RE: Advice regarding CCIE Security

The CCSP touches on most of the subjects needed for the lab, but there is a
lot of material to get through that doesn't apply. I'd say the cisco CCSP
curriculum (supplemented with the internet) is a good thing to go through if
you lack baseline knowledge of all the blueprint topics. It can really help
fill in knowledge gaps.

If you can go through the blueprint and write a short paragraph on each bullet
point and think you can lab them up with some level of competancy you probably
don't need the CCSP.

Either way you go its worth noting that if you plan on moving into a security
role the CCSP and the CCIE aren't 100% of what you need to be effective. They
are very technology focused, but are light on some very important things a
security person needs to know. Things like policy, laws, host based defense,
up to date exploits, wireless, proper tuning and probably some other things I
don't have off the top of my head.

The point of that is that if you want to do security the CCSP as a start and
then branching out into other security topics might be of more practical use
than getting *REALLY* fast at configuring active/active failover or GET VPN.
;)

Steve Means
Security Instructor/Consultant
smeans_at_ccbootcamp.com
CCBOOTCAMP - A Cisco Learning Partner
877.654.2243 Toll Free
+1.702.968.5100 Direct Outside the USA
+1.702.446.0357 Fax
YES! We take Cisco Learning Credits

________________________________

From: nobody_at_groupstudy.com on behalf of Omkar Tambalkar
Sent: Mon 8/3/2009 3:50 PM
To: CCIE Lab
Subject: OT: Advice regarding CCIE Security

Hello All,

I finished CCIE (R&S) last month and after a couple of weeks of no studying
I realized that I was so used to the activity of studying for R&S for the
past 7-8 months that now I need to keep studying or I will while away time
every day after work doing useless stuff like surfing and watching TV (I am
single so no kids to amuse everyday). I have decided to succumb to the
addiction of studying so I am planning to take the challange of CCIE
Security.
I have configured ASA5500s for NAT, security access-groups, IPSec
site-to-site and remote-access VPNs and have configured ACS for TACACS and
RADIUS authentication; in a nutshell basic security rules and IPSec
connectivity for a medium sized enterprise. I have no experience with IPS
and MARS.
I am torn between 2 approaches for the CCIE Security track:
Approach 1: Start studying for CCIE Security written (2 months) ---> Pass
written ----> study 6-7 months for Lab ----> hope to pass the Lab
Approach 2: Start studying for CCSP (2-3 months) ----> Pass CCSP ----> Start
studying for CCIE Security written (1 month) ---> Pass written ----> study
6-7 months for Lab ----> hope to pass the Lab

Any suggestions/advice are more than welcome.
Omkar Tambalkar
CCIE #24892

Blogs and organic groups at http://www.ccie.net <http://www.ccie.net/>
Received on Tue Aug 04 2009 - 07:02:11 ART