About the CCNA Security Workbook

The CCNA Security Workbook builds upon your existing CCNA knowledge to help you better understand security concepts that are in play when it comes to modern networks around the globe. These concepts include best practice security implementations that are industry standard and commonly found in most major networks.

Examples of Security Labs you may complete in this workbook include Securing Layer 2, Securing Layer 3, Securing the Control Plane, Firewall Technologies and more.

As with previous workbooks written, this Security Workbook is designed to go above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to the CCNA Security Certification in order to prepare you for what you should expect to see when you obtain a network security engineering position.

While most books relating to the CCNA Security prepare you for the certification exam and concentrate heavily on CCNA Security Concepts, this workbook will concentrate heavily on configuration of common scenarios relating to implementation of a particular security application. With that being said, it is highly recommended that you purchase and read the CCNA Security Office Certification Guides to get an understanding of the technology and what to expect on the actual Certification Exam.

Completing this workbook will not guarantee you to pass the CCNA Security exam, however it will help you better understand how to configure common security practices found throughout modern networks thus making you a better engineer.

The intended audience for this workbook is individuals that hold the CCNA certification and are currently working towards obtaining the CCNA Security certification. This workbook may also be used as a reference for engineers wanting to learn specific technologies as it relates to their network(s) with a real world explanation in order to help individuals better understand the configuration of specific security technologies.

This workbook is broken into eight sections with each section containing multiple labs.

Prior to starting this workbook you should understand the hardware and software requirements of the Stub Lab which is the lab used when developing the individual workbook labs. The majority of this workbook can be completed using GNS3 however the initial configurations provided may need editing as interface numbering will be different between supported routers in GNS3 versus Cisco ISR’s and ASA 5505’s.

There is a section dedicated to talking about the hardware and software requirements of this workbook before you begin.

Well lets start from the beginning shall we?

I was born and raised in a small one stop light water tower town in central Kentucky so I had a very unique childhood. Ironic after all these years that I grew up on a farm and I hate the big city but yet my career involves me often times being in the city which is sometimes uncomfortable as I enjoy laying back on farm tending to live stock and taking care of the crops.

I obtained the CCIE certification in February of 2013 which did not surprise anyone I know personally because they were confident in my skills and often times I’m refereed to by my colleagues as the Network Cowboy. I’ve yet to figure out how I got that nick name though but I imagine once you hear a person talk about OSPF in a southern redneck accent then you’d probably think the same.

I of course have several other certifications and have worked in the industry for over 10 years now. I have experience on dozens of enterprise networks and have a unique understanding of how most companies do what they do when it comes to making decisions regarding the network and systems infrastructure(s).

I personally have a desire to teach and share my knowledge. I enjoy talking about cool technologies so people who have worked with me often times use me as a educational resource which I don’t mind.

I started this website back in late 2009 in order to help share my knowledge because I saw the lack of educational content in the marketplace and felt that something like this was needed. I spent thousands of dollars of my own money to obtain the CCNA certification and I want to try to minimize that cost for young aspiring engineers who want to make it in the networking industry.