Chapter 12
Final Preparation
The first 11 chapters of this book cover the technologies, protocols, design concepts, and considerations required for your preparation in passing the Cisco Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR 350-701) exam. This is the exam required for the CCNP Security, CCIE Security, and Cisco Certified Specialist – Security Core Certifications. If you are pursuing the CCNP Security certification, you still need to select and pass a concentration exam to achieve that certification. If you are preparing for the CCIE certification, you must also pass the hands-on 8-hour lab.
Chapter 1 through 11 cover the information necessary to pass the exam. However, most people need more preparation than simply reading the first 11 chapters of this book. This chapter, along with the Introduction of the book, suggests hands-on activities and a study plan that will help you complete your preparation for the exam.
Hands-on Activities
As mentioned, you should not expect to pass the SCOR 350-701 exam by just reading this book. The SCOR 350-701 exam requires hands-on experience with many of the Cisco technologies, tools, and techniques discussed in this book. These include Cisco routers, switches, firewalls, Cisco AMP, Cisco Threat Response, Cisco ISE, Cisco Stealthwatch, Cisco pxGrid, Cisco Umbrella Investigate, Cisco Cognitive Threat Analytics, Cisco Encrypted Traffic Analytics, Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client, Cisco ESA, Cisco WSA, Software Defined Networking (SDN) solutions, and the different APIs supported by those products. Building your own lab, breaking it, and fixing it is the most effective way to learn the skills necessary to pass the exam.
Suggested Plan for Final Review and Study
This section provides a suggested study plan from the point at which you finish reading Chapter 11 until you take the Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR 350-701) exam. You can ignore this five-step plan, use it as is, or modify it to better meet your needs:
Step 1. Review key topics and DIKTA questions: You can use the table at the end of each chapter that lists the key topics in each chapter or just flip through the pages looking for key topics. Also, reviewing the “Do I Know This Already” (DIKTA) questions from the beginning of the chapter can be helpful.
Step 2. Review the exam Blueprint: Cisco maintains a list of testable content known as the Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR 350-701) Exam Blueprint. Review it and make sure you are familiar with every item that is listed. You can download a copy at https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en_us/training-events/le31/le46/cln/marketing/exam-topics/350-701-SCOR.pdf.
Step 3. Study “Review Questions” sections: Go through the review questions at the end of each chapter to identify areas in which you need more study.
Step 4. Use the Pearson Cert Practice Test engine to practice: The Pearson Test Prep software provides a bank of unique exam-realistic questions available only with this book.
Summary
The tools and suggestions listed in this chapter have been designed with one goal in mind: to help you develop the skills required to pass the Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR 350-701) exam to achieve the CCNP Security, CCIE Security, or the Cisco Certified Specialist – Security Core Certifications.
This book has been developed from the beginning both to present you with a collection of facts and to help you learn how to apply those facts. Regardless of your experience level before reading this book, it is our hope that the broad range of preparation tools, and even the structure of the book, will help you pass the exam with ease. Please remember to take advantage of the resources of my GitHub repository at https://h4cker.org/github. I wish you success in your exam and hope that our paths cross again as you continue to grow in your IT and cybersecurity career.