CTS College Lecturer Launches New Book

Glen D. Singh

Lead Author - CCNA Security 210-260 Certification Guide

CTS College Lecturer Glen D. Singh sat down to talk to us about his new book CCNA Security 210-260 Certification Guide.

Glen is a cyber-security instructor, consultant, entrepreneur and public speaker. He has been conducting multiple training exercises in offensive security, digital forensics, network security, enterprise networking and IT service management annually. He has also been recognised for his passion and expertise by both the private and public sector organisations of Trinidad & Tobago and internationally. 

He is the Lead Author of the now published title, CCNA Security 210-260 Certification Guide and the Technical Reviewer for the title, Penetration Testing with Shellcode, each published by Packt Publishing.

He also holds various information security certifications such as the EC-Council’s Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI), Cisco’s CCNA Security, CheckPoint Certified Security Administrator (CCSA) and many others in the field of cyber security.

Here some questions posed to Glen and his answers:

Tell us a bit about the book?
The CCNA Security 210-260 Certification Guide by Packt Publishing is designed for learners who are either starting in the field of network security or advanced learners who are already Network Security Engineers. Each chapter focuses on topics in network security which takes the reader from understanding the fundamentals of theory, to advance configurations of network security appliances seamlessly using a student centric approach.

What got you interested in Computer Security and Cyber Security?
This is an easy question for me, I wanted to become a Hacker.

Why is Cyber Security such an important issue now?
As more Personal Identifiable Information (PII) and other sensitive/confidential information are stored on electronic devices, the risk of theft and loss increases. Whether data is stored on a flash drive, hard disk, smartphone or the cloud, malicious persons are always trying to steal data globally. In other words, there are a lot of cyber terrorists existing in the world and cyber security focuses on the protection and mitigation of any existing or newly emerging cyber threats.
  
Is Trinidad ready and equipped for a Cyber Security threat?
In my personal opinion, it's extremely difficult to give a positive answer. Many organisations locally want to have the best network security appliances and IT Security staff on-board, but the reality is the culture of the country is more reactive than being proactive. One challenge is senior management doesn't always see the need for investing in Cyber Security solutions and services.

Any recommendations for someone interested in pursuing a career in Cyber Security (Where to start? What is the next step?)
I would definitely recommend starting with certifications such as CompTIA's Network+ & Security+, Cisco's CCNA Routing and Switching and CCNA Security. These four (4) will give you a firm understanding of network security concepts and configuration of network security appliances from a defensive point-of-view. Cyber Security is a huge field with different specialisations and to go deeper will require some research based on the path you choose.

Check out the many cyber security jobs available on LinkedIn as they will have requirements based on the job description/title, this will help you decide a bit easier.Lastly, check out other vendors certifications such as Fortinet, CheckPoint, Cisco, EC-Council, Offensive Security, GIAC, etc.