The Benefits Of Obtaining CCIE Security Certification
CCIE security is considered to be one of the expert level accreditations offered by Cisco systems to become a Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert. In order to achieve a certification of CCIE in security, the information technology professional must be able to pass a couple of tough and grueling examinations which include a written examination and a laboratory examination. The written portion tests the proficiencies of the candidate with regards to his theoretical knowledge regarding security aspects of Cisco products. It is a multiple choice question examination that lasts for a couple of hours. Candidates can take review courses offered by Cisco systems through their authorized learning partners program to help candidates improve their chances of hurdling this examination.
If the candidate passes the written exam he has three years to prepare and take the lab exam for CCIE Security Training certification. This is an eight hour practical exam that pits the aspirant on his skills on how he responds to real world security scenarios with regards to the Cisco products he will be using. Preparing for the lab exam needs more intensive training as it involves the hands-on skills of the candidate. He must be able to demonstrate correctly how he can set up or disassemble Cisco equipment and troubleshoot problems with the utmost efficiency in looking for the best solution. Candidates who take the available lab courses undergo boot camp sessions that serve to hone their skills to the level of perfection needed to pass the CCIE security lab exam. Those who are successful in getting their CCIE security certifications need to renew it every two years. There are no preconditions needed for taking the security certification. However, it is recommended but not required for aspiring candidates to have at least some level of experience in the field before attempting to take the exam in order to have a more gainful knowledge of the inner workings and scenarios he will encounter in real life situations.
There are many benefits of acquiring CCIE security certification. For one, it brings with it a certain level of honor and privilege to the information technology professional because of the level of skill and experience needed in order to pass the exam. Cisco certified IT professionals are looked upon as experts in their chosen field and are treated with respect by their fellow brothers in arms in the IT community. Another advantage of gaining this level of certification is having the ability to be able to create and manage some of the most sophisticated security networks in the world which puts them in the unique position of influencing also the type of security features used by advanced security networks.
Since a CCIE Security in security brings expert status to the certification holder, it conveys with it a plethora of job opportunities reserved only for IT professionals who have acquired this level of qualification in their resume. This means they get offered a hefty salaries and benefits package commensurate to their level of technical expertise.
A CCIE security holder will be offered lucrative job positions in major IT corporations as well as gain possible jobs working for governmental agencies looking for IT security experts. These organizations often have sensitive data that they want to protect and maintain and therefore need the skills of these CCIE certified professionals in order to maintain their edge in securing data from unauthorized use.