Security Certified Program: SCNS, SCNP, SCNA Certifications Now Defunct??!

trevorcobb

I'm taking a Network Security class at a local community college. The textbook is "Guide to Tactical Perimeter Defense: Becoming a Security Network Specialist." The curriculum of the class is built all around this book, which is intended to prepare the reader for taking the Security Certified Network Specialist (SCNS) SC0-451 exam to receive the accompanying certificate.

My prof indicated that if I wanted to get the cert, she would give me an A for the semester despite whatever participation level I had all semester, or completion of assignments, or performance on tests/quizzes.

I started looking around today at how to register to take the test, and the SCP pages on both prometric and vue websites are missing. I called PearsonVue and was told that they discontinued administering the exam effective Oct 21, 2012. I tried to call the SCP offices in Geneva, IL and the number is disconnected. When I call their "international headquarters" in the UK, the man who answered said that they used to be affiliated with the man who ran SCP, but they aren't any longer and all he can do is forward a message for me.

I googled and googled and couldn't find any information at all on the discontinuation of all of their programs and certs, in fact it looks like they are still taking money online for people who want to order the book or courseware to prepare for the cert exam. They are even certified under the DOD 8570 plan as meeting qualifications for a few IAT levels with their various certs: SCNS, SCNP, SCNA.

Anyone have the scoop on this?

JDMurray

The SCP sold pre-packaged courses for their certs to community colleges and training organizations at that level. The course books were very expensive and only available from one provider. The material is broad but not very deep. It has many parallels to the EC-Council's certs.

If you search these discussion forums for the SCP's cert you will not find many favorable opinions.

ivx502

I took that exam and I am ashamed to say I actually passed both of them. I believe the date was a lot sooner because I had paid for the voucher for the SCNA, but the day I was set to take the exam was the week the testing provider stopped providing it. It was either 2010 or 2011, those series of exams were badly worded and sometimes you had to pick the wrong answer in order to get the right one. Other times they had the correct answer stated twice, and you had to figure out which one of those answers were the correct response. If it wasn't for a class I would not have bothered taking that exam. As far as a refund my school refunded the money and offered me a voucher for the SSCP.

JDMurray

A voucher for the SSCP? Nice! You made your money back for the books then.

ivx502

The cost for the books were not refunded. Just the cost of the voucher that I never got to use.

trevorcobb

i wonder if my school is even aware that the cert has been discontinued, and the curriculum no longer supported or updated by the company that put it out there. think I should go about reaching out to the dept?

JDMurray

My guess is that the school knows and us continuing to use the materials anyway. They would need to stay in contact with SCP to pay licensing fees, so they must know the state of the program.

SephStorm

All on here are correct. Even though you will find SCP training materials and exams out there, there have been numerous reports that indicate SCP is defunct. I passed that info onto someone in the military, I am hoping it gets removed from 8570 before anyone **** money into it.