As competition in IT job markets grows fiercer, earning Cisco Certifications becomes ever more essential for professional advancement. This is particularly true within cybersecurity fields such as cybersecurity where professionals must possess in-depth knowledge across multiple systems and always perform effectively on their first attempt. Cisco provides numerous Cyber Ops certifications that validate cybersecurity professionals’ abilities.
This article details what it takes to earn the Cisco Certifications. We’ll go step by step through an informative process in order to achieve this title, so let’s get going!
Level Up Your Cisco Training Online Today
Networking is the cornerstone of IT and Cisco is undisputedly the industry leader when it comes to networking technologies and practices. Organizations of all sizes from different industries rely heavily on Cisco solutions; that’s why learning their technologies and earning certifications cannot go amiss.
Earning Cyber Ops
Professional status validates you possess the knowledge and skills that companies require of active defense security roles. Earning this certification may prove to be challenging; however, its rewards make it worth your while when building and validating security expertise.
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Make Sure It Is Right Cert For You
As your initial step, it is necessary to assess if Cyber Ops Professional certification is the appropriate certification for you and your experience level. Since this exam is part of Cisco Professional-level certifications, candidates with at least five years’ IT security experience (or more) should sit for this examination. There are no official prerequisites, so make an assessment of your skillset and whether you possess enough cyber operations experience in order to pass.
Assuming you already possess at least a year of security best practice experience, perhaps the Cisco Cyber Ops Associate exam would better suit your skillset. If the Professional examination is your ultimate goal, taking steps towards its achievement can begin now.
Register for Exams
Cisco Cyber Ops Professional certification requires two separate exams to earn, each costing $300 at this writing. The CBRCOR exam must first be passed before any other can be taken – provided it either falls into either of two CBRRFIR categories.
To meet your goals, it is recommended that you register for both exams as soon as you feel ready. I prefer eight weeks as my timeline. Each of these exams serves to validate various professions within cybersecurity. We will address each exam separately but let’s focus on CBRCOR first.
Passing the CBRFIR or CBRTHD Exam
Although neither exam is required of you, it is wise to give some thought as to which one to attempt first. Let’s first discuss CBRFIR.
The CBRFIR test measures your ability to conduct forensic analysis. Although its name might suggest otherwise, this 60-minute exam only lasts one hour!
Conclusion
Earning the Cyber Ops Professional certification and Palo Alto Training can be highly valuable; however, before embarking on this path it’s wise to gain some prior experience first as otherwise you might risk exam day disappointment.
Once you know you want to become a Cyber Ops Professional, take and pass the CBRCOR exam. Next, choose between taking either CBRTHD or CBRFIR; either can be beneficial; however taking CBRTHD provides an additional certification. Once these two exams have been passed successfully, you will become certified Cyber Ops Professional-certified and more marketable in IT security fields.
