Here's a tip on how you can make yourself a preferred candidate for these positions. The government has specific requirements your security skills have to meet before you can work on critical computer systems. Get these required skills before you apply, and you stand out from your competition. When you already have the credentials, you get the royal treatment because they won't have to invest as much time or taxpayer money into training you.

What skills do you need to secure the U.S. Government's critical computer systems?

Basically, you have to know the ins and outs of putting information security techniques into practice. This includes being aware of threats and being able to perform the necessary measures to protect against those threats. The exact requirements are explained in the 29-page National Training Standard for Information Systems Security (INFOSEC) Professionals, document NSTISSI-4011, published by the Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS).

To date, there's only one certification program in the IT industry that meets these standards - it's the INFOSEC Professional certification from Cisco. To get this certification, first you have to be CCNA certified, and then you have to pass 4 of the 5 exams in the Cisco Certified Security Professional (CCSP) certification track. Doing this certifies that you can run secured computer systems for the U.S. Government, as an INFOSEC Professional.

But... these skills aren't just for government IT

If you ever want to take these skills outside of working for the government, they'll still be useful. They're crucial skills for running security on any Cisco network, so they'll be valuable in private sector jobs too. Plus, they get you 4/5ths of the way to CCSP certification, so taking that next step from INFOSEC-certified to CCSP-certified won't be difficult.

This is comprehensive training for getting certified as an INFOSEC Professional

We assembled the INFOSEC+CCNA Combo Pack to make it easy for you to train for INFOSEC certification. It contains training for the 4 required CCSP exams - SNRS, SNPA, IPS, and CSVPN - plus the CCNA prerequisite, at a discounted package price.

(If you already own the CCNA Certification Package, you should check out the INFOSEC Combo Pack, to get package pricing on the CCSP Exam-Packs required for INFOSEC Certification, without buying CCNA again.)

Prerequisites

A basic understanding of computers and networking such as the A+/Network+ Combo Package is recommended before viewing these videos.

The INFOSEC+CCNA Combo Pack contains:

The CCNA Certification Package

- Intro to CCNA / Concepts and Hardware
- Cisco IOS Basics (free video!)
- Router Components
- The Configuration file
- Managing IOS images
- Access Control List Essentials
- Standard Access Control Lists
- Extended Access Control Lists
- Named Access Control Lists
- Applying an ACL to a line
- Cisco Discovery Protocol
- Intro to the OSI Reference Model (free video!)
- The OSI Data-Link Layer
- The OSI Network Layer
- The OSI Transport Layer
- Setup mode
- Password Recovery
- ICMP
- IP Addressing
- Subnetting Basics
- Advanced Subnetting
- Netware
- Spanning Tree Protocol
- Network Segmentation
- Transparent Bridging
- LAN Switching
- Virtual LAN
- Fast-Ethernet
- Private Addressing and NAT
- Routing Basics
- Distance Vector Protocols
- RIP
- IGRP
- EIGRP
- Frame-Relay Basics
- Frame-Relay Advanced Concepts
- Frame Relay Monitoring
- ISDN Essentials
- PPP Essentials
- CCNA security issues
- Basic Switch Configuration
- OSPF
- Cisco Internetwork Design

Cisco CCSP - Exam-Pack: 642-502 SNRS

- Cisco AAA: Using Cisco's Access Control Server 3.3
- Cisco AAA: Configuring Cisco's ACS Server and Devices
- Configure Cisco IOS Firewall Features: Cisco CBAC, Basic Configuration
- Configure Cisco IOS Firewall Features: Cisco CBAC, Advanced Features
- Configure Cisco IOS Firewall Features: Firewall Authentication Proxy
- Configure Cisco IOS Firewall Features: Intrusion Prevention System, Part 1
- Configure Cisco IOS Firewall Features: Intrusion Prevention System, Part 2
- Implement Layer 2 Security: Understanding and Mitigating Attack Types
- Implement Layer 2 Security: Cisco Identity-Based Networking Services
- Implement Layer 2 Security: Configuring 802.1x
- Cisco VPN Configuration: VPN Concepts Overview (free video!)
- Cisco VPN Configuration: Configuring IKE with Pre-Shared Keys
- Cisco VPN Configuration: Understanding Certificate Authorities
- Cisco VPN Configuration: Configuring CA-based VPNs
- Cisco VPN Configuration: Understanding and Using Cisco Easy VPN Solution, Part 1
- Cisco VPN Configuration: Understanding and Using Cisco Easy VPN Solution, Part 2
- Cisco SDM: Introduction and Setup
- Cisco SDM: Using Cisco SDM to Configure Cisco Routers

Cisco CCSP - Exam-Pack: 642-522 SNPA

- Introduction to Firewall Technology (free video!)
- CISCO PIX Product Line
- PIX Firewall Essentials
- Translations and Connections (part 1)
- Translations and Connections (part 2)
- Access Control Lists
- Grouping PIX Objects
- Protocol Handling
- Intrusion Detection and Shunning
- AAA Services
- Routing and Switching (part 1)
- Routing and Switching (part 2)
- Virtual Private Networking
- Easy VPN (part 1)
- Easy VPN (part 2)
- Using Certificates with the ASA
- WebVPN
- Security Appliance Modes
- Maintaining a Cisco Security Appliance (part 1)
- Maintaining a Cisco Security Appliance (part 2)
- Managing the Security Appliance in the Enterprise
- Configuring Failover on PIX and ASA
- Configuring Modular Policy

Cisco CCSP - Exam-Pack: 642-532 IPS

- The Areas of Attack: Network Security Overview (free video!)
- How IPS Can Help Your Network
- Understanding and Using the IPS Command Line Interface
- Understanding and Using IPS Device Manager
- IPS Sensor Basic Configuration
- IPS Signatures: Understanding Signatures and Alerts, Part 1
- IPS Signatures: Understanding Signatures and Alerts, Part 2
- IPS Signatures: Signature Engines, Part 1
- IPS Signatures: Signature Engines, Part 2
- IPS Signatures: Configuring Signature Parameters
- IPS Signatures: Tuning Signatures
- IPS Signatures: Creating Custom Signatures
- IPS Sensor Advanced Configuration: IPS Sensor Tuning
- IPS Sensor Advanced Configuration: Event Actions
- Integrating IPS with Other Cisco Devices
- IPS Maintenance and Monitoring: System-Level Functions
- IPS Maintenance and Monitoring: Keeping Tabs on Your Sensor
- Cisco's IDS Network Module for Routers
- Cisco's IDS Network Module for 6500 Switches

Cisco CCSP - Exam-Pack: 642-511 CSVPN

- Introduction to VPN Technology (part 1)
- Introduction to VPN Technology (part 2)
- Overview of the VPN 3000 Series Concentrator
- Configuring the VPN 3000: CLI and GUI Fundamentals
- Configuring the VPN 3000: Client to LAN IPSec
- Configuring the VPN 3000: Cisco Software Client for Windows
- Configuring the VPN 3000: Overview of CA Support
- Configuring the VPN 3000: Configuring for CA Support
- VPN Firewall for the Software Client
- Monitoring and Administering the VPN Concentrator
- Bandwidth Management
- Configuring the VPN 3002 Hardware Client (part 1)
- Configuring the VPN 3002 Hardware Client (part 2)
- Client Backup Server and Load Balancing
- VPN Client Auto-Update
- IPSec over UDP and TCP
- Configuring LAN-to-LAN with Pre-Shared Keys
- Configuring LAN-to-LAN with NAT
- Configuring LAN-to-LAN using Digital Certificates

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