses so you can “give it all you got.”  Whether you’re tuning up your security skills, humming along with new SOAR knowledge, or remixing data insights with Observability, Splunk Education has the set list you need. The Splunk Community blog includes the full review of new hits each month so you can “get the moves like Jagger.”  Gotta know the score | Latest releases on The Community  We Are the Champions | Certified and validated  “No time for losers ‘cause…” Splunk Certified Cybersecurity Defense Engineers are the champions. They are certified champions within the SOC and they’ll “keep fighting ‘til the end!” This Splunk certification proves you’ve got what it takes to optimize workflows, fine-tune detections, and automate like a pro using Splunk Enterprise Security and SOAR. And now? No prerequisites stand in your way of victory and validation.   Gotta know how to defend | Become a Splunk Certified champion  Places You’ll Wanna Go You Really Got Me | Help contribute to Lantern’s new vibe  “You really got us goin’,” so let’s go further together. Splunk Lantern is getting a major glow-up, and your voice can help shape the way we show up online. We’re redesigning the site to make finding expert insights, use cases, and Splunk tips faster than the Kinks’ most complex drum fill. Take a look at our new homepage wireframe and share your thoughts, because the best performances are always powered by the fans.  You’ll wanna go to Lantern | Help us rock the new Lantern experience  Come Together | Follow us on LinkedIn   The Splunk Training and Certification LinkedIn is your ticket to staying connected about Splunk Education. “I know you, you know me,” and we all know the value of Splunk Education. On our LinkedIn, we share new course releases, Last Minute Learning opportunities, certification news, and backstage insights about how you can experience technical training on using Splunk. There are so many ways to learn Splunk, so we’re making sure you have a place to get all the top hits.    Gotta follow the band | Splunk Education on LinkedIn  Find Your Way | Learning Bits and Breadcrumbs Go Chat | Join our Community User Group Slack Channel  Go Stream It  | The Latest Course Releases (Some with Non-English Captions!)  Go to STEP | Get Upskilled  Go Discuss Stuff | Join the Community  Go Social | LinkedIn for News  Go Index It | Subscribe to our Newsletter      Thanks for sharing a few minutes of your day with us – whether you’re looking to grow your mind, career, or spirit, you can bet your sweet SaaS, we got you. If you think of anything else we may have missed, please reach out to us at indexEducation@splunk.com.     Answer to Index This: When it’s Rocktober at Splunk  ... View more

Every day, the world feels like it’s moving faster with new technological breakthroughs, AI innovation, and cybersecurity headlines that make you rethink your online security hygiene. In a world that never stops bringing us new challenges, Splunk Education is here to help you keep pace.  No matter what’s happening across industries, governments, and the planet, confidence can be found in knowledge. So, we regularly deliver new courses to help you adapt, respond, and lead in an era defined by massive data and digital resilience needs. Below are the latest course releases for the month of October: Splunk Enterprise Security: Investigating with AWS CloudTrail is a new lab-only exercise designed for SOC Analysts. This hands-on lab guides participants through investigating suspicious activity in AWS environments using Splunk Enterprise Security and AWS CloudTrail logs. Learners should have completed “SOC Essentials: Investigating with Splunk” or possess equivalent knowledge. Through four practical exercises, participants will interpret cloud audit logs, detect threats, and reconstruct an attack timeline to uncover attacker techniques and methods.   The world’s shifting toward automation, and Splunk’s right there with it. Continue your SOAR journey with Developing Splunk SOAR Playbooks in the Visual Playbook Editor: Part Two. This eLearning with labs course is the second part of a two-part series for Splunk SOAR developers, analysts, and automation engineers. Building on the fundamentals from part one, you’ll discover how to create more advanced and powerful playbooks using the Visual Playbook Editor.   From global market data to internal ops metrics, data storytelling is how organizations make decisions that matter. Developing Splunk UI Dashboards is an instructor-led course that empowers developers to create dynamic, native-looking Splunk applications by leveraging React components and the comprehensive SUI library. Gain hands-on experience to transform data into powerful, interactive visualizations that seamlessly integrate with the Splunk environment.   In an increasingly borderless digital world, we’re expanding accessibility. Our Dynamic Dashboards and Multivalue Fields eLearning courses are now available in Japanese, empowering learners across regions to master Splunk in their native language.   In times of rapid change, knowledge isn’t just power, it’s adaptability. Keep your skills as agile as the world around you. Explore the latest courses and enroll today at education.splunk.com.  Happy Learning!  Callie Skokos on behalf of the Splunk Education Crew ... View more

October might be wrapping up, but for Splunk Education, cybersecurity awareness never goes out of season. Every alert, every log, every phishing event – it all comes back to one thing: how we learn to defend our organizations smarter and faster. So, as Cybersecurity Awareness Month comes to a close, here’s a fresh reminder about what Splunk Education offers to help you (and your teams) stay sharp, confident, and one step ahead of the bad actors. Use Splunk Training to Improve Your Security Skills Splunk’s security tools are powerful in their own right, but knowing how to use them to their fullest potential is where the magic really happens. That’s where Splunk Education comes in. Whether you’re an analyst tracking threats in Splunk Enterprise Security (ES), an engineer automating workflows in Splunk SOAR, or just getting started with the Cybersecurity Defense Analyst (CDA) or Cybersecurity Defense Engineer (CDE) certifications, our hands-on, instructor-led, and self-paced courses help you turn “what’s this?” into “watch this.” You’ll learn to think like a threat hunter and act like an incident responder, all while gaining real-world, lab-based experience that you can apply immediately. Expanding Access Around the Globe Security training only matters if people can access it. That’s why more than 300 universities worldwide are teaching Splunk in the classroom as members of the Splunk Academic Alliance program. This program is designed to grow talent today for the benefit of society tomorrow by offering Splunk training and industry-recognized Splunk certifications at no cost to university students, faculty and IT staff. The end result is preparing students to graduate and be job-ready to help their new organizations on day one. And with Authorized Learning Partners (ALPs) delivering high-quality instruction globally, learners can grow their skills anywhere. It’s the same great Splunk training, same expert guidance, just closer to your home and your culture. No Classroom Necessary Learning shouldn’t stop after class ends. Splunk Education offers 80+ free self-paced courses – many designed with non-English captions – to help you sharpen your skills on your schedule. If you’re looking for a use case guide with real world impact, check out Splunk Lantern, which is our go-to hub for practical tips, how-tos, and use cases written by Splunk experts. With cybersecurity awareness on our minds, there’s a new Lantern Prep Tips for the Cybersecurity Defense Analyst certification which helps you figure out where to start based on your existing experience. And when you’re ready for some face-to-face fun, there’s Splunk University—our pre-.conf training event offering one-, two-, and three-day security tracks for every level of security, cybersecurity, and SOC experience. Watch and Learn: Splunk How-To Videos Prefer to learn by watching? We’ve got you covered. Head over to the Splunk How-To YouTube channel for bite-sized videos that show you how to get hands-on with Splunk’s security products. In the spirit of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, you might want to start with Introduction to Security Domain - A little history, learn about common cyberthreats with the Once Upon an Attack web series, and What's NEW in Splunk SOAR 6.4.1. And for anyone who’s ready for Detection as Code, there’s the new  Splunk ContentCTL: A closer look video. All these videos are quick, clear, and perfect for brushing up on the products and concepts or sharing within your team. Quick Resources to Keep You Looped In Courses and Certifications: Splunk Education Training & Certification Social Connections: Splunk Training & Certification on LinkedIn How-Tos and Use Cases: Splunk Lantern New Certification Prep Tips on Lantern:  Cybersecurity Defense Analyst Video Learning: Splunk How-To Channel on YouTube Latest Education Updates: Splunk Community Blog Never Stop Expanding Your Cybersecurity Mindset Cybersecurity awareness isn’t just for October – It’s a mindset. Splunk Education helps make sure that mindset turns into real-world skills. So whether you’re building out your SOC or just starting your Splunk security journey, we’re here to keep the learning (and defending) going all year long. And now that Splunk is part of the Cisco family, our training ecosystem is getting even stronger—uniting analytics, automation, and AI-driven operations into new learning paths designed to help you do more, faster. Happy Learning! Callie Skokos on behalf of the Splunk Education Crew ... View more