Study Plan 1/2013

Certification/course Goals

I am about to embark on a full time IT Security study program for the next few months.

It's a syllabus of my own design. (There aren't really any university or college courses that I could attend, which cover the multidisciplinary areas I want to study and research). The syllabus includes a combination of IT networking, IT security, telecommunication and technical security.

I got the idea off from some fellow bloggers that I came across while doing a search for study plans... Each year they lay out their study plans for various certifications. I plan on doing the same and adding other technical skills that I plan on working on this year (perhaps skills without a corresponding certification).

Over the last year I have been focusing on building a solid foundation in the basics of networking (routing and switching, administration, wireless, automate processes, etc.), before branching out into fancier, more complex stuff. My next plans are a continuation of that study, but now really focusing-in on Network Security, Penetration-testing and Ethical Hacking.

This is a big step for me, and a journey of thousand miles starts with a single big step (which I have already taken).

Area of Study (Discipline)

· Information Technology (Networking & Security)

· Information and Communication Technology (Telecommunications & DRT)

· Electrical and Electronic

· Electronics and Communications

· Optical and Electronic

· Systems Engineering

Note: For certifications and/or courses, I am breaking them into five categories; Computer Systems / Network Administration, Wireless Networking/Security, Network Security, Telecommunication, and Programming (Including some certifications that I want to take this year, but not sure if I will get them completed for various reasons).

Study method

For courses/training, I am breaking them into two categories, instructor-led and self-paced courses/training. I usually find that self-study is the most effective, as it can be a waste of time listening to a tutor going over material I already know, just for a few gems that I don't. I feel that I can usually cover more ground in less time with, Google, CBT Nuggets (or other online training resources), some practical examples/tutorials in a virtual environment, and a few books or articles on the web.

Study mode

I am breaking them into two types, full-time and part-time study modes. One standard unit per Study Period or Session is considered part-time study, while two units at a time is a full-time load. Each unit will need a commitment of at least 10 hours of study time per week. My objective is to study and research at least (±) 3 hours a night 4 days a week.

Study materials

When studying for a certification, I recommend using multiple study materials, including books, online training resources such as CBT Nuggets, Pluralsight and VTC, lots of real or simulated practice, and test material with realistic example/practice questions.

In addition Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), or also known as open-courseware and the most well-known sites offering MOOC’s are Udemy, Coursera, Khan Academy, Udacity, edX and the recently announced Cybrary.

Phase 1 of 3

Computer / Network Administration Specialisation -- (Study mode: Full-time)

[x]CompTIA A+ (220-802 and 220-802)

[x]CompTIA Network+ (N10-005)

[  ]CompTIA Linux+ Powered by LPI (5-in-1 Linux certification)

[x]Cisco Certified Network Associate – Routing & Switching (200-120 CCNA)

[x]MCTS: Windows 7, Configuring (Course 6292A) - Exam 70-680

[x]MCTIP: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Support Technician (Course 6293A) - Exam 70-685

[x]MCTIP: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Administrator (Course 6294A) - Exam 70-686

Wireless Networking/Security Specialisation -- (Study mode: Full-time)

[x]Certified Wireless Technology Specialist

[  ]Certified Wireless Network Administrator

[  ]Cisco Certified Network Associate – Wireless (640-722 IUWNE)

[x]SecurityTube Wi-Fi Security Expert Megaprimer (SWSE)

[x]Offensive Security Wireless Professional (OSWP)

[x]Packtpub - BackTrack 5 Wireless Penetration Testing Training

[x]Udemy Learn Wi-fi Hacking/Penetration Testing From Scratch

                     

Network Security Specialisation -- (Study mode: Full-time)

[x]CompTIA Security+ (SY0-401)

[  ]Cisco Certified Network Associate – Security (640-554 IINS)

[  ]Securing Cisco Networks with Threat Detection and Analysis (600-199 SCYBER)

[x]EC-Council Network Security Administrator [TRAINING ONLY]

[x]EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker v7/v8/v9 [TRAINING ONLY]

[  ]C)PTE - Certified Penetration Testing Engineer [TRAINING ONLY]

[  ]SEC401: Security Essentials Bootcamp Style – GSEC [TRAINING ONLY]

[  ]ISC2 Associate of Systems Security Certified Practitioner [TRAINING ONLY]

[x]Packtpub - Kali Linux - Backtrack Evolved Assuring Security by Penetration Testing

[x]Professional Penetration Testing Creating And Operating A Formal Hacking Lab
[x]Packtpub - Advanced Penetration Testing for Highly-Secured Environments

[  ]eLearnSecurity’s Certified Professional Penetration Tester (eCPPT)

[x]Career Academy Hacking Penetration Testing and Countermeasures

[x]SecurityTube Metasploit Framework Expert Megaprimer (SMFE)

[x]SecurityTube Network Pentesting - ongoing course (PentesterAcademy)

[x]SecurityTube Web Application Pentesting - ongoing course (PentesterAcademy)

[x]SecurityTube Linux Forensics  - ongoing course (PentesterAcademy)

[x]Wireshark Certified Network Analyst

Programming Goals -- (Study mode: Part-time)

[  ]SecurityTube Linux Assembly Expert (Linux Shell\Bash Scripting)

[x]SecurityTube Python Scripting Expert (Python Programming)

[x]Strategic Security Python for Security Professionals

Reading Goals:

[x]BackTrack 4: Assuring Security by Penetration Testing

[x]Gray Hat Hacking, 4^th Edition

[x]The Hacker Playbook, Practical Guide To Penetration Testing

[x]Kali Linux Cookbook

[x]Metasploit The Penetration Tester’s Guide

[x]Network Security Hacks, 2nd Edition

[  ]Ninja Hacking Unconventional Penetration Testing Tactic and Techniques

[x]Network Security, Firewalls, and VPNs

[x]BackTrack 5 Wireless Penetration Testing Guide

[x]Seven Deadliest Wireless Technologies Attacks

[x]The Basics of Web Hacking Tools and Techniques to Attack the Web

[  ]Violent Python: A Cookbook for Hackers, Forensic Analysts, Penetration Testers and Security Engineers

So those are my goals, I have gone public with them and now I just have to accomplish them. Well I know you probably did not want to read all of this but I wanted to get my goals out there, and track how I am doing with them.

Colour Codes

(Self-Paced Study) (Independent Courses/Training) (Instructor-led Courses)

(Updates will be posted soon)  -- Last updated: 30/10/2015