| This Study Guide is an introduction to the Cisco security certification. It will help improve your
Cisco security skills so that you can have more opportunities for a better job or job security.
Security experience has been a hot job skill and it will continue to be because networks need
security. Cisco has been pushing further into the security market, and having a Cisco security
certification will greatly expand your opportunities. Let this Study Guide be not only your
resource for the Cisco Security Intrusion Detection Systems Beta (643-531 CSIDS) and Cisco
SAFE Implementation (642-541 CSI) exams but also an aid when you are gaining hands-on
experience in the field.
Not only will this Study Guide help with your pursuit of Cisco security certifications, but it
will improve your understanding of everything related to security internetworking, which is relevant
to much more than Cisco products. You’ll have a solid knowledge of network security
and how different technologies work together to form a secure network. Even if you don’t plan
on becoming a security professional, the concepts covered in this Study Guide are beneficial to
every networking professional. Employees with a Cisco security certification are in high
demand, even at companies with only a few Cisco devices. Since you have decided to become
Cisco security–certified, this Study Guide will put you way ahead on the path to that goal.
The new Cisco security certifications reach beyond the popular certifications such as the
CCNA/CCDA and CCNP/CCDP to provide you with a greater understanding of today’s secure
network, with insight into the Cisco Secure world of internetworking.
You might be thinking, “Why is it that networks are so vulnerable to security breaches, anyway?
Why can’t the operating systems provide protection?” The answer is pretty straightforward:
Users want lots of features, and software vendors give the users what they want because
features sell. Capabilities such as sharing files and printers and logging in to the corporate infrastructure
from the Internet are not just desired, they’re expected. The new corporate battle cry
is, “Hey, give us complete corporate access from the Internet and make it super fast and easy—
but make sure it’s really secure!” |
