CISSP for an engineer

Hi guys

I'm considering embarking on a CISSP in the near future. However I'm in a technical role and I have no ambitions to focus on security, it would be just a general knowledge/more digits exercise. I've heard its highly advantageous in some situations e.g. government/military (obviously) but I do realise at an engineering level its not really relevant (esp as I'm doing my CCNP Security at the moment). On the other hand, any job I take inevitably involves firewalls, vpns, and working with the security teams in general and of course a general broad knowledge of security in depth and at other layers than comms. I do have a fair bit of design responsibility as well.

Does anyone have any perspective on this? Is it worth it for an engineer with no specific ambitions to focus on security?

Comments

  • paul78paul78 Member Posts: 3,016 ■■■■■■■■■■
    What kind of engineer are you? I am guessing network engineer working on Cisco equipment since you mentioned CCNP. If you are bothering to take CCNP Security, I assume you have some interest in security. I can't speak for what CISSP means in Australia but in the US in financial services industry which I work in, I run into a few network engineers have taken the CISSP.
  • cdupuiscdupuis Inactive Imported Users Posts: 32 ■■□□□□□□□□
    I would certainly encourage your to learn as much as you can about security.

    It is no longer possible today to be a Network Engineer or a System Engineer without any knowledge of security.

    Let's face it, with the advent of cloud related services, the computer is the network and security must be in place. You cannot claim security is in place because the network equipment is secured. There are many other factors that can come into play to compromise your security.

    The CISSP would give you a wide and more holistic view of security. You would see where exactly things fit within a proper architecture and better understand all the elements that support security.

    It is a definitive plus for you. You may not need it today but will be glad to have it the day you're shopping for a new job.

    Best regards

    Clement
  • cyberguyprcyberguypr Mod Posts: 6,928 Mod
    Concur with Clement. The line between systems, network, and security gets blurrier every day. I am a systems admin and don't have a security position per se but find myself touching more security related stuff every day. That is one of the reasons I went with the CISSP. Preparing for this test definitely gives you a very good glimpse into many areas that InfoSec touches.
  • wintermute000wintermute000 Banned Posts: 172
    thanks guys for the perspective.

    yeah cisco guy, R&S/VOIP/firewalls, the usual
  • JDMurrayJDMurray Admin Posts: 13,023 Admin
    The CISSP and your increased InfoSec knowledge would give you boost if you ever wanted to move from NOC to SOC work. If you work for a large enterprise, I would suggest you learn everything you can about VoIP security. It's an area where most SOCs know very little, but realize they need an expert to monitor and maintain situational awareness of.
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