PP126: Trying (and Failing) the CCIE Security Exam

Drew Connery-Murray (0:06)

Welcome to Packet Protector, the podcast at the intersection of networking and security. I'm Drew Connery-Murray here with Jennifer, the JJ Jabush. Today, we're going to talk about trying and failing. More specifically, our guest, Keith Tokash, wrote a pair of blogs on Packet Pushers, talking about taking but not passing the CCIE security exam. I have to say, I really respect Keith for sharing these posts because failure is a hard thing to talk about. Particularly, I feel like in this age of social media and LinkedIn where everything you put online has to be like, everything's great, always upward. So I really respect Keith for getting real.

And frankly, sometimes you learn more from trying and not succeeding. So Keith, we're here to talk to you about your experience and what all of us might be able to learn from it. First off, welcome to the podcast. And I want people to know at the outset, you are not new to the certification game. Can you kind of walk us through the search you've already earned?

Keith Tokash (0:57)

Sure.

I'll start saying I graduated with a Bachelor in Political Science in December 1999 I was a mid-year graduate.

And with about two weeks later, I got my CCNA because I'd already been working on that. Because political science is not exactly a growth industry as far as jobs are concerned. So late December of 1999, I began this route, no pun intended. And then I, let's see, I think it was about 2002, I got the NP., the CCMP, and then back when it was four tests, and then thought, well, okay, I'll do another one, get the DP, the Design Professional, which was one additional test. I've passed the CISSP twice because I didn't pay much attention to the continuing education credits. Frankly, I didn't feel to, I think I could have backfilled it, but I didn't feel all that honest about it because I hadn't been that active. I'd been kind of, you know, you straddle the fence and see at some point, you have to pick a team or you're going to be stuck. You really can't rise beyond a certain level until you focus. And so that's what I did. So I just went and took it again. And so let's see what else. Oh, I should probably mention I passed the Route Switch CCIE in 2008 Yes.

SPEAKER_3 (2:22)

That's actually how I knew Ethan.

Keith Tokash (2:24)

Ethan and I shared a class in Pasadena. We took Norbic's class together. And then he passed soon after that, and I was about three months behind him. So he let me continue his blog at the time. Let's see. What else? What else? Let's see. My management wanted me to pass an ITIL for test a few years ago. I did that. I remember nothing. I think I actually remember more of my political science stuff from 1999

But I did it.

Drew Connery-Murray (2:56)

That sounds like par for the course for ITIL. Like I've got the piece of paper. I never use it, but I got it.

Keith Tokash (3:02)

Yeah. I'll have to go look up every single term they use again if somebody quizzes me.

Let me start. I'm sure I'm missing something in there, but.

Drew Connery-Murray (3:13)

But the general point is. Oh, yeah.

Keith Tokash (3:15)

Last year, I actually wrote a couple of posts just like this one, but for the CWNA, the Certified Wireless Network Administrator. And I did the same stupid thing this time that I did last time, which is I didn't really research the certifications. So I thought CWNA sounds like CCNA. It must be the entry tier, because I don't know anything about wireless. I'll do that one, and it's the mid-tier. So that was fun. So I spent six months studying for that one, but I actually did pass that one.

I think that's all of them. Okay.

Drew Connery-Murray (3:49)

That's a good amount.

So you've obviously got certifications. You're working, you're gainfully employed. Why did you want to take a swing at another industry, and why particularly in the security realm?

Keith Tokash (4:02)

Well, that one that I was nudged in that direction by the more senior folks around me.

And well, I should start by saying I'm a consultant. So it matters what's in the pipeline. And I still find gainful employment, as you say, tapping on the CLI on the Cisco box, right? But the pipeline gets a little bit smaller every year for people who are typing ConfT, RouterBGP. It's just a little bit less work each year. So you look around the landscape, and you just look at it, and you go, well, security and networking are converging to a large degree. I have background knowledge in security. I have some hands-on with ICE, although it's pretty dated. Some hands-on with firewall.