Exam Number 400-251 CCIE Security
Associated Certifications CCIE Security
Duration 120 minutes (90 - 110 questions)
Available Languages English
The written exam validates experts who have the knowledge and skills to
architect, engineer, implement, troubleshoot, and support the full suite of
Cisco security technologies and solutions using the latest industry best
practices to secure systems and environments against modern security risks,
threats, vulnerabilities, and requirements.
Topics include network functionality and security-related concepts and best
practices, as well as Cisco network security products, solutions, and
technologies in areas such as next generation intrusion prevention, next
generation firewalls, identity services, policy management, device hardening,
and malware protection.
The written exam utilizes the unified exam topics which includes emerging
technologies, such as Cloud, Network Programmability (SDN), and Internet of
Things (IoT).
Unified Written and Lab Exam Topics v5.0 (Recommended for candidates scheduled
to take the test ON January 31, 2017 and beyond)
Exam Description
The CCIE Security Version 5.0 exam unifies written and lab exam topics
documents into a unique curriculum, while explicitly disclosing which domains
pertain to which exam, and the relative weight of each domain.
The Cisco CCIE Security Written Exam (400-251) version 5.0 is a two-hour test
with 90–110 questions that validate professionals who have the expertise to
describe, design, implement, operate, and troubleshoot complex security
technologies and solutions. Candidates must understand the requirements of
network security, how different components interoperate, and translate it into
the device configurations. The exam is closed book and no outside reference
materials are allowed.
The Cisco CCIE Security Lab Exam version 5.0 is an eight-hour, hands-on exam
that requires a candidate to plan, design, implement, operate, and troubleshoot
complex security scenarios for a given specification. Knowledge of
troubleshooting is an important skill and candidates are expected to diagnose
and solve issues as part of the CCIE lab exam.
The following topics are general guidelines for the content likely to be
included on the exam. However, other related topics may also appear on any
specific delivery of the exam. In order to better reflect the contents of the
exam and for clarity purposes, the guidelines below may change at any time
without notice.
1.0 Perimeter Security and Intrusion Prevention 21%
1.1 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot HA features on Cisco ASA and Cisco
FirePOWER Threat Defense (FTD)
1.2 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot clustering on Cisco ASA and Cisco FTD
1.3 Describe, implement, troubleshoot, and secure routing protocols on Cisco ASA
and Cisco FTD
1.4 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot different deployment modes such as
routed, transparent, single, and multicontext on Cisco ASA and Cisco FTD
1.5 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot firewall features such as NAT (v4,v6),
PAT, application inspection, traffic zones, policy-based routing, traffic
redirection to service modules, and identity firewall on Cisco ASA and Cisco FTD
1.6 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot IOS security features such as
Zone-Based Firewall (ZBF), application layer inspection, NAT (v4,v6), PAT and
TCP intercept on Cisco IOS/IOS-XE
1.7 Describe, implement, optimize, and troubleshoot policies and rules for
traffic control on Cisco ASA, Cisco FirePOWER and Cisco FTD
1.8 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot Cisco Firepower Management Center
(FMC) features such as alerting, logging, and reporting
1.9 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot correlation and remediation rules on
Cisco FMC
1.10 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot Cisco FirePOWER and Cisco FTD
deployment such as in-line, passive, and TAP modes
1.11 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot Next Generation Firewall (NGFW)
features such as SSL inspection, user identity, geolocation, and AVC (Firepower
appliance)
1.12 Describe, detect, and mitigate common types of attacks such as DoS/DDoS,
evasion techniques, spoofing, man-in-the-middle, and botnet
2.0 Advanced Threat Protection and Content Security 17%
2.1 Compare and contrast different AMP solutions including public and private
cloud deployment models
2.2 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot AMP for networks, AMP for endpoints,
and AMP for content security (CWS, ESA, and WSA)
2.3 Detect, analyze, and mitigate malware incidents
2.4 Describe the benefit of threat intelligence provided by AMP Threat GRID
2.5 Perform packet capture and analysis using Wireshark, tcpdump, SPAN, and
RSPAN
2.6 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot web filtering, user identification,
and Application Visibility and Control (AVC)
2.7 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot mail policies, DLP, email quarantines,
and SenderBase on ESA
2.8 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot SMTP authentication such as SPF and
DKIM on ESA
2.9 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot SMTP encryption on ESA
2.10 Compare and contrast different LDAP query types on ESA
2.11 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot WCCP redirection
2.12 Compare and contrast different proxy methods such as SOCKS, Auto proxy/WPAD,
and transparent
2.13 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot HTTPS decryption and DLP
2.14 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot CWS connectors on Cisco IOS routers,
Cisco ASA, Cisco AnyConnect, and WSA
2.15 Describe the security benefits of leveraging the OpenDNS solution.
2.16 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot SMA for centralized content security
management
2.17 Describe the security benefits of leveraging Lancope
3.0 Secure Connectivity and Segmentation 17%
3.1 Compare and contrast cryptographic and hash algorithms such as AES, DES,
3DES, ECC, SHA, and MD5
3.2 Compare and contrast security protocols such as ISAKMP/IKEv1, IKEv2, SSL,
TLS/DTLS, ESP, AH, SAP, and MKA
3.3 Describe, implementc and troubleshoot remote access VPN using technologies
such as FLEXVPN, SSL-VPN between Cisco firewalls, routers, and end hosts
3.4 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot the Cisco IOS CA for VPN
authentication
3.5 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot clientless SSL VPN technologies with
DAP and smart tunnels on Cisco ASA and Cisco FTD
3.6 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot site-to-site VPNs such as GETVPN,
DMVPN and IPsec
3.7 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot uplink and downlink MACsec (802.1AE)
3.8 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot VPN high availability using Cisco ASA
VPN clustering and dual-hub DMVPN deployments
3.9 Describe the functions and security implications of cryptographic protocols
such as AES, DES, 3DES, ECC, SHA, MD5, ISAKMP/IKEv1, IKEv2, SSL, TLS/DTLS, ESP,
AH, SAP, MKA, RSA, SCEP/EST, GDOI, X.509, WPA, WPA2, WEP, and TKIP
3.10 Describe the security benefits of network segmentation and isolation
3.11 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot VRF-Lite and VRF-Aware VPN
3.12 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot microsegmentation with TrustSec using
SGT and SXP
3.13 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot infrastructure segmentation methods
such as VLAN, PVLAN, and GRE
3.14 Describe the functionality of Cisco VSG used to secure virtual environments
3.15 Describe the security benefits of data center segmentation using ACI, EVPN,
VXLAN, and NVGRE
4.0 Identity Management, Information Exchange, and Access Control 22%
4.1 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot various personas of ISE in a multinode
deployment
4.2 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot network access device (NAD), ISE, and
ACS configuration for AAA
4.3 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot AAA for administrative access to Cisco
network devices using ISE and ACS
4.4 Describe, implement, verify, and troubleshoot AAA for network access with
802.1X and MAB using ISE.
4.5 Describe, implement, verify, and troubleshoot cut-through proxy/auth-proxy
using ISE as the AAA server
4.6 Describe, implement, verify, and troubleshoot guest life cycle management
using ISE and Cisco network infrastructure
4.7 Describe, implement, verify, and troubleshoot BYOD on-boarding and network
access flows with an internal or external CA
4.8 Describe, implement, verify, and troubleshoot ISE and ACS integration with
external identity sources such as LDAP, AD, and external RADIUS
4.9 Describe ISE and ACS integration with external identity sources such as
RADIUS Token, RSA SecurID, and SAML
4.10 Describe, implement, verify, and troubleshoot provisioning of AnyConnect
with ISE and ASA
4.11 Describe, implement, verify, and troubleshoot posture assessment with ISE
4.12 Describe, implement, verify, and troubleshoot endpoint profiling using ISE
and Cisco network infrastructure including device sensor
4.13 Describe, implement, verify, and troubleshoot integration of MDM with ISE
4.14 Describe, implement, verify, and troubleshoot certificate based
authentication using ISE
4.15 Describe, implement, verify, and troubleshoot authentication methods such
as EAP Chaining and Machine Access Restriction (MAR)
4.16 Describe the functions and security implications of AAA protocols such as
RADIUS, TACACS+, LDAP/LDAPS, EAP (EAP-PEAP, EAP-TLS, EAP-TTLS, EAP-FAST,
EAP-TEAP, EAP- MD5, EAP-GTC), PAP, CHAP, and MS-CHAPv2
4.17 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot identity mapping on ASA, ISE, WSA and
FirePOWER
4.18 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot pxGrid between security devices such
as WSA, ISE, and Cisco FMC
5.0 Infrastructure Security, Virtualization, and Automation 13%
5.1 Identify common attacks such as Smurf, VLAN hopping, and SYNful knock, and
their mitigation techniques
5.2 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot device hardening techniques and
control plane protection methods, such as CoPP and IP Source routing.
5.3 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot management plane protection techniques
such as CPU and memory thresholding and securing device access
5.4 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot data plane protection techniques such
as iACLs, uRPF, QoS, and RTBH
5.5 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot IPv4/v6 routing protocols security
5.6 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot Layer 2 security techniques such as
DAI, IPDT, STP security, port security, DHCP snooping, and VACL
5.7 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot wireless security technologies such as
WPA, WPA2, TKIP, and AES
5.8 Describe wireless security concepts such as FLEX Connect, wIPS, ANCHOR,
Rogue AP, and Management Frame Protection (MFP)
5.9 Describe, implement, and troubleshoot monitoring protocols such as NETFLOW/IPFIX,
SNMP, SYSLOG, RMON, NSEL, and eSTREAMER
5.10 Describe the functions and security implications of application protocols
such as SSH, TELNET, TFTP, HTTP/HTTPS, SCP, SFTP/FTP, PGP, DNS/DNSSEC, NTP, and
DHCP
5.11 Describe the functions and security implications of network protocols such
as VTP, 802.1Q, TCP/UDP, CDP, LACP/PAgP, BGP, EIGRP, OSPF/OSPFv3, RIP/RIPng,
IGMP/CGMP, PIM, IPv6, and WCCP
5.12 Describe the benefits of virtualizing security functions in the data center
using ASAv, WSAv, ESAv, and NGIPSv
5.13 Describe the security principles of ACI such as object models, endpoint
groups, policy enforcement, application network profiles, and contracts
5.14 Describe the northbound and southbound APIs of SDN controllers such as
APIC-EM
5.15 Identify and implement security features to comply with organizational
security policies, procedures, and standards such as BCP 38, ISO 27001, RFC
2827, and PCI-DSS
5.16 Describe and identify key threats to different places in the network
(campus, data center, core, edge) as described in Cisco SAFE
5.17 Validate network security design for adherence to Cisco SAFE recommended
practices
5.18 Interpret basic scripts that can retrieve and send data using RESTful API
calls in scripting languages such as Python
5.19 Describe Cisco Digital Network Architecture (DNA) principles and
components.
6.0 Evolving Technologies 10%
6.1 Cloud
6.1.a Compare and contrast Cloud deployment models
6.1.a [i] Infrastructure, platform, and software services (XaaS)
6.1.a [ii] Performance and reliability
6.1.a [iii] Security and privacy
6.1.a [iv] Scalability and interoperability
6.1.b Describe Cloud implementations and operations
6.1.b [i] Automation and orchestration
6.1.b [ii] Workload mobility
6.1.b [iii] Troubleshooting and management
6.1.b [iv] OpenStack components
6.2 Network Programmability (SDN)
6.2.a Describe functional elements of network programmability (SDN) and how
they interact
6.2.a [i] Controllers
6.2.a [ii] APIs
6.2.a [iii] Scripting
6.2.a [iv] Agents
6.2.a [v] Northbound vs. Southbound protocols
6.2.b Describe aspects of virtualization and automation in network environments
6.2.b [i] DevOps methodologies, tools and workflows
6.2.b [ii] Network/application function virtualization (NFV, AFV)
6.2.b [iii] Service function chaining
6.2.b [iv] Performance, availability, and scaling considerations
6.3 Internet of Things (IoT)
6.3.a Describe architectural framework and deployment considerations for
Internet of Things
6.3.a [i] Performance, reliability and scalability
6.3.a [ii] Mobility
6.3.a [iii] Security and privacy
6.3.a [iv] Standards and compliance
6.3.a [v] Migration
6.3.a [vi] Environmental impacts on the network
