CCIE Self-Study: CCIE Security Exam Certification Guide ...



CCIE Security Exam Certification Guide, Second Ed.

Reviewer Name: Dan Remiker, Systems Analyst

Reviewer Certification: CCNA

Rating: **** out of *****

This book is written to help prepare for the Cisco CCIE Security written exam 350-018, and in that capacity I believe it dwells too much on entry level material. This would be my only negative comment about the book. Although the exam blueprint details a certain level of competency relating to the OSI model, and material covered in the switching and routing exams, the book dedicates around 100 pages to review. I was expecting more information relating to the specifics of network security from the Cisco viewpoint rather than a refresher of basic networking which is available from numerous other sources. But a thorough review of basics is almost always relevant. The “Do I Know This Already” quizzes at the beginning of each chapter do allow the reader to determine how much time should be spent on that sections information. The “Foundation Summary” and “Q & A” sections at the end of each chapter are also good gauges to help in the assessment of the reader’s grasp of the information presented.

The book does accomplish its stated goal of covering all of the material in the exam blueprint, but it definitely shouldn’t be the only resource used. The CD-ROM supplied with the book provides sample questions that can supplement the written material to help evaluate areas of improvement. The notes inserted into every chapter provide very good information, and the links lead to very valuable resources for further study. I found the sample output highlighting helpful to understanding the relevant portions as they applied to the subject being discussed. This may be a simple matter, but it is this attention to detail that separates a book just providing good information from one that is truly a great study aid.

As for details of the book, I found the chapters on Security Protocols, Security Applications, and Security Technologies particularly full of useful information. The information presented is tailored to the exam blueprint, and is not all inclusive. There are other texts for that. The book is true to its mission; prepare one for the CCIE Security written exam. The practice labs provided, written by exam proctors, give a rare glimpse into what is expected during the lab portion of the certification process. I definitely feel that this book has provided invaluable information and rates very highly as a result. The material is presented in manageable sections, with many examples to assist with mastering a complex subject. This book on my scale rates 4 out of 5; it is an excellent study aid to prepare for the exam.

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