SCP - Security Certified Network Professional

nothing_pt

Hello ppl, anyone has info about this certification?
I came across it and it sounded interesting.

I want tips about books and preparation for it.

Thanks in advance.

/usr

Security+ certification or equivalent work experience is the prerequisite for the SCNP program.

dissolved

I'd be interested to know if this certification has any credibility. Or is it simply another company jumping on the bandwagon...
anyone?

Webmaster

Not an exact science, but monster.com shows 3 results for SCNP, over 1000 for CISSP, 78 for CSSP, 33 for SSCP, 6 for CEH.

nothing_pt

Webmaster,

I came across it too. It's very difficult to find info about it on the web.
One note on that search on Monster.com, if we search for security maybe this cert count (if the guy who conducts the process of hiring is willing to see what is this cert).

/usr

I'm not sure how new this certification is, but if it is fairly new, then it may take a while to take hold within the market. So you may not see employers asking for it, due to the fact that they aren't really aware of it. That's not to say it wouldn't be worth getting.

JDMurray

The SCNP certification been around at least since 2003. It is heavily marketed to IT schools, such as New Horizons, and to community colleges. I took the class for the first exam, SCNP: Hardening the Infrastructure. The official study guide is available from only one bookseller and it's $170US. I assume the study guide for the second class costs about the same. The CD is very thin on content, and everything on it can be easily found on the web.

The HTI class is a typical hacking tools and techniques class with Internet operations thrown in. There is a lot of good info, but nothing you can't find in other books and on the web. I'd describe the HTI material as a half-way between Security+ and the CEH in difficulty and subjects covered. I don't know about the second exam (both are required for the SCNP cert).

I decided not to attempt the SCNP because I see no mention of it anywhere on the Internet. Nobody is writing articles on it, publishing "dummies" books for it, no discussion on the newsgroups, and most telling of all--there don't seem to be any braindumps for it either. And as Webmaster points out, very few requests for the SCNP on the job boards.

Oh, if anyone wants it, I'll sell my HTI Study Guide with CD and in excellent condition for only $100US. And that's a great bargain!!

Webmaster

jdmurray wrote:

It is heavily marketed to IT schools, such as New Horizons, and to community colleges.

.... And as Webmaster points out, very few requests for the SCNP on the job boards.

From those 3 jobs I noticed at Monster.com, 2 of them are for a teacher job at New Horizons.

paige1

It is discussions such as this one as the reason I love this forum! This topic was "covered" in one 2 minute reading. Great.

JDMurray

Webmaster wrote:

jdmurray wrote:

It is heavily marketed to IT schools, such as New Horizons, and to community colleges.

.... And as Webmaster points out, very few requests for the SCNP on the job boards.

From those 3 jobs I noticed at Monster.com, 2 of them are for a teacher job at New Horizons.

At least NH is looking for instructors that have the SCNP cert to teach the classes. Many community colleges here in SoCal routinely offer certification prep classes taught by instructors who do not themselves have the certification(s) that they are teaching.

keatron

At least NH is looking for instructors that have the SCNP cert to teach the classes. Many community colleges here in SoCal routinely offer certification prep classes taught by instructors who do not themselves have the certification(s) that they are teaching.

This always boggles my mind. Earlier this year I was asked to teach a group of 12 students at a very popular tech school here in the midwest. They wanted me to teach the Linux+ boot camp. Of course since I don't have that particular cert I kindly turned them down. After writing a letter explaining that I didn't have the cert, they responded back saying "it doesn't matter, all we need is a certified technical trainer" I almost screamed!!!!!

JDMurray

I finally found a very good article on the SCP exams, and written by certification magazine no less:

http://www.certmag.com/articles/templates/cmag_department.asp?articleid=751&zoneid=14

Ten9t6

keatron wrote:

At least NH is looking for instructors that have the SCNP cert to teach the classes. Many community colleges here in SoCal routinely offer certification prep classes taught by instructors who do not themselves have the certification(s) that they are teaching.

This always boggles my mind. Earlier this year I was asked to teach a group of 12 students at a very popular tech school here in the midwest. They wanted me to teach the Linux+ boot camp. Of course since I don't have that particular cert I kindly turned them down. After writing a letter explaining that I didn't have the cert, they responded back saying "it doesn't matter, all we need is a certified technical trainer" I almost screamed!!!!!

I have seen this also.....only it was a place doing CISSP training w/ no CISSP on staff. Ok...I can see someone teaching a security class without one...but if I am coming to you for a class working towards a cert...at a minimum, I want the instructor to be certified in it. I would not pay the money otherwise. The only problem is that they already have a line for these classes....so, it is not hurting them.

Kenny

makboul

Hi jdmurray,
I'll enter the exams of Security Certified Program (SCP) both SCNP and SCNA
I searched for **** or **** or any other training pdf's it many times, but I found nothing
Please if you know any thing about the preparation for these exams , I need to tell me about them
thanks

jdmurray wrote:

The SCNP certification been around at least since 2003. It is heavily marketed to IT schools, such as New Horizons, and to community colleges. I took the class for the first exam, SCNP: Hardening the Infrastructure. The official study guide is available from only one bookseller and it's $170US. I assume the study guide for the second class costs about the same. The CD is very thin on content, and everything on it can be easily found on the web.

The HTI class is a typical hacking tools and techniques class with Internet operations thrown in. There is a lot of good info, but nothing you can't find in other books and on the web. I'd describe the HTI material as a half-way between Security+ and the CEH in difficulty and subjects covered. I don't know about the second exam (both are required for the SCNP cert).

I decided not to attempt the SCNP because I see no mention of it anywhere on the Internet. Nobody is writing articles on it, publishing "dummies" books for it, no discussion on the newsgroups, and most telling of all--there don't seem to be any braindumps for it either. And as Webmaster points out, very few requests for the SCNP on the job boards.

Oh, if anyone wants it, I'll sell my HTI Study Guide with CD and in excellent condition for only $100US. And that's a great bargain!!

JDMurray

makboul wrote:

I searched for xxxxxxxxxx or "products to **** my way through exams because I'm too darn lazy to actually study for it" or any other training pdf's it many times, but I found nothing.

Please if you know any thing about the preparation for these exams , I need to tell me about them

Using this type of material to "study" for an exam is unethical. However, the quantity of **** material available for any given cert will give you an idea of how popular the cert is. This bit of marketing analysis will show you that no one really seems to care about the SCNP and SCNA certs.

I have never come across any significant study/training material--legit, ****, or otherwise--for the SCNP/SCNA other than the two books for the exams. I did buy the HTI book and took the HTI class at a local community college. The information in the book is nothing special and is readily available on the Internet. The real benefit of the class is a lab with workstations and equipment to hack, Man-in-the-Middle, and DDoS.

I ended up not going for the SCNP cert because it holds no special learning or knowledge, and there seems to be no real marketing campaign to make it appealing to the networking/security IT community. The marketing effort instead seems to be focused only at community colleges and tech training schools to partner with the SCP training program and push the cert.

Keep us posted on how you do in the SCP program. I think there are one or two other people on TechExams that have at least obtained the SCNP cert. It's good information to know; I'm just of the opinion that these certs are of dubious worth.