Bl8ckr0uter's Security+ trek

Bl8ckr0uter

I am starting my S+ trek today. I am going to study from Darrils book and adding material if I need it. I will make a PDF from my notes so I hope that will help. If anyone is wondering I got a 70 percent on the practice assessment.


I want to take this test July 3rd.

rogue2shadow

I'm right there with you; I'm going to take it on July 1st. I'll keep if at the 8th of july if I don't feel comfortable enough.

Bl8ckr0uter

rogue2shadow wrote: »

I'm right there with you; I'm going to take it on July 1st. I'll keep if at the 8th of july if I don't feel comfortable enough.

Awesome. I think July 3rd will give me enough time to go through the book. I want to try to get all my reading done within a week from today.

rogue2shadow

That's more than enough time I think. I'm being cautious with this one because the first time I ran through it like 9 months ago, it seemed like a lot to handle but Darill's book is making it extremely easy to organize.

Here's my study plan:

• Read Darill's Book - 2 chapters a day starting tomorrow (currently at chapter 6)/do all quizes involved (June 10-14)
• CBT Nuggets and review notes from first viewing (June 15-19th)
• Read Darill's Book again June 20-24th
• Use Sybex Test Engine from the deluxe edition (June 27)
• Re-read/Use flash cards with anything I'm still having trouble with (June 28-30)
• Take test on July 1 (if comfortable)

Bl8ckr0uter

rogue2shadow wrote: »

That's more than enough time I think. I'm being cautious with this one because the first time I ran through it like 9 months ago, it seemed like a lot to handle but Darill's book is making it extremely easy to organize.

Here's my study plan:

• Read Darill's Book - 2 chapters a day starting tomorrow (currently at chapter 6)/do all quizes involved (June 10-14)
• CBT Nuggets and review notes from first viewing (June 15-19th)
• Read Darill's Book again June 20-24th
• Use Sybex Test Engine from the deluxe edition (June 27)
• Re-read/Use flash cards with anything I'm still having trouble with (June 28-30)
• Take test on July 1 (if comfortable)

Sounds like a good plan. Similar to what I am going to do, minus the CBT nuggets.

dynamik

You're going to kill it. It shares a lot with the CCNA: Security, and I don't think it's going to be anywhere as difficult. I just used the Syngress book and Transcender for mine. Darril's book is a good replacement for the new version of the exam.

I'll be taking the CCNA: Sec around that time. I've started and stopped for what seems like a year, so hopefully a couple of weeks of review will get me where I need to be...

Bl8ckr0uter

dynamik wrote: »

You're going to kill it. It shares a lot with the CCNA: Security, and I don't think it's going to be anywhere as difficult. I just used the Syngress book and Transcender for mine. Darril's book is a good replacement for the new version of the exam.

I'll be taking the CCNA: Sec around that time. I've started and stopped for what seems like a year, so hopefully a couple of weeks of review will get me where I need to be...

Yea I believe so. I am going to work on learning perl, going through Network Warrior, reparing for a full push at the LPIC-1 and watching the APC datacenter stuff as well so it won't be the only thing on my plate but I think I can manage. The main thing for me is going to be security models and some of the legal stuff. The rest should be pretty easy.

I am trying to set a good Infosec foundation for myself. I really want to do CCSP for my next cisco cert but my new job only has me working with 1 pix (soon to be asa) and several access switches and a few routers so it might be best to do the NP first. I also want to do the C|EH but that will be in the future. I guess this will be my last official infosec cert for a while

Daniel333

CCNA:Sec was 5x harder than Sec+ trust me. Maybe watch the Using Security Tools, Linux Security and the 70-298 videos from vtc.com. I found them to be pretty helpful. But really hardest thing in Sec+ studies was just terminology. Get your flash cards ready

Best of luck!

earweed

I used Labsim for the Sec+ (didn't know about Darril's book yet) and Sybex. I could have left out the Sybex and passed. Don't forget to know your SECURE ports. As far as the security tools, I labbed them all (overkill for the exam) with the Sybex Security Administrator Streetsmarts book with 1 Server 2k3 and 1 XP on workstation. I was following tha WGU course of study for the class and overstudied it but learned a lot.

L0gicB0mb508

I think I used the Sybex book and some online flash cards. You'll find the test to be pretty easy, just lots of concepts and terminology.

Bl8ckr0uter

Daniel333 wrote: »

CCNA:Sec was 5x harder than Sec+ trust me. Maybe watch the Using Security Tools, Linux Security and the 70-298 videos from vtc.com. I found them to be pretty helpful. But really hardest thing in Sec+ studies was just terminology. Get your flash cards ready

Best of luck!

Thanks,

You bring up a good point about the 298 material. I have the lab books on that test and if need be I could read the security material.

Bl8ckr0uter

Scheduled the test for July 10th. A month should be enough time. I am finishing up chapters 1 and 2 tonight and starting chapter 3 tomorrow.

veritas_libertas

You are going to destroy it! I would say good luck, but I really don't think you would need it

nicklauscombs

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

Scheduled the test for July 10th. A month should be enough time. I am finishing up chapters 1 and 2 tonight and starting chapter 3 tomorrow.

more than enough time considering you have the ccna security which has a lot of overlap. good luck!

rogue2shadow

nicklauscombs wrote: »

more than enough time considering you have the ccna security which has a lot of overlap. good luck!

I agree; you'll definitely be good to go knwminus.

I don't know if I'm going to wait for the 1st lol. A lot of the material is sticking suprisingly well and though the book is great, I think a re-read would be overkill especially when I can use the nugget vid, my old nugget notes from the first viewing, and sybex to reinforce any in weaknesses. I'm on chapter 9 now and have been getting between 86% and 90%+ on the regular chapter tests (I'm finding I miss questions due to not reading some questions carefully enough). If I do well on the end of the book practice exam, I'll move my taking of the exam to the 24th of this month and hopefully when I pass, I can focus on LPIC as well as CCNA and crank the CCNA out sooner than later.

Devilsbane

From day 1 to test time, how much time do you guys think is needed for security+?

I won't be starting my studies for awhile yet, need to get over the 291 hump first. But I am trying to build a rough cert schedule for myself.

Bl8ckr0uter

Devilsbane wrote: »

From day 1 to test time, how much time do you guys think is needed for security+?

I won't be starting my studies for awhile yet, need to get over the 291 hump first. But I am trying to build a rough cert schedule for myself.

I haven't taken the test yet but I am going through Darills book. I think 30 days is enough time. I am almost on chapter 3 (had a busy weekend) but I think I should be able to finish this book by saturday. My study plan is this:

Week 1: Go through the book. Make notes and research topics I want additional information on.
Week 2: Review notes, review alternate sources for information.
Week 3: Purchase transcender and start testing, aiming for 85-90%
Week 4: Final review, go through preplogic Sec+ Guide, and take test July 10th.


I think this may be overkill for this exam but I want to build a good foundation for several different test as well as grow my infosec knowledge as a whole.

Bl8ckr0uter

rogue2shadow wrote: »

I'm on chapter 9 now and have been getting between 86% and 90%+ on the regular chapter tests (I'm finding I miss questions due to not reading some questions carefully enough). If I do well on the end of the book practice exam, I'll move my taking of the exam to the 24th of this month and hopefully when I pass, I can focus on LPIC as well as CCNA and crank the CCNA out sooner than later.

Ok sir

Thats good though. That means that I will have someone to study the LPIC exams with. Have you decided on when you are going to do the ICND2 or LPIC-1 yet? Like I told you, I want to do both parts before September or so . Hopefully that isn't to aggressive of me.

rogue2shadow

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

Ok sir

Thats good though. That means that I will have someone to study the LPIC exams with. Have you decided on when you are going to do the ICND2 or LPIC-1 yet? Like I told you, I want to do both parts before September or so . Hopefully that isn't to aggressive of me.

Oh nah. Like 9 months ago, I was trying to study for the A+ - Sec+ and CCENT - CCNA Sec as well as some CEH stuff at the same time. I realized very quickly I need to slow things down; the good part about that is that all of it is rooted in my head now so when I go back to my notes and vids, I just have to glance over them and the info comes right back haha.

Linux is something I've always been afraid of but with the path I'm choosing I literally have no say in the matter; it must be done.

If I can get Sec+ out of the way early, I might take CCNA in August and then LPIC-1 next year but I can still dedicate one or two days to it during the week before schools starts. Linux is completely a fresh experience for me. The only things I know how to do is shutdown -P now, startx, and ls -a lol.

If I start to see that the CCNA is just too much for me at this point, I'll go 100% LPIC and just wait for my CCNA class in fall to end before taking it.

Bl8ckr0uter

rogue2shadow wrote: »

Oh nah. Like 9 months ago, I was trying to study for the A+ - Sec+ and CCENT - CCNA Sec as well as some CEH stuff at the same time. I realized very quickly I need to slow things down; the good part about that is that all of it is rooted in my head now so when I go back to my notes and vids, I just have to glance over them and the info comes right back haha.

Linux is something I've always been afraid of but with the path I'm choosing I literally have no say in the matter; it must be done.

If I can get Sec+ out of the way early, I might take CCNA in August and then LPIC-1 next year but I can still dedicate one or two days to it during the week before schools starts. Linux is completely a fresh experience for me. The only things I know how to do is shutdown -P now, startx, and ls -a lol.

If I start to see that the CCNA is just too much for me at this point, I'll go 100% LPIC and just wait for my CCNA class in fall to end before taking it.

IMO I think you should shoot for the CCNA since you just did CCENT. Don't want you to get rusty.

*nix is nothing to be afraid of. In fact come friday I am moving my last machine over to UBUNTU (my laptop). I am going to just throw myself in the deep end and if worse comes to worse, I made my recovery disk already lol.

You will do fine on the S+ though. You could probably get it done sooner than the 24th.

I am trying to teach myself PERL (by the numbers) as well so I may lag behind if you do decided to do LPIC-1 lol. Hopefully I can kill that and get back to cisco. I am having my doubts about doing NA:voice though. I had a conversation w/someone here who basically said I need to make sure I getting certs that will help me. I know the NA:V will help me but I am not sure if it will help me in the way that I want. Who knows though....

rogue2shadow

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

IMO I think you should shoot for the CCNA since you just did CCENT. Don't want you to get rusty.

*nix is nothing to be afraid of. In fact come friday I am moving my last machine over to UBUNTU (my laptop). I am going to just throw myself in the deep end and if worse comes to worse, I made my recovery disk already lol.

You will do fine on the S+ though. You could probably get it done sooner than the 24th.

I am trying to teach myself PERL (by the numbers) as well so I may lag behind if you do decided to do LPIC-1 lol. Hopefully I can kill that and get back to cisco. I am having my doubts about doing NA:voice though. I had a conversation w/someone here who basically said I need to make sure I getting certs that will help me. I know the NA:V will help me but I am not sure if it will help me in the way that I want. Who knows though....

I hear ya. I guess that'll be the new plan . With Voice I heard alot of great things in regards to contracts though; there's tons of organizations that don't have voice specialists and they offer pretty good money for work on the fly. I don't know if that poses a conflict of interest but its worth looking into. At the end of my Cisco stretch, I will most likely do CCVP and CCIP to keep my renewals up and depending on the CCIE demand and my experience, I might pop in IE security. I think whats scaring me is the renewal process for having all these certs in the end game.

ISC2 has the CPEs
IE would be every two years
Regular Cisco exams is every three (which is okay)
OSCP (I'm not sure)
SANS has CPEs I believe
EC-Council - I think CPEs but not sure

The study material wouldn't be a problem because I love learning but its just whether there would be enough time to maintain all these certs.

dynamik

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

IMO I think you should shoot for the CCNA since you just did CCENT. Don't want you to get rusty.

Absolutely. I did ICND2 about a year after ICND1, and it was irritating to have to get back up to speed.

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

*nix is nothing to be afraid of. In fact come friday I am moving my last machine over to UBUNTU (my laptop). I am going to just throw myself in the deep end and if worse comes to worse, I made my recovery disk already lol.

I've done this a few times, and it's been much less effective than I had hoped. If it's a desktop system, you'll use it like a desktop system. If you want to learn, really learn, just do a bare-bones install of CentOS, Debian, etc. with no GUI, and have it.

dynamik

rogue2shadow wrote: »

I think whats scaring me is the renewal process for having all these certs in the end game.

ISC2 has the CPEs
IE would be every two years
Regular Cisco exams is every three (which is okay)
OSCP (I'm not sure)
SANS has CPEs I believe
EC-Council - I think CPEs but not sure

The study material wouldn't be a problem because I love learning but its just whether there would be enough time to maintain all these certs.

A CCIE written every two years will renew your CCIE and all your other Cisco certifications, if you get to that level.

I don't think the OSCP technically expires, but they regularly come out with new versions. It's a couple hundred dollars for the new material (at least this time around).

ISACA, (ISC)2, SANS, and EC-Council have CPEs (or equivalent, they sometimes call them different things). There is usually overlap between all them, so it's not as bad as it sounds. You can always just opt to retake the exams if you don't want to deal with CPEs. Also keep the cost of the maintenance fees in mind (where applicable). Those can add up to be a decent amount.

Bl8ckr0uter

rogue2shadow wrote: »

ISC2 has the CPEs
IE would be every two years
Regular Cisco exams is every three (which is okay)
OSCP (I'm not sure)
SANS has CPEs I believe
EC-Council - I think CPEs but not sure

The study material wouldn't be a problem because I love learning but its just whether there would be enough time to maintain all these certs.

That's why you need to lower your attack surface. CCIE will renew all of the cisco exams, not just the IE. So if you do the IE written your CCXP and CCNA will be renew. Sans certs are every 4 years, or GSE, or CPEs I believe. EC council has CPEs but I have heard they are bull. OSCP is forever valid (I think).

Me personally, I don't want a lot of certs because people will think if you have that cert you must know all of the information related to the cert. It could come back to bite you in the ass come interview time. I'd rather have a few, big name, valuable certs than many certs.

Bl8ckr0uter

dynamik wrote: »

I've done this a few times, and it's been much less effective than I had hoped. If it's a desktop system, you'll use it like a desktop system. If you want to learn, really learn, just do a bare-bones install of CentOS, Debian, etc. with no GUI, and have it.

I know what you mean and I find myself being a "user" of ubuntu on my desktop.

On my laptop I will at first use the gui but I will dual boot into ubuntu server. I have a machine that I use ubuntu server on now that I need to spend time with.

EDIT: You are probably right though. That will probably be the better way to go. I might have to take that challenge.

rogue2shadow

dynamik wrote: »

A CCIE written every two years will renew your CCIE and all your other Cisco certifications, if you get to that level.

I don't think the OSCP technically expires, but they regularly come out with new versions. It's a couple hundred dollars for the new material (at least this time around).

ISACA, (ISC)2, SANS, and EC-Council have CPEs (or equivalent, they sometimes call them different things). There is usually overlap between all them, so it's not as bad as it sounds. You can always just opt to retake the exams if you don't want to deal with CPEs. Also keep the cost of the maintenance fees in mind (where applicable). Those can add up to be a decent amount.

Got ya. I think I need to get a stable security job first before I start thinking about expert certs.

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

That's why you need to lower your attack surface. CCIE will renew all of the cisco exams, not just the IE. So if you do the IE written your CCXP and CCNA will be renew. Sans certs are every 4 years, or GSE, or CPEs I believe. EC courncil has CPEs but I have heard they are bull. OSCP is forever valid (I think).

Me personally, I don't want a lot of certs because people will think if you have that cert you must know all of the information related to the cert. It could come back to bite you in the ass come interview time. I'd rather have a few, big name, valuable certs than many certs.

Very true. Here comes the royal cut on my cert list haha.

Bl8ckr0uter

rogue2shadow wrote: »

Very true. Here comes the royal cut on my cert list haha.

I mean this is just my opinion. There are some people here who seem to have every cert under the sun. There are others who have very few. Do what works for you. I just know from my experience and limited certifications that people (specifically IT people) will expect you to know every single piece of information on the test AS WELL AS things they THINK you should know if you have a cert. This holds especially true in IT interviews.

I did an interview for a Network Tech job and they saw that I have my NA and NA sec. They started asking me questions about BGP, QOS, MPLS, etc because they assumed that because I had the NA I should know ALL about that (I didn't and still don't ). My point is just make sure you can live up to all of those certs AND what people may think you should know and you will be cool. That's why I am going to have relatively few certs because I want to make sure I know EVERYTHING on the test.


EDIT: I swear watching you sig is like watching mine from a few months ago. God I'm getting flashbacks lol

rogue2shadow

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

I mean this is just my opinion. There are some people here who seem to have every cert under the sun. There are others who have very few. Do what works for you. I just know from my experience and limited certifications that people (specifically IT people) will expect you to know every single piece of information on the test AS WELL AS things they THINK you should know if you have a cert. This holds especially true in IT interviews.

I did an interview for a Network Tech job and they saw that I have my NA and NA sec. They started asking me questions about BGP, QOS, MPLS, etc because they assumed that because I had the NA I should know ALL about that (I didn't and still don't ). My point is just make sure you can live up to all of those certs AND what people may think you should know and you will be cool. That's why I am going to have relatively few certs because I want to make sure I know EVERYTHING on the test.

True. Thinking about now too, as dynamik referenced, ROI has to be considered. If I were to get the VP and IP just for renewal sake it may look good but personally I wouldn't feel it helping in the end if I'm expected to be the VP guy when my focus is on security. I've noticed the age of old trend of employers liking people specialized in one or two areas that can be modal as opposed to one person with 50 certs without a focus. As you said though, it depends on the person.

Bl8ckr0uter

rogue2shadow wrote: »

True. Thinking about now too, its about ROI as well. If I were to get the VP and IP just for renewal sake it may look good but personally I wouldn't feel it helping in the end if I'm expected to be the VP guy when my focus is on security. I've noticed the age of old trend of employers liking people specialized in one or two areas that can be modal as opposed to one person with 50 certs without a focus. As you said though, it depends on the person.

Exactly!!! This could not be more true!


IMO I think at least the material from the CCIP will be worth it and I do want to do it (not sure if I am going to though). I don't think VP is in my future, regardless if I do CCNA:V or not. Truth be told I really don't want to do CCNP but I am going to just for HRs sake. Now if the new CCSP is called CCNP:Security then I probably won't do CCNP since I will already have the letters on my resume.

rogue2shadow

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

Exactly!!! This could not be more true!


IMO I think at least the material from the CCIP will be worth it and I do want to do it (not sure if I am going to though). I don't think VP is in my future, regardless if I do CCNA:V or not. Truth be told I really don't want to do CCNP but I am going to just for HRs sake. Now if the new CCSP is called CCNP:Security then I probably won't do CCNP since I will already have the letters on my resume.

I'll most likely do the same. I will use the CCNA or CCNA Security to renew every 3 years (tell me if this doesn't work lol). In the end it works out because I can use either of these exams to constantly reinforce the basics and as the exam is constantly changed, the original topics will be renewed in my mind on top of the experience I will be getting.

[Deleted User]

rogue2shadow wrote: »

I'll most likely do the same. I will use the CCNA or CCNA Security to renew every 3 years (tell me if this doesn't work lol). In the end it works out because I can use either of these exams to constantly reinforce the basics and as the exam is constantly changed, the original topics will be renewed in my mind on top of the experience I will be getting.

If you obtain a professional level certification you must recertify at the professional level. If you are talking about just recertifying the CCNA then that would work. But if you are looking to recertify a CCNP, you would have to take an equal or higher exam.