CCNP Security Bundle

To use security solutions, you need to have a certain level of expertise, and Cisco CCNP Security is what you should go for to enhance and verify your skills. This certification validates your knowledge of security infrastructure, Next-Gen Firewall, VPN, Cisco security solutions, as well as Cisco Web Security Appliance. This professional-level certificate can be obtained after passing two qualification exams, where the first one is the core test and the second should be chosen among 6 available options. Thus, you will learn about the core security technologies and the details of the area you choose.

To be ready for the qualification exams, the potential candidates should have a solid understanding of the topics of those tests they need to take. There are no strict prerequisites that you have to meet before going for the CCNP Security certification, but it is recommended that you possess 3-5 years of hands-on experience. This means that you should know how to implement security solutions and work with them.

Exam Overview

The Cisco 350-701 exam is the one you should start the certification process with. This is a 120-minute test with about 100 questions, which evaluates your core knowledge. It is available in Japanese and English and costs $400. To be sure that you get the passing score and pass the exam at the first attempt, you need to prepare for the following topics:

• Security Concepts – This domain is all about the basic Python scripts that are used to call the Cisco Security appliances APIs and about the functions of the cryptography components. The potential candidates should also learn the details of common threats against the on-premises and Cloud environments, common security vulnerabilities, as well as security intelligence consumption, authoring, and sharing;
• Network Security – As for the next topic, it evaluates the individuals’ skills in configuring and verifying remote access VPN and site-to-site VPN as well as comparing network security solutions, which provide the firewall and intrusion prevention capabilities. You should also know about the network infrastructure security methods, management options for network security solutions, and secure network management of perimeter security and infrastructure devices;
• Securing Cloud – This section covers the information about the application and workload security concepts, Cloud logging methodologies, Cloud monitoring methodologies, as well as application and data security in the Cloud environments. Moreover, you need to have knowledge of security solutions for the Cloud environments and their identification, customer or provider security responsibility for various Cloud service models, and concept of DevSecOps;
• Content Security – If talking about this area, it is vital to mention the components, benefits, and capabilities of Cisco Umbrella, web proxy identity, authentication, transparent user identification, and web/email security deployment methods. You have to know about the implementation of traffic redirection methods and capture methods;
• Endpoint Detection and Endpoint Protection – It is important to know about the justifications for endpoint-based security, how to ensure endpoint security, as well as outbreak control and quarantines to limit infection;
• Visibility, Enforcement, and Secure Network Access – To succeed, you need to have knowledge of the capabilities, benefits, and components of various security products and solutions. Besides that, it is important to know about secure network access, identity management concepts, and network access with CoA.

After nailing the core exam with a high score, you need to choose one of the concentration tests, including Cisco 300-710, Cisco 300-715, Cisco 300-720, Cisco 300-725, Cisco 300-730, and Cisco 300-735. To know the details of the exam you want to sit for, please refer to the details mentioned on the official website.

Career Options

Obtaining the CCNP Security certificate grants many new possibilities for the IT professionals who are in the security sector. It gives them the opportunity to become an IS Manager, a Network Security Engineer, an Endpoint Security Engineer, an IT Security Analyst, or a Security Engineer with an average annual salary of $113,000. This means that you will have more options to choose from and go for the one that will give you more benefits.