So is the GCWN worth anything to an employer

Mstavridis

I was looking at the GCWN cert offered by GIAC? What does it do for me? Also what does it do for the employer hiring this certified individual?

veritas_libertas

Out of curiosity, why would a Cisco guy go after a Windows oriented certification?

amcnow

Windows Security Administrator Certification: GCWN

If your specialty is Cisco, then this certification really isn't for you. GSEC is the best place to start. There are a couple of others than are more network oriented. Here is a list of certification GIAC offers: GIAC Certification Categories

Cisco offers some security certifications as well.

docrice

If the organization is Windows-centric and knows about GIAC certifications, I'm sure they would take note of it. As someone who holds give GIAC certs at the moment, the quality of education is pretty good, although if you can get the employer to foot the bill for it the better. My certification list is mostly network-oriented, but I'm originally a Windows sysadmin and I'd definitely consider going for the GCWN one day (probably in the not-so-near future).

While Cisco does offer security certifications, they're more about configuring Cisco security devices. I think it provides a limited view of real security in general.

Mstavridis

I didn't think holding Cisco entry certs made me a cisco guy. I need to have and show I have comprehensive view of a network concerning all technology, not just cisco. I need to get a handle on Linux/BSD, Juniper, Brocade, Cisco, Microsoft technologies and etc.

I want it all...

Passed the 70-680 today moving on to 70-685, and 70-686.

amcnow

Mstavridis wrote: »

I didn't think holding Cisco entry certs made me a cisco guy. I need to have and show I have comprehensive view of a network concerning all technology, not just cisco. I need to get a handle on Linux/BSD, Juniper, Brocade, Cisco, Microsoft technologies and etc.

I want it all...

Passed the 70-680 today moving on to 70-685, and 70-686.

This is the problem a lot of IT professionals face. Having some working knowledge of each of these technologies is fine. However, you can stretch yourself too thin trying to become a subject matter expert in each.

the_Grinch

Also have to be careful because too many certs or too much education in one area and companies will think you won't like the position.

docrice

I know the generalist approach all too well. It's easy to get stretched thin. On the other side of the coin, doing security may require a breadth of in-depth knowledge across multiple domains. If your brain can handle it, I'd say get all the education you can and hopefully you won't experience buffer overflows.

Mstavridis

I don't want to say I am trying to be a generalist, but my view is If I want to know how data flows across a network I need to know about each device it touches and how they function AND how to configure them. If I do decide to pick a field to become an expert in it I will have a great foundation.

impelse

It is very good to have a mix of Cisco and Windows, your view of the network change and you better understand the big picture. In the other hand if you check the job boards the employers begin to look for employees with different disciplines.