Exam Cram - CIW Foundations

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CIW – Security Certifications

The vendor-neutral CIW Security certification is a relative newcomer on the infosec scene having been around since 2001. Depending on your existing level of infosec expertise, you may consider the CIW Security Professional somewhat of an entry-level certification. It may act however as a worthwhile lead-in to more advanced, and specific, security certifications. There are two ‘levels’ to the CIW Security Certifications offered:

· Security Professional Certification
· Security Analyst Certification

Security Professional Certification Security Analyst Certification

The Security Professional Certification from CIW is primarily aimed at those who have an understanding, and experience with, networking and administration tasks and who wish to either enhance their skills in, or branch out into, the field of network security. Despite the target audience being those with prior experience, there are no pre-requisites to taking the Security Professional exam. Any candidate may take the exam at any time.

The Security Professional exam (Exam 1D0-470) consists of 60 multiple-choice questions in 75 minutes and you need to answer at least 45 out of the 60 (75%) correctly in order to pass. You must also correctly answer at least 70% of the questions in each of the modules within the exam (check on the official website LINK for the current information and exam objectives).

The exams are available from any Prometric or VUE testing station LINK, and if you shop around you may be able to find discount vouchers for the exam. A good place to start is here. Updating your Security Professional exam means taking any subsequent exams that are released under the same name. CIW has a policy of changing the exam number when revisions are made to the exam but keeping the same name.

A recommended study guide for the CIW Security Professional certification is the CIW Security Professional Study Guide, by Sybex.

Security Analyst Certification

The second ‘level’ to CIW’s security certification offerings is the Security Analyst certification. If you have already passed the 1D0-470 certification, and have any one of the following certifications then you are effectively awarded status as a CIW Security Analyst:

· Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA)
· Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) 4
· Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) 2000
· Certified Novell Engineer (CNE) 4
· Certified Novell Engineer (CNE) 5
· Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
· Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
· Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)
· Linux Professional Institute (LPI) Level 2

All you have to do to earn this qualification is to submit proof of your qualifications to CIW and in due course you’ll receive your certification. More information can be found on the official CIW website .

As for whether having the CIW Professional Security certification, or the Security Analyst certification, will offer you anything in terms of more marketability in the job market is hard to tell. The relative newness of the certification works against it in terms of market recognition, and relative entry-level certifications such as this are likely to be taken up en-masse by those looking to get into the infosec industry. Certainly employers are looking for security skills so any reputable certification, like the CIW, will enhance your prospects, but an exam that consists of just 60 questions with no pre-requisites to take the exam is unlikely to impress as a stand-alone qualification in the infosec field. It may, however, be enough to get you a foot in the door. It could turn out to be a good first step.

Free CIW study guides, practice exams and more...

CIW Security Professional Study Guide

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