How To Earn Cisco's Firewall Specialist Certification
Security is a hot topic in today's networks, and will continue
to be for a long time to come. With that in mind, you must
consider adding a Cisco security certification to your resume
and firewall skills to your skill set.
It's quite a jump from the CCNA to the CCSP (Cisco Certified
Security Professional), and Cisco has made that leap more
manageable by adding Specialist certifications. These
certifications can give quite a boost to both your resume and
your skill set, and act as a great "stepping stone" to the CCSP.
At present, Cisco offers four VPN/Security certifications, those
being Cisco Firewall Specialist, Cisco IPS Specialist, Cisco VPN
Specialist, and Cisco VPN/Security Sales Specialist. Since every
WAN engineer has contact with Cisco firewalls on a regular
basis, we'll take a closer look at this popular certification
first. (And those who want to be WAN engineers had better learn
something about firewalls, too!)
At the writing of this article (October 21, 2005), Cisco is
offering an option for each of the two exams you'll need to pass
to earn this certification. For the first exam, you can take
either the 642-551 SND (Securing Cisco Network Devices) or
642-501 SECUR (Securing Cisco IOS Networks). The final day to
register for the SECUR exam is December 19, 2005.
For either, you'll need to be able to answer questions regarding
the proper use of Cisco security devices; how to configure
security on a Cisco switch and on a router, including syslog
logging, AAA, ACLs, and security for router services and
interfaces.
The choices for the second exam are the 642-522 SNPA (Securing
Network with PIX and ASA) and 642-521 CSPFA. Topics for these
exams include , IPSec, NAT, firewalls, AAA, and policy mapping.
(As always, you should check for the latest exam blueprints at
Cisco's website. Click "Learning And Events" on the main page,
www.cisco.com).
The only prerequisite for this certification is that you must
hold a valid CCNA certification. As always, getting some
hands-on experience is the best way to prepare for your Cisco
exams. (Your employer is going to get a little upset if you
practice your configs on his or her PIX. It would be a good idea
to have a good lawyer, too.) There are online rack rental
services that include Cisco security devices in their pods.
Cisco certifications are a great way to help protect your career
as well as your network. The more you know, and the more varied
your skills, the more valuable you are to your present and
future employers. Use your CCNA as a foundation, and keep
building on your skills!