Career goals in Cisco

From a career perspective, how does CCNP-related work differ from CCSP work? I imagine that with CCNP-related work you're setting up and maintaining networks, while CCSP-related work you're merely monitoring them?

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markzab

Tricon7 wrote:

From a career perspective, how does CCNP-related work differ from CCSP work? I imagine that with CCNP-related work you're setting up and maintaining networks, while CCSP-related work you're merely monitoring them?

Network Professional.

Security Professional.

malweth

The primary difference between the two certifications is the additional hardware involved in the CCSP (PIX, ASA, etc?) (I'm not CCSP

). [before you all jump on me] There are other major differences, but we're keeping this work related.

So logically, the major job difference is that you will [have the ability to] work with security hardware with the CCSP. All networks have elements of the CCNP.

Regarding actual jobs... I don't know! I've always let the job determine the certification. I've never touched a pix.

Cucumber

I think the difference between CCNP and CCSP in actual jobs depends on the size of the company, I worked on a cell phone company that could afford the luxury to have a network security department where security specialists would work; their job consisted basically of being paranoid and **** everybody off with "security requirements", hahaha, mhh... well besides that, they monitored some firewalls, intrusion detectors and VPNs, and there was always a security guy assigned to verify that security measures have been taken in any new project (i.e. 3G), such as making sure an intrusion detection agent was included in the network, VPN availability, and so on. Whereas the CCNP dudes would be the ones configuring, troubleshooting and monitoring most of the equipment; they had all the fun.

On other, smaller, companies, the dude in charge of the network does everything no matter what cert he has, from the firewall to the access switches.