CCSP Cisco Secure PIX Firewall Advanced Exam Certification Guide, Second Edition [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

How to Use This Book

The book consists of 20 chapters. Each chapter builds upon the chapter that precedes it. The chapters that cover specific commands and configurations include case studies or practice configurations. Chapter 20 includes additional case studies and configuration examples that may or may not workit is up to you to determine if the configurations fulfill the requirement and why.

This book was written to be a guide to help you prepare for the CSPFA certification exam. It is a tool, not the entire tool box. That is to say, you need to use this book along with other references (specifically Cisco TAC) to help you prepare for the exam. Remember that successfully completing the exam makes a great short-term goal. Being very proficient at what you do should always be your ultimate goal.

The chapters of the book cover the following topics:

• Chapter 1, Network Security Chapter 1 provides an overview of network security, the process and potential threats and discusses how network security has become increasingly more important to business as companies become more intertwined and their network perimeters continue to fade. Chapter 1 discusses the network security policy and two Cisco programs that can assist companies with the design and implementation of sound security policies, processes, and architecture.

• Chapter 2, Firewall Technologies and the Cisco PIX Firewall Chapter 2 covers the different firewall technologies and the Cisco PIX Firewall. It examines the design of the PIX Firewall and discusses some the security advantages of that design.

• Chapter 3, Cisco PIX Firewall Chapter 3 deals with the design of the PIX Firewall in greater detail. This chapter lists the different models of the PIX Firewall and their intended applications. It discusses the various features available with each model and how each model should be implemented.

• Chapter 4, System Management/Maintenance Chapter 4 details the installation and configuration of the PIX Firewall IOS. This chapter covers the different configuration options that allow for remote management of the PIX Firewall.

• Chapter 5, Understanding Cisco PIX Firewall Translation and Connection This chapter covers the different transport protocols and how they are handled by the PIX Firewall. It also discusses network addressing and how the PIX Firewall can alter node or network addresses to secure those elements.

• Chapter 6, Getting Started with the Cisco PIX Firewall This chapter is the meat of the PIX Firewall: basic commands required to get the PIX operational. It discusses the methods for connecting to the PIX Firewall and some of the many configuration options available with the PIX.

• Chapter 7, Configuring Access Chapter 7 introduces the different configurations that enable you to control access to your network(s) using the PIX Firewall. It also covers some of the specific configurations required to allow certain protocols to pass through the firewall.

• Chapter 8, Syslog and the PIX Chapter 8 covers the logging functions of the PIX Firewall and the configuration required to allow the PIX Firewall to log to a syslog server.

• Chapter 9, Routing and the PIX Firewall Chapter 9 discusses routing with the PIX Firewall, the routing protocols supported by the PIX, and how to implement them.

• Chapter 10, Cisco PIX Firewall Failover Chapter 10 details the advantages of a redundant firewall configuration and the steps required to configure two PIX Firewalls in the failover mode.

• Chapter 11, Virtual Private Networks Many businesses have multiple locations that need to be interconnected. Chapter 11 explains the different types of secure connections of virtual private networks (VPNs) that can be configured between the PIX Firewall and other VPN endpoints. It covers the technologies and protocols used for creating and maintaining VPNs across public networks.

• Chapter 12, Configuring Access VPNs Chapter 12 discusses how the PIX Firewall is used for creating remote access virtual private networks.

• Chapter 13, PIX Device Manager The PIX Firewall can now be managed using a variety of different tools. The PIX Device Manager is a web-based graphical user interface (GUI) that can be used to manage the PIX Firewall.

• Chapter 14, CiscoWorks Management Center for Firewalls (PIX MC) CiscoWorks is a product developed for the management of multiple Cisco products in an enterprise environment. Chapter 14 provides an overview of CiscoWorks and discusses a component used for managing the PIX Firewall known as the PIX MC.

• Chapter 15, Content Filtering on the PIX It is a common practice for hackers to embed attacks into the content of a web page. Certain types of program code are especially conducive to this type of attack because of their interactive nature. Chapter 15 discusses these types of code and identifies their dangers.

• Chapter 16, Overview of AAA and the PIX It is extremely important to ensure that only authorized users are accessing your network. Chapter 16 discusses the different methods for configuring the PIX Firewall to interact with authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) services. This chapter also introduces the Cisco Secure Access Control Server (Cisco Secure ACS), which is the Cisco AAA server package.

• Chapter 17, Configuration of AAA on the PIX Chapter 17 discusses the specific configuration on the PIX Firewall for communication with the AAA server, including the Cisco Secure ACS. It covers the implementation, functionality, and troubleshooting of AAA on the PIX Firewall.

• Chapter 18, Attack Guards and Advanced Protocol Handling Many different attacks can be launched against a network and its perimeter security devices. Chapter 18 explains some of the most common attacks and how the PIX Firewall can be configured to repel such an attack.

• Chapter 19, Firewall Services Module The PIX Firewall Services Module (FWSM) is a blade designed for the Catalyst 6000 Series switches. The FWSM provides firewall functionality for the core switching infrastructure. Chapter 19 discusses the FWSM in detail.

• Chapter 20, Case Study and Sample Configuration This chapter consists of two case studies that enable you to practice configuring the firewall to perform specific functions. One section includes configurations that may or may not work. You will be asked to determine if the configuration will work correctly and why or why not. The certification exam asks specific questions about configuration of the PIX Firewall. It is very important to become intimately familiar with the different commands and components of the PIX Firewall configuration.

Each chapter follows the same format and incorporates the following tools to assist you by assessing your current knowledge and emphasizing specific areas of interest within the chapter.

• "Do I Know This Already?" Quiz Each chapter begins with a quiz to help you assess your current knowledge of the subject. The quiz is broken down into specific areas of emphasis that allow you to best determine where to focus your efforts when working through the chapter.

• Foundation Topics The foundation topics are the core sections of each chapter. They focus on the specific protocol, concept, or skills that you must master to prepare successfully for the examination.

• Foundation Summary Near the end of each chapter, the foundation topics are summarized into important highlights from the chapter. In many cases the foundation summaries are broken into charts, but in some cases the important portions from each chapter are simply restated to emphasize their importance within the subject matter. Remember that the foundation portions are in the book to assist you with your exam preparation. It is very unlikely that you will be able to complete the certification exam successfully by studying just the foundation topics and foundation summaries, although they are good tools for last-minute preparation just before taking the exam.

• Q&A Each chapter ends with a series of review questions to test your understanding of the material covered. These questions are a great way not only to ensure that you understand the material, but to exercise your ability to recall facts.

• Case Studies/Scenarios The chapters that deal more with configuration of the PIX Firewall have brief scenarios included. These scenarios are there to help you understand the different configuration options and how each component can affect another component within the configuration of the firewall. The final chapter of this book is dedicated to case studies/scenarios.

• CD-Based Practice Exam On the CD included with this book, you will find a practice test with more than 200 questions that cover the information central to the CSPFA exam. With the customizable testing engine, you can take a sample exam that focuses on particular topic areas or randomizes the questions. Each test question includes a link that points to a related section in an electronic Portable Document Format (PDF) copy of the book, also included on the CD.

Figure I-1 depicts the best way to navigate through the book. If you feel that you already have a sufficient understanding of the subject matter in a chapter, you should test yourself with the "Do I Know This Already?" quiz. Based on your score, you should determine whether to complete the entire chapter or move on to the "Foundation Summary" and "Q&A" sections. It is always recommended that you go through the entire book rather than skipping around. It is not possible to know too much about a topic. Only you will know how well you really understand each topic ... until you take the exam, and then it might be too late.