Recently passed CCENT, Moving onto CCNA Security

Hello everyone,

I passed CCENT yesterday with a 887. I'm now pursing CCNA Security. Any thoughts? I used bosom,labsim, x1 1841 and x2 2950s for labs and packet tracer, subnettingquestions.com and Cisco press ICDN1 to study. What should I use for CCNA Security?

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RouteMyPacket

I'd recommend completing your CCNA R/S first

Packet Tracer and GNS3 is good enough for NA studies

Roguetadhg

I agree with RouteMyPacket:
Get the full fledged CCNA, first.

It'll cover a lot of security topics that by the time you get to CCNA:Security, it's not going to be a huge shock. Read over Network+, as well. just for foundational experience.

PCSPreston

Yeah. I'm trying to get feedback. I think I will finish with my ICND2 and then into Security. Any more thoughts?

RouteMyPacket

PCSPreston wrote: »

Yeah. I'm trying to get feedback. I think I will finish with my ICND2 and then into Security. Any more thoughts?

Nope....

gilchrig

Happy For you!!!!

pamccabe

I agree with what others have already said. Finish up your CCNA, it will only look good on your part. It was mentioned too, but I am studying for CCNA: Security right now and I am sure glad I did CCNA R&S first. Most of this I know already or are topics that were briefly touched on in the CCNA material. It should make this exam a lot easier than the ICND2 exam was. So if you consider that, you will be working towards the Security part while you prep for ICND2.

teeman

Hi PCSPreston
It is good thing that ,you are asking for advice, I wish I could have done the same 5yrs back when I came into the security field.Since you have done CCENT I would be tempted to think that may be you are new in the IT industry.You did not specify where you really want to be in the future, so my advice will be broad and generalised.Point number one, ask yourself, where you want to be in 5years. If you want to go deep technical architecture route and aim for CCIE Security ,I would say yes go for CCNA. If your see yourself as Chief Information Security Officer you might need to take a different route.I would advise you to take Security+, then go for your CCNA Sec, CCNP Security.Security+ will open your eyes to the wider side of security.You will realise that in practice companies mix these technologies to deliver their business objectives.Next you might pick another vendor maybe Checkpoint, just one exam,Then pick one antivirus cert maybe mcafee.In your CCNP security you will deal a lot with firewalls,IPS,IDS,PKI,Signatures technologies.Thats fair good enough when it comes to vendor certs.Then broad your horizon at look at vendor-neutral certs like CISSP/SSCP or GSEC.These certs are respected in the field and they will widen your knowledge.As a security professional you will need good grasp of linux, you might want to pick up the LPI-1 exam, that's fair enough.You will need good programming skills on Python,Pearl, web/software application not too too deep, enough to go-by.Then you can add the CISM cert at the top.Above all remember that to go very far in this industry you will need to work on your University degree so that you can fill higher roles.Certs on their own they are not good enough.You can add a project management cert also maybe CAPM or Prince 2.Avoid over certifying, that was my mistake.I did CCNP,CCNP security,MCSE and a whole lot of certs, to be honest with you , you will need to pick one thing and be damn good at it.Security is a very challenging and rewarding field.As for CCNA security book you can use

CCNA Security 640-554 Official Cert Guide Keith Barker, CCIE No. 6783.Read a lot from SANS.org

I hope this will aid you to make your good choices

PCSPreston

Thanks for all the responses.

Teeman,

I'm going to finish up my CCNA R/S then CCNA Security. I see myself in 5 years working for a ISP as a Cisco Engineer. I have 3 years experiance as a Systems admin and Network Technician working with cisco PIX, 1841's T1 connections and troubleshooting them as a reseller of a ISP in michigan. Also I have a BA in Computer and Information Systems and a Technology management minor. I will be able to higher roles with more experiance and certficiations. Thanks for all the support. I will be looking to CCIE Security at some point in my life.

Thanks,