Your humble moderator has passed the CWSP

JDMurray

After nearly 15 months of putting it off, today I finally took and passed the CWSP exam. I got an 83%, which is coincidentally what I received on the CWNA exam as well.

The current CWSP exam is due to be retired on 12/31/05, so it's not really useful to review it now. However, I will make the following suggestions that should be useful for taking the next revision of the CWSP exam:

Use the CWSP Study Guide as your primary study material. Pay close attention to the "best practices" opinions that are given in the text. The CWSP exam may be vendor-neutral, but the information it contains is definitely "wireless security as the CWNP thinks wireless security should be." The CWSP on-line practice exams at cwnp.com were invaluable. Their questions are much more difficult than the actual exam, and they really show you the areas in which your wireless security knowledge is deficient. Know SOHO and enterprise wireless security solutions inside and out. This includes 802.1X/EAP, VLAN protocols, and all types of network segmentation devices (EEG, EWG, VLAN, firewalls, and switches). Understand all authentication protocols and their benefits and deficits. This includes password protocols (PAP, MS-CHAPv2, PAC), 802.1X/EAP (all possible flavors), and RADIUS. Throw in a basic understanding of Kerberos and LDAP as well. Know all of the types of attacks that can be performed against a wireless LAN, its devices, and its clients. Know what types of attacks

are and are not mitigated by which technologies.

Finally, I would like to thank our dear Webmaster, Johan, for providing me an early Christmas present that encouraged me to spend a weekend cracking the books and taking the exam.

stndrd_123

Congratulations! Ya' taking a break or moving on to something else?

Webmaster

Congratulations James!

PremierCisco

Congratulations jd,

You have to keep going to give us wireless newbies the motivation to follow.

Happy Christmas and a happy new year to you and your's.

What's next CWAP?

Regards

Eamonn

Ricka182

congrats!

jkstech

nice nice...good job man and congrats!

jescab

CONGRATZ dude - you Da Man

janmike

Congrats!

TeKniques

Congrats on the pass!

keatron

Congrats man!! Good job. I've heard this one is not to be taken lightly.

JDMurray

Well, thank you all! And what's next on my plate you ask?

I'm pretty sure that I won't be taking the CWAP anytime soon. It looks like 1-2 years of 802.11 protocol experience is needed to even begin to approach that exam. I used to live in the world of network management protocols, and it's not something you can pick up by just reading a few books.

For work I should be working on the Microsoft MCAD/MCSD.NET certs for both VB.NET and C#. However, currently I'm a long way off experience-wise from taking these exams as well.

For school I need to concentrate on the TICSA and SSCP. Right now these will help me the most in learning Information Security.

I think that over the holidays I'll be looking at the material for the Wireless# cert, and possibly take the beta exam before the end of January. I may not pass it, but at least I'll earn enough knowledge to give Webmaster a hand in writing up technotes for it.

Decisions...decisions...

evanderburg

Congrats. Thanks for the info on the test. I plan to take it on Wednesday. Last chance before the test changes.

JDMurray

evanderburg wrote:

Congrats. Thanks for the info on the test. I plan to take it on Wednesday. Last chance before the test changes.

This is a very good thing to do. I wonder what the increase above the average monthly number of CWSP exam takers will be for December. There's got to be more last-minute-Johnnies besides you and me.

If you are using the online practice exams, they are much more difficult than the actual CWSP exam. I never scored more than 65% on any of the CWNA/CWSP online exams my first try. Look at them as an indicator of what topics you still need to study rather than as a predictor of how prepared you are to take the exam.

evanderburg

That is good to know. I am pretty nervous about taking it tomorrow. I only took one of the practice tests and I am taking the other today but my score was 54%. I studied all I missed so I hope to score higher today. I will let everyone know how I do. Is there anything else I should know before taking the test?

2lazybutsmart

Congrats on the pass jdmurray

jdmurray wrote:

For work I should be working on the Microsoft MCAD/MCSD.NET certs for both VB.NET and C#. However, currently I'm a long way off experience-wise from taking these exams as well.

Good luck on those certs as well. If you've been in that field for like 3 years as an active developer, you can do it.

JDMurray

evanderburg wrote:

Is there anything else I should know before taking the test?

Besides the advice in my first post in this thread, I suggest you study each of the questions and answer rationals on the online exams. Understand why the correct answer(s) is correct and the others are not. This really helps to understand the CWNP's view of "how wireless security should be." That's really what the CWSP exam is all about

Don't be discouraged at getting a low score on the practice exams. They are simply additional study materials and not an accurate indication of how well prepared you actually are to take the CWSP exam. In anything, I found the actual exam a relief compared to the practice exams.

mobri09

Congrats Murray! You deserve it, Your a good man

evanderburg

I passed the test today. Oddly enough, I got the same score as jdmurray. The test was easier than I expected it to be. I am happy to have it done before the change occurs. Now it is time to upgrade my MCSE.

JDMurray

evanderburg wrote:

I passed the test today. Oddly enough, I got the same score as jdmurray.

Excellent! Dude, you are as smart as me! Congratz!

All that worry for nothing (I'm talking about me... )