Is the CCNA Security Worth It

Is the CCNA Security Worth It?

When it comes down to taking any IT or cyber security certification, people will at some point ask themselves if the certification is really worth the time and effort that it takes to pass the exam.  While most people in the cyber security field have heard of the very popular Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), many people don’t know that this certification actually consists of many different tracks.  What that means is that you can earn a CCNA certification in a variety of disciplines.

While the most common CCNA track is certainly Routing and Switching, one of the other very common tracks is Security.  Many people ask if the CCNA Security certification is of value and worth the time and investment required.

Is the Cisco CCNA Security certification worth it? The Cisco CCNA Security certification is worth the effort if you currently have or intend to have a career in computer networking, regardless of whether your company uses Cisco products.  This is especially true if your position involves security tasks.

While that may seem straightforward, you may wonder why the CCNA Security exam is worth the time and effort you would need to put into it, and if it’s the best choice for networking and security professionals, especially if you don’t work in a Cisco environment.  Let’s look at a few of the reasons why I recommend the CCNA Security as a certification for current and future networking professionals.

Experience Recommended for CCNA Security

Most exams that you will look at in the field will have a recommended amount of experience you should have before sitting for an exam. While Cisco doesn’t explicitly state that you need prior experience besides the CCENT, CCNA Routing and Switching (routing and switching), or any CCIE certification, I recommend that you have around two years of experience, whether that be through prior work experience of schooling. This will provide you with a decent background of knowledge including knowledge of things such as the TCP/IP and OSI models basic routing protocols.

Prerequisites for the CCNA Security Exam

One thing that makes the CCNA Security exam stand out is that you must have other certifications to take the exam. The certifications that you can hold to qualify to take the CCNA Security exam is the CCENT, CCNA Routing and Switching, or any CCIE exam.  You’ll notice from this prerequisite requirement that Cisco wants to make sure you’ve been down the routing and switching track before you venture over into the security realm (unless of course they see you as an expert in Cisco technology with the CCIE.)  We can assume that this is because you’ll need a solid base of networking knowledge, on which routing and switching is built, before you can apply security to that network.

CCNA Security is Only One Exam

One factor that the CCNA Security has over some other CCNA flavors is that you only need to take one exam to get your certification. While this may require more studying at one time than a two-exam certification, it is still very manageable. It is also a big relief for me because I will have the certification once I pass the first exam, rather than having to go in to take the next half.  This is why we always recommend cyber security beginners go after certifications that only require one exam, as this moves you that much faster into a certified status, which can help open up employment and internship opportunities faster than if you had to take multiple exams to earn a certification.

CCNA Security is Reasonably Priced

For those on a short budget, in college, or just starting out in the field, the cost of the CCNA Security exam might be a turn-off, but in relation to other exams, it is reasonably priced. The current cost of the CCNA Security exam is $300, which is on average with most intermediate level certification in the cybersecurity field (consider for example that the Certified Ethical Hacker certification can cost around $1,200.) The price of the exam will be more than worth it though if you decide to pursue a job in cyber security or network security.

CCNA Security is Recognized by the U.S. Government

When looking at the value of a certification, you should see if it is accepted by the United States government, especially if you are in or are attempting to enter into government-related cyber security work.   Employers tend to value certifications that are recognized by the U.S. federal government more than similar certifications that are not. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) created the 8570 directive which provides guidance for the training, certification, and management of the DoD workforce.  The DoD has approved the CCNA Security certification as an Information Assurance Technical (IAT) level one and two. The CCNA Security certification is also recognized by the NSA and Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) as a CNSS 4011 training standard, a national training standard for information systems security professionals.  These are all very good things for you if you choose to pursue the CCNA Security, even if you’re not planning on working with the government or with a government contracting agency.

How Long Will It Take to Learn CCNA Security?

You may be wondering what the expected timeline is to earn the Cisco CCNA Security certification.  This is all up to how much time you can dedicate to studying, your knowledge retention, previous knowledge, and if you are focused on getting the CCNA Security certification or are dedicating a lot of your time to work and therefore have to balance your study time.

If you are thinking about sitting for this exam and you already have a Cisco CNA Routing and Switching certification, you should give yourself a minimum of 2 months’ worth of studying to prepare. If you have previous experience in the field, you might be able to get away with less, but I highly recommend setting aside enough time you think you need plus 2 or 3 weeks.

For those that only have the CCENT, I recommend that you focus on studying for the CCNA Routing and Switching before going for this exam. If you want to go directly for the CCNA Security certification with only a CCENT, you should set aside around 3 – 4 months to study the material. There are multiple studying mediums and finding the one best for you will make this process much smoother. There is plenty of material out there for you to study on any platform. You can even buy a CCNA Security lab kit for around $1,000 to do the physical configurations, but of course your best option is to get hands-on with live Cisco equipment if you have that option.

What to Expect On The CCNA Security Exam

Cisco, like most other companies, creates the exam topics which will be in their exam at their own direction.  Cisco claims that the CCNA Security exam has seven topics areas or domains: security concepts, secure access, VPN, secure routing and switching, Cisco firewall technologies, IPS, and content and endpoint security. Within these exam topic areas, there are of course many more sub-topics which give you a general basis of what to expect. Each of these includes different security controls that you will have to know about and also know how to implement them onto Cisco equipment. The exam consists of 60 – 70 questions with a time limit of 90 minutes.  Cisco does not reveal what the point values are for each exam question, and you should also keep in mind that a few questions that you’ve seen will be simulations or even tester questions that may not even be scored.

CCNA Security Salaries

When it comes to figuring out how much a certification is worth, it’s important to see how much it could increase your salary or the salary that you could command in the open job market.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statics, a network architect can make a little bit over $100,000 in many parts of the country. This all depends on where you get a job, the amount of experience that you have and how valuable you are to their company, based on your skill set and their particular needs. More realistically speaking, you will probably earn around $80,000 if you decide to get a job in that field, once you’ve built established experience and have certifications to support that knowledge.

While the CCNA Security might not directly increase your salary, it will, however, increase your perceived value to a corporation. Having the CCNA Security certification will also help to give you an edge over your peers because it combines knowledge of CCNA Routing and Switching in addition to how to implement proper security controls on that equipment.

Is the Cisco CCNA Security Hard?

Is the Cisco CCNA Security Hard?  The Cisco CCNA Security certification is a difficult intermediate-level certification because it requires solid knowledge of routing and switching network configurations in addition to network security concepts, which must be configured on Cisco equipment in a practical manner.

The CCNA Security is regarded as being rather difficult, and in fact just as difficult as the CCNP Routing and Switching exam. This is because of the level of the exams; you need to know the fundamentals which you learn in for the CCNA Routing and Switching exam for both exams.

 Is the Cisco CCNA Security Harder than the CCNA?

Is the Cisco CCNA Security Harder Than The CCNA?  The CCNA Security certification is more difficult than the Cisco CCNA because it builds on the routing and switching knowledge covered in the CCNA exam and applies security principles to those concepts.  Candidates must have routing and switching knowledge before they can sit for the CCNA Security exam.

With the CCNA Security exam being on par with the CCNP Routing and Switching exam, even people that have been working with Cisco equipment for 5 or more years have still struggled to pass this exam. It is a difficult exam and one that you need a large amount of time to learn every detail about the exam topics. As mentioned before, I would recommend setting up either a physical lab to help prepare yourself with the configurations.

How Does CCNA Security Compare to Similar Exams?

Like most other CCNA exams, the CCNA Security includes having a base knowledge level of CCNA Routing and Switching because it is the base where each pathway stems from. While most other flavors of the CCNA will include bits of security, the CCNA Security differs from those because it focuses on security above everything else. You will still have to know how to set up and configure basic networks, but the focus is on security controls and how to implement them properly.

CCNA Security’s Value

If you have ever looked at networking jobs, you will see a very common trend among employers, which is that they often want someone with a Cisco CCNA. The problem with the CCNA Security certification is that it is not as well known as the CCNA Routing and Switching certification. With that being said, it is still a highly valued certification that is backed by Cisco and similar enough to the standard CCNA Routing and Switching certification.  It also tends to be a better door opener for networking positions than the CompTIA Security+ exam because it includes implementation of the security control you need to know for CompTIA Security+ exam in addition to the configuration of equipment.  This practicality makes the exam more valuable in many employers eyes than the theoretical nature of the CompTIA Security+.  Also, with the CCNA Security being recognized by the U.S. government (the Security+ is as well), it further increases the value is holds within the networking field.