Earning a Cisco Security certification is a great way to protect your network and your career. 

Security is a hot topic in today’s market, and will remain so for a long time to come. With this in mind, you should consider adding Cisco Security certification to your resume and firewall skills to your skill set.

It’s the jump from CCNA to CCSP (Cisco Certified Security Professional), and Cisco has made that leap more manageable by adding specialist certification. These certifications can greatly boost both your resume and your skill set, and can act as a great “stepping stone” for CCSP.

Currently, Cisco offers four VPN/Security certifications, which are Cisco Firewall Specialist, Cisco IPS Specialist, Cisco VPN Specialist, and Cisco VPN/Security Sales Specialist. Since every WAN engineer has regular contact with Cisco Firewall, we’ll take a closer look at this popular certification first. (And those who want to become WAN engineers better learn a bit about firewalls too!)

At the writing of this article (October 21, 2005), Cisco is offering an option for each of the two exams you must pass to earn this certification. For the first test, you can take 642-551 SND (Securing Cisco Network Devices) or 642-501 SECUR (Securing Cisco IOS Networks). The last day to register for the SECUR exam is December 19, 2005.

For either of these, you will need to be able to answer questions related to the proper use of Cisco security tools; How to configure security on Cisco switches and routers, including syslog logging, AAA, ACL, and security for router services and interfaces.

The options for the second test are 642-522 SNPA (Secure Network with PIX and ASA) and 642-521 CSPFA. The topics for these exams include IPSec, NAT, Firewall, AAA and Policy Mapping. (As always, you should check the latest exam blueprints on Cisco’s website. Click on “Learning & Events” on the main page www.cisco.com).

The only condition for this certification is that you must have a valid CCNA certification.

As always, gaining some practical experience is the best way to prepare for your Cisco exams. (Your employer is going to be a little nervous if you practice your config on your PIX. Having a good lawyer would also be a good idea.) There are online rack rental services that include Cisco security tools. ,

Cisco certification is a great way to help protect your network as well as your career. The more you know, and the more diverse your skills, the more valuable you will be to your current and future employers. Use your CCNA as a foundation, and keep building your skills!