Hello All!

It’s been a while since i posted a CCIE-sec interview. Partly because i’ve been a little busy with all the ccie-study and also because of a hectic work-schedule. So to make up for it, i’ve a totally AWESOME interview lined up for you today. It’s an interview with none other than “Kingsley”.

If you’ve spent any time at all on CLND , OSL , IEOC or SecurityIE , you would have definitely come across Kingsley. He’s one of the most active members on all of these sites and he’s helped innumerable number of people with his answers. I’ve always been amazed with the quality of questions that he asks and also the depth of his knowledge. He’s definitely an inspiration to anyone who’s studying for his/her ccie and it’s an absolute pleasure to get a chance to interview him. So here’s the interview!

TacACK : Hello Kings , how are you doing today!

Never felt better before and today is beautiful.

TacACK: Where are you from?

I am from India

TacACK : When and how did your journey into cisco networks start?

I started my journey of Cisco in 2002 after completing by BE. I did my CCNA and got 1000/1000 which boosted me to get more into Cisco certs. Then I went for CCIE R & S training for 6 months after which I had to discontinue as I joined HCL Cisco (Partner company). I really study hard when it comes to certification. Apart from getting 1000/1000 in CCNA, I again scored 1000/1000 in two other papers. One in CCIP track  and other in CCSP. Totally, I got three 1000/1000 i.e., full scores in three of my Cisco certification. When I take a cert, I aim to get full marks. As I aim to get full marks, I study a lot. For nearly 6 years, I have been preparing for my professional certifications. My objective was to get enough knowledge before entering into CCIE.

TacACK : Why did you opt for the security track

For past 7 years, I am working for a Cisco Security product and hence I took the security track.

TacACK : What materials do you currently own?

For CCIE, I am using IPexpert and INE workbooks

TacACK : What is your daily study plan like?

I study whenever, I get time. Till my first attempt, I studied continuously compromising my personal life. But for the 2nd attempt preparation, I have decided to take proper rest, go for movies, spend time with my family and study. By doing this my mind is fresh and I am able to keep up the energy.

TacACK: One thing i really admire in you is your dedication towards serving the ccie-sec community by actively participating in forums like CLND and OSL. Thanks a lot for that. You’ve helped me and lot of other people.How do you find time for it ?:)

Till my first attempt I was part of CLND, OSL and INE community. After my 2nd attempt, I have joined the ccbootcamp community too. As if now, I am part of top four communities – IPE, CLND, INE and ccbootcamp. Following are the reason for me to be active in this group. I need to learn things. Hence I try to reply to all the queries. Even, if I  don’t remember and don’t know the answer, I go to Cisco docs, google, read, lab it and then reply. CCIE Security has lot of topics, We prepare in months. You may prepare for feature X in 3rd month and feature y in 6th month. In the 6th month, you would have forgotten topic x. How do we keep ourselves refreshing all topics? On these forums, we get queries from all features/topic. If you keep replying to them, you can keep yourselves updated. It is not possible to be sure that you cover all the topics. Being in forum helps you uncover the topics that you have not touched. When you start learning a lot, then it’s time you contribute to others. Then only you will find yourself balanced. Else you will be dumped with lot of knowledge. Learn and teach others, then you will a satisfacton.  If we have learnt something very hard and it’s good you share them with others. It can save their time. Remember, on these forums great people do share their knowlegde, when we post queires hence it is a justice that we help others. Also, you will always understand things in your way. It might be wrong sometimes. When you post on these forums, then you will get corrected. Just imagine, if understand a thing wrongly then after sometime you share your wrong understanding to others and that keeps going.

TacACK : What are your weakpoints in the blueprint and how do you plan on overcoming those?

I try to cover every CLI available of a feature using Cisco’s command reference.

TacACK : Do you have anyone you look upto? Someone you maybe try to emulate? ( Get the dynamips pun here?    )

I believe that everyone is unique and hence I can’t emulate. I am inspired by Tyson who has always helped me. Also I am inspired Keith, he also helped me a lot.Thanks to Brandon, he helps everyone. And offcourse Yusuf, he is great. Still more, many thanks to all of them who has helped me in preparing for my CCI

TacACK : Have you attempted the ccie-security lab before? If yes, what was that experience like?

Yes, I have taken one attempt. It was nice. I felt, I was well prepared but need to improve on my time managemant and cover somemore topics

TacACK : On a scale of 1..10, how close the materials are compared the real lab?

I would tell that they are somewhere around 7 to 9.

TacACK : 5 tips to any ccie-sec candidate?

Work to your soul and start loving things you learn.

Keep your mind fresh. Don’t keep studying for 24/7, take a break for a day or two and then study.

Be part of the forums and be active.

Share the knowledge that you have learnt.

Don’t give up. If you have cleared CCIE means you are one among the best in the world.

TacACK : How will you celebrate once you get the ccie digits?

I will be happiest man in the world

It’s just inspiring to interact with such a motivated and humble person. I’ve definitely learnt a lot from this interview and i hope it’s helped you too!

You can reach Kingsley through CLND, OSL, IEOC and SecurityIE. Just post a question and it’s highly likely that he will answer

Cheers,

TacACK

Have i got a treat for you! I know i’ve been quiet for sometime , but now i’m back! And i’ve got an awesome article here for you. It’s really special and inspiring because it’s an interview with “Paul Stewart” ( or @packetu , as we tweeps know him ).

Paul has been one of the first few guys i met on twitter and i’ve been interacting with him for sometime now. He’s very very helpful and knowledgeable and most importantly an exceptional person. His ability to take the most complex scenarios , break it down and explain it to someone has won him accolades everywhere. Recently, CLND recognized Paul as one of it’s top contributers. He’s rated #3 among all the people in CLND and #1 in the CCIE-security group in contributions.

As a testament to all his knowledge and hard-work, Paul cleared the CCIE-sec lab recently! He’s one of the few guys i look up to , admire and try and emulate. He’s a CCIE , a friend and a great person. This is why i was really excited when he agreed to answer my questions!

I hope this motivates you and helps you in your quest for the elusive digits.

TacACK : Hello Paul! How are you doing today?

I am doing great.  The weather is nice, and its not Monday.  I am actually working on a few off-the-wall projects that will be interesting.  One includes a Cisco UCS-C, which from what I can tell is the small business version of the UCS.

TacACK : To the few people who don’t know who you are, could you please tell us where are you from?

I am from London, Kentucky.  For those who are familiar with the geography of the US, that is about 150 miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio and about 300 miles north of Atlanta, Georgia.  I actually work primarily in Lexington, Ky, about an hour commute from my home.

TacACK : First of all, congrats on passing the CCIE-security lab! I always knew you’d kill the lab and you did it!

I wouldn’t necessarily say that I killed it, but I was certainly glad that I passed

TacACK : How did you celebrate when you saw the e-mail!?

I was actually in my hotel room in San Jose, California with my family.  Everyone was sleeping because of the 3 hour time difference. I kept getting up to see if I had received an email yet.  Finally at about midnight, I received an email with a link asking me to log in. When I did so, there was a “congratulations on becoming a CCIE”.  I was nearly moved to tears.  This was such a journey for me.  As far as celebration, I told my wife the good news and spent some time on twitter.  Finally I went back to bed, but found that I was too excited to sleep.

TacACK :  When and how did your journey into cisco networks start?

I started working with Cisco Network equipment in early 1999 at the consulting company I am still with.  My employment began just as a senior engineer was leaving, so I had the opportunity to do practically anything I could educate myself to do.  During the first couple of years, I found myself in many of those “trial by fire” situations.  Nonetheless, I came through the ranks quickly.  I obtained MCSE, CCNA, CCDA, CCNP and CCDP in a couple of years.  After that I went on a certification hiatus, not seeing the need for the paper.  Eventually I jumped back on board and obtained my CCSP and decided I wanted to go to the next level, the CCIE Security.

TacACK : Why did you opt for CCIE-security?

I opted for CCIE Security after quite a bit of thought.  Before actually choosing security, I made the decision to pursue the CCIE.  I wanted to push my knowledge to the next level and I really enjoy networking.  Most engineers choose Routing and Switching as their first CCIE.  My company has always dealt with a lot of small and medium sized businesses.  As a result, the Security track matched my day to day work much more closely than the Routing and Switching.  I do enjoy security, but the reason I chose it was because it was a better fit for me.  I may pursue a second CCIE in the future.  If so,
that will probably be Routing and Switching.

TacACK : What materials did you use for your study?

I primarily used the IPExpert materials.  This included the AoD, VoD and most importantly the practice labs.  I used Proctor Labs for access to Cisco equipment.  I also attended the IPExpert one week bootcamp.  Another item that I found extremely useful was Yusuf Bhaiji’s new practice labs.

TacACK : On a scale of 1..10 , how close are the ccie material to the actual lab ?

That’s a little difficult to answer.  I think Yusuf’s labs quite similar, so I’d say an 8 or 9 for that.  IPExperts materials were a little more different than the real lab.  The good news is that I think the lab is a bit easier.  In my opinion someone can do very well on these practice materials, I think they’ll do okay on the lab. While working through the practice materials, it is important to understand the details.  When taking the real lab, time management is very important.

TacACK : What was your daily study plan like?

In the beginning, I went through the labs in volume one.  As time progressed, I began assessing myself against the blueprint.  Most Saturdays I leased 16 hours of rack time, but sometimes I couldn’t concentrate for the full amount of time.  During the week, I read and done “mini-labs” on my own equipment.  These mini-labs weren’t formal in the sense that someone wrote them.  I simply went through the blueprint and messed with configurations that encompassed the features I’d be tested on.

TacACK : How did you manage to focus on studies/dedicate so much time for study with a family?

That is a very tough and delicate balancing act.  To be honest, I’m not sure that I done a great job at this.  For me, I had a special circumstance in which my 10 year old son had a brain hemorrhage about 3 days after I returned from my first attempt.  So I had some time that I just totally forgot about the CCIE and focused on his situation.  After some scary times, major surgery and a lot of prayers, he has made a full recovery.  He actually made the trip with me to San Jose when I passed on the second attempt.

TacACK : You were featured on CLND for your awesome contribution and as a candidate i’d like to thank you for all the help that you’ve extended to the CCIE community. Also on twitter, you’ve helped me by answering many of my questions and by simply inspiring me. Thank you! Do you lookup to anyone for  inspiration/motivation?

I love Cisco Learning Network Discussions.  That site is such a great community of people at all levels.  I really enjoy the discussions and knowledge that I can obtain and share through all channels.  As far as looking up to people, there are many and they are at all levels.  I am really encouraged to see people who are just getting started but are really putting forth effort and getting this stuff.  I also look up to those who are seasoned, but continue to learn.  I am inspired by the learning process and those who continue to push themselves toward more knowledge.

TacACK : 5 tips to any ccie-sec candidate?

1. Don’t underestimate the time required to prepare for the lab.
2. Get very familiar with the CCIE Security Blueprint
3. Pay attention to every detail of every question.
4. Participate in the study groups like OSL, Group Study and Cisco
Learning Network.
5. Time management (have an attack plan in studies and on the lab)

TacACK : What are your future plans like? Consulting? Training?

Yes to both!  I will continue consulting, but have a strong desire to start training.  I am currently in the process of becoming a Cisco Instructor.  Once that process is complete, I hope to spend a week or two a month delivering classes and helping students build a strong foundation for knowledge.  This is a completely new and exciting area for me, so I have a lot to learn too.

You can reach paul through his website www.packetu.com and through twitter http://twitter.com/packetu.

That’s a great interview. Thanks a lot Paul! You’ve helped me and a lot of people through your efforts on CLND and twitter . Here’s wishing you all the best for a bright and illustrious career. Hope you all enjoyed this!

Cheers,

TacACK

Hello!

He’s been an inspiration to me , just because he’s another family man, kicking some serious CCIE-sec rear. He’s very knowledgeable and friendly and he’s solved many a doubt on twitter for me. So i sent him some questions and i for one am very very excited about this interview . I have learnt a lot after reading this and i hope it’ll motivate you too. Let’s get this show on the road!

I am doing well how are you?

I currently live in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.

I actually started my IT career with the CCNA certification. I was in my second year of college and met one of the Cisco instructors. He convinced me to sign up for the CCNA class. I eventually got my CCNA then went on to achieve my CCDA, CCSP, CCNP and CCDP. Essentially, my introduction to I.T. was through Cisco training.

This was an easy decision for me. I am a Network Security Engineer/Penetration Tester so it was a very natural fit for me to choose the Security CCIE. I also am of the opinion that since their are less people who are certified as a CCIE in security that more jobs will be available once I am certified.

I currently own all of the IPexpert materials.

I don’t have a daily study plan as a weekly number of hours I try to put in. I schedule two eight hour rack sessions per week and I try to spend at least four hours doing theoretical study such as reading, watching videos and doing practice OEQ questions. This puts me at right at 20 hours per week. This has worked well for me so far.

My advice would be to make sure that your family understands how much is involved in attaining a CCIE before beginning the process. My wife is very understanding and realizes that achieving a CCIE is good for us both. She wants me to succeed and that helps, but I also think you should be at a point in your life where you can allocate that 20 hrs per week and not feel like you will lose your mind. If attaining a CCIE is going to cause you to lose your job or family you should consider something else.

I am happy to say that at this point I don’t have what I would consider any really bad weak points. I still hate dealing with NAT on routers as it can get ridiculously over complex, I also am not a fan of NAC framework as it can be very nit picky to get just right. I will say at this point I am at what I would consider a comfortable level with all of the material. I have done over 400 hrs of study and a bootcamp to get to this point but, I do feel like I can get close if not correct on most topics without the documentation.

The only role-model I have is my father. He is a mechanical engineer and worked for NASA for many years. He designed and tested systems that are part of the current Space Shuttle fleet. He gave me my first computer when I was 13. It was a Packard Bell 486sx. What’s funny as these computers were known to be complete pieces of crap.(I still don’t know if he did that on purpose). It would break and my dad would say if you want it to work you have to fix it. So I would fix it.He basically forced me to start learning to fix computers at 13 years old. I attribute most of my success to him pushing me.

The lab is a very different experience from your studies. It’s not super hard but not easy either. It will stretch your mind and you probably will be asked to do something you haven’t done before. make sure you know the Doc website well and don’t take the OEQ’s for granted they can be quite hard.

TacACK : On a scale of 1..10 , how close are the ccie material to the actual lab. Does this break the NDA? If yes, please feel free to skip this question.

I would say about an 8.

1. Know what you are undertaking and commit to it. There will be times when you want to quit, just keep going.

2. Take your time read the questions and don’t rush. Make sure you understand every detail of what is being asked.

3. Try to be calm! Nerves are probably why I didn’t pass on my first attempt.

4. Know how to stack technologies. VPN and Multicast routing for example.

5. Read the Doc Website and know where to look for subjects you are weaker on.

I think I am going to take a real vacation. I haven’t had a real vacation in over 5 years and I think after this I will deserve one.

Now , wasn’t that a great interview?! Brian was actually in the process of sending me his pic, but i just couldn’t wait. This interview was so awesome, i had to post it up for everyone to see. Once i get a picture, i’ll add it in

I am very very confident that Brian’s going to kill this lab the next time he attempts it. My best wishes to him and to his family You can reach Brian on twitter through his twitter handle ( @infosecsamurai ).

Hope you enjoyed this as much as i did!

Cheers!

TacACK

Hello!

Today we’re at interview #2. We’ve got a great interview lined up with another awesome ccie-sec candidate. He’s Ryan Schuett!

I’ve known Ryan for about a year now and it’s been an absolute pleasure interacting with him. He’s very knowledgeable , helpful  and also a good friend of mine . I look up to him for advice, help on topics that i don’t understand and we form a good study-team. So , i asked Ryan a couple of questions ( some personal one’s as well ) and here they are!

I am doing great Vybhav, I am excited the sun is shining (finally) in this neck of the woods and I am able to start studies outside…

I am from Calgary, Alberta, Canada where I live with my wife Milan and son Kasin. I work in Calgary and consult for several companies part time and have a full time role as a security and infrastructure specialist.

I was first exposed to Cisco networking technologies years ago when I went to school for computer engineering. After schooling, I started my first job in a very large Cisco VPN network. The job also encompassed a lot of Microsoft and Linux servers. I pursued my CCNA and followed it up with MSCE 2003 and CCSP. I have fallen off the server track slightly and have gone more towards the networking side. I believe you have to know all aspects of the network including servers, users, bots, etc.. to be able to secure the infrastructure in its entirety.

Well, during my first job interview I was handed a generic cisco configuration and was asked what device it was from. I had never worked on a PIX firewall yet and that is what the configuration was from. Good thing the first line of the config said PIX 515 or I would have never gotten it correct…. After that I began working a lot with the PIX (version 6 code). When the ASA came out, I really felt that it was a great product and still is. With my passion for security coupled with experience and knowledge of the ASA and VPN technologies, I felt that it made the most sense to pursue the security field. So here I am….

I currently have INE materials. This includes the CCIE Security bundle, as well as the CCNP and CCIE Route/Switch bundles. I purchased route/switch to give me a good understanding of how routing and switching works so that I can secure them that much better. I don’t currently own it, but your website is on my list as well!

Also , I recently purchased  IPExpert Vol 1 & 2 labs , along with their Audio Bootcamp. I am very happy with this purchase ‘coz the IPExpert guys definitely know a thing or two about challening scenarios and i’m totally loving every lab that i do!

I study roughly 4 hours every night (7:30-11:30) during the week. I also try and study at work during my lunch hour. My commute to work is roughly 45 minutes each way so I listen to audio bootcamps – both INE security for the ASA and the route/switch bootcamp done by Scott Morris (great series by the way).

Well, my son isn’t quite 2 yet so he goes to bed pretty early. This allows me the chance to hit the books early and get some work in. My wife likes to read her books so it is a win/win scenario at the moment. It is hardest on the weekends as I do 8 hour labs every Sunday as well as every second Friday.

My weak areas are flexible packet and IPS. I think a lot of people have problems with flexible packet matching as it doesn’t work as expected all the time, at least, that is what I have experienced. I also have to brush up on layer 2 security technologies. There are other areas as well but these are the major ones at this time.

TacACK :Which hockey team do you cheer for? Did they do well this season?

Well, I cheer for Calgary and my wife cheers for Edmonton (both Alberta teams) Calgary did better than Edmonton this year so that makes me happy, except when it comes time for dinners that my wife makes for me….

Well, to be honest, it is you and Paul Stewart that are my role-models. I started to blog, help out on the cisco learning network, and tweet all because of you two. I would also give a cheers out to Brandon Carroll, Scott Morris, and Keith Barker.

On the same day as you – August 31st –  only you will get your CCIE number before me as you are 12 hours ahead.

1) Breathe, eat, drink every technology on the security blueprint.

2) Have fun

3) Don’t try to do it all in one day.

4) Go to tacack.com and packetu.com for some great study material

5) Never give up and don’t be afraid to ask questions if you don’t understand something..

Well, as you probably already know, I will be heading out to Bangalore with Real Canadian Maple Syrup and beer as requested by yourself and we will have some good times …. That is the day I can’t wait for….

Whoa! Now that was an awesome interview! To all those who don’t know, ryan and i scheduled our labs on the same-day, to push/spot each other when we were studying. I’m 100% confident that Ryan’s going to nail the lab very soon and it’s been an absolute privelege knowing such a driven, focused and knowledge-hungry person. So Ryan, here’s wishing you the best for you CCIE-Voice lab ( ‘coz you’re going to nail CCIE-security soon, so that’s a non-issue  )

Ryan can be reached through his TWITTER account , or through his website. He is also very active on CLND.

Cheers!

TacACK