Practice Configurations

The CCNA Security exam includes an emphasis on practical knowledge. You need to be familiar with switch features and the order in which configuration steps should be implemented. You also need to know how to plan a LAN switching project and how to verify your results.

This means that hands-on experience is going to take you over the edge to confidently and accurately build or verify configurations (and pass the exam). If at all possible, you should try to gain access to some Cisco Catalyst switches, Cisco IOS routers, Cisco Adaptive Security Appliances (ASA), Cisco Access Control Servers (ACS), and Cisco Identity Services Engines (ISE) and spend some time working with their security-related features.

If you have access to a lab provided by your company, take advantage of it. You might also have some Cisco equipment in a personal lab at home. Otherwise, there are a number of sources for lab access, including online rack rentals from trusted Cisco Partners and the Cisco Partner E-Learning Connection (PEC), if you work for a partner. Nothing beats hands-on experience.

In addition, you can review the key topics in each chapter and follow the sample configurations in this book. At the least, you will see the command syntax and the sequence the configuration commands should be entered.