Need some help

I'm really lost right now in my cert searching.

I am moving overseas for a year soon, and finding an active training partner looks like it may be impossible. There is a New Horizons center, but they don't have any courses on schedule.

Anyway, I want to build my basic security skill up. I know what a firewall is, but I have no idea as a practical matter, how to administer one. I know what IDS/IPS is, but have never installed one, or used one. GSEC or ENSA appear to be my options for this, but training for GSEC is beyond my range, and ENSA has limited training as well. See: ENSA Training - EC-Council Network Security Administrator CBT Training - CA-ENSA

Then there is the pentesting side. I definatly want to get there, but we all know the issues with the CEH, So I looked at Mile2's CPTE (formerly CPTS), looking on the forums here showed me the opinion on that cert. GCIH and OSCP seem to be the well respected ones, but neither is for someone with my level of experience.

So any advice? I am really attempting to avoid just reading, as I seem to have less tolerance for that these days. I am primarily looking for instructor led or CBT/Online Training. I appreciate the help.

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veritas_libertas

I'm going to highly encourage you to pursue a CCNA or MCSE/MCITP:EA. From everything I see on Monster and other job sites they want you to have previous experience in one of the two.

Just a thought...

Bl8ckr0uter

SephStorm wrote: »

I'm really lost right now in my cert searching.

Anyway, I want to build my basic security skill up. I know what a firewall is, but I have no idea as a practical matter, how to administer one. I know what IDS/IPS is, but have never installed one, or used one. GSEC or ENSA appear to be my options for this, but training for GSEC is beyond my range, and ENSA has limited training as well. See: ENSA Training - EC-Council Network Security Administrator CBT Training - CA-ENSA

I know what you mean. That is exactly how I feel about my S+ studies. They teach you the "whats" but not the "hows" which is why I have been adding labbing to my S+ studies to make it more real world. After all, unless you are in some kind of research position, the hows are why we are getting paid.

I am looking at the GSEC but at 4k with training, my only option will be to challenge it. With an open book/open notes policy, I think that with some hard studying (a few months of research and such) along with the other few certs I want to do in that same timeline (SSCP and C|EH) it is doable for me. I don't know your situation so I cannot say whether it is doable for you but I can say that it is possible IMO.