Finally Passed SITCS and now I'm CCNP Security Certified!!!

Hello All,

Just took and passed SITCS. Scored 905 which concludes the CCNP Security track for me...FINALLY! A month and 2 days ago I had the 1st attempt at SITCS which did not turn out well for me...I failed, came home and cried myself to sleep :.o(

Here's the link to that thread if interested:

http://www.techexams.net/forums/ccnp-security/115457-failed-sitcs-300-207-today.html

Anyway...I have to say this was the hardest test to study for, for the simple reason that Ciscopress has not released the OCG for this test yet. So what I did was go through the exam blueprint and started to study everything in there. Watched iPexpert SITCS videos, got a 180-day paid Subscription to Cisco Premium Library for $60, Labbed with the Virtual WSA, ESA with eval license, also labbed with the Cisco IPS appliance. Read all the configuration guides for the WSA, ESA, and ASA CX. It also helped that I had already took the test once, so I knew what to expect now which focused my study towards those areas and topics.

Anyone that is looking to take this test my word of advice is, understand WSA, ESA, ASA CX and IPS. I wish I could tell you guys more, but you know the deal.

If possible, get your hands on the virtual WSA and ESA if you do not use them at work. In all honesty, that will make or break you. My 1st time around I did not have them. I just read the configuration guides and when it came time to be tested on them....SIMS, I got crucified!

I have been studying non-stop since the day I failed my 1st try to today. I went to work early and studied, (read, videos, labs) everyday. Studied when I got home from work after the wife and the kids went to bed usually 9pm. I was up usually to 1am to 2am studying, (read, videos, labs). I couldn't fail again...I needed to put this to bed so I could move on.

I must say that I learned a WHOLE lot more the 2nd time around. I really enjoyed the WSA and ESA. The 2nd time around really made me dig down deeper into that technology.

Not sure what do do next....I work in a Data Center. So I'm thinking between the CCIE Security, CCNP R&S, or CCNA Data Center. The reason I am considering CCNA DC is because UCS is growing super fast in our DCs, so I would like to be really good at it. Nexus is also taking on a life of it's own.

I do tons of Security stuff at work with ASA's, a ton of R&S and tons of UCS\Fabric. So not sure what to do next....

What do you guys think?

Thanks and good luck to all!

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Comments

NetworkNewb

Gratz!!

Mike-Mike

that's pretty awesome, I would think your best route is CCNA - Data Center, then CCNP R&S, then CCIE Security

you won't lose anything studying for the lower stuff, and it will only help you on your way to the IE

koz24

Congrats viper!

JoJoCal19

Congrats on the pass and well deserved!

DAVIS NGUYEN

Congrats!

SeekBytes

Super duper !!

SeekBytes

I wanted to ask you if you have any recommendation regarding the training provider to choose. I am wondering whether INE or IPExpert. CbtNuggets is usually too light on preparation even if I love Keith Barker.

Kind Regards and well done again.

viper75

SeekBytes wrote: »

I wanted to ask you if you have any recommendation regarding the training provider to choose. I am wondering whether INE or IPExpert. CbtNuggets is usually too light on preparation even if I love Keith Barker.

Kind Regards and well done again.

The only videos I have from IPExpert are for the SITCS. I was caught in the middle of the track change. When I started to work on the CCNP Security it was the old v2 exams. So I did the ASA and VPN v2 exams. Then Cisco changed the track to the new 300-xxx. For SISAS I can tell you to go through the OCG and see if you can download the Virtual ISE appliance. For SITCS just read my above post...that's what I did.

Sorry for the short post...just came back from a loooong Holiday lunch. hehe....

SeekBytes

Don't worry. Great job.

ccnpninja

Nice job!

gncsmith

Congrats!

Iristheangel

Big congratulations on the pass and the new CCNP Security!

That's unfortunately about the lack of OCG guides out there. Especially since they exam was refreshed over 2 years ago. This is purely speculation on my part but I suspect there is a refresh coming to the CCNP Security exam as well as the CCIE Security lab. Cisco announced the CCNP Security refresh a month or so prior to the Sourcefire acquisition closing. Since then, CX has died and Threatgrid, OpenDNS, Sourcefire and Lancope have all been acquired by Cisco. If I had to venture a guess, the certification arm of Cisco is busy at work looking to refresh all of the security coursework. There's been a HUGE focus on security in Cisco just based on the amount of security-related acquisitions the company has been doing as well as the integration piece (Threatgrid being integrated into Firepower and AMP For Endpoints, Pxgrid integration for both contextual sharing and remediation between Firepower, ISE and Lancope, etc). As I said, just speculation but I'd be shocked if there aren't some changes coming up with Cisco's security curriculum

Alex90

I thought the CCNA and CCNP Security has just been refreshed?

Iristheangel

The CCNA has just this year. I suspect they won't be changing that again for awhile.. The CCNP Security was just refreshed a couple years back. Look at the huge amount of acquisitions that came since then. Whole parts of the CCNP Security aren't even valid anymore (anything to do with IPS isn't at least) and then the fact that Cisco hasn't released the full set of books for the revamped CCNP Security in that time? Makes me think the writing is on the wall.

Alex90

Iristheangel wrote: »

The CCNA has just this year. I suspect they won't be changing that again for awhile.. The CCNP Security was just refreshed a couple years back. Look at the huge amount of acquisitions that came since then. Whole parts of the CCNP Security aren't even valid anymore (anything to do with IPS isn't at least) and then the fact that Cisco hasn't released the full set of books for the revamped CCNP Security in that time? Makes me think the writing is on the wall.

Ah I see. I quite fancy doing CCNA Security at some point but I'm only working on Palo Alto at the moment so it would be a waste. Maybe by the time I get round to doing it the CCNP Security will be a bit more "current".

Ghost.co.za

@ Alex...Sort of agree with you on that im currently working on Fortigate's myself...
However with Cisco acquiring Sourcefire a while back and with the Cisco ISE making some waves im starting to prepare for SISAS 300-208 exmas.

jones551

Congrats!