Cisco recommends that potential candidates have a CCSP and at least 5 years experience in IT Security, and when I made the decision back in 2006/7 to begin studying I qualified in both cases and figured this was the path for me.

The thing is, the more I studied the more I realised what I didn’t know; I changed employers and began getting some practical experience with Ciscos non-security technology as routing & switching features quite heavily. After 2 years of gathering as much information as I can on both Ciscos security and basic-networking portfolio and think 2009 is the year to stop putting this off and go for it!

I’ve messed about with many different techniques to prepare for the CCIE SEC Written, different ideas ranging from old skool A4/A3 notebooks, to google notebook, delicious keeps a record of some good bookmarks, and I guess my Cisco and security blog posts count!

Meet my latest, and hopefully last plan…

See the rest of my Mind Maps

Yep, I’m mind mapping, not only that but I’m going opensource and the maps are on XMIND. The Maps are far from finished but I’m hoping that this work will not only get me up to standard but also help others, after all you can’t have too many security experts!

If you have any suggestion of good revion resources, NOT testing kings or ways to cheat! Please comment and let me know.

UPDATE: Forgot to post that the .xmind file is also in my dropbox

Seriously, I’ve been reading the CCNP material, and it gives some really good foundation knowledge for the CCIE; so I’m finking start them both, and drop out the CCIE revision when my “non-security” knowledge needs topping up. Now anyone reading this, whom has done either or both exams is probably thinking “He has no idea how much work is involved” – and I guess they’re partly right, since I’d not done either it’s true, but I’m not expecting to do them in a month (or even 6).

So, can you blog revision ? I’ve had a quick google and I’ve not really been able to find what I mean (or want), they are mostly blogs with cisco content, but not revision guides or material. Now the biggest problem with revision blogs would be copyrights , in order to study you need to read someone else’s material, but you can’t publish that. I don’t see this as a problem tho’ since true revision is being able to explain what you’ve learned in your own words…. any way to be safe I’ve updated my copyright, since I think my blog could be a really good revision tool

I guess only time will tell, I’ve already got a lot on so I guess the next issue will be finding the time, but having a plan is always a good start