Summary Notes (CCNA)


  • OSI & TCP/IP Models: Understand 7-layer OSI and 4-layer TCP/IP models for data transmission.
  • Topologies: Physical (bus, ring, star) and logical (IP addressing, VLANs).
  • Ethernet Standards: IEEE 802.3; 10/100/1000 Mbps, 10 Gbps.
  • IPv4 & IPv6 Addressing: Classes, subnetting, VLSM, IPv6 formats/types.

  • Switching: MAC address tables, CAM tables.
  • VLANs & Trunking: 802.1Q tagging, native VLAN.
  • STP & RSTP: Loop prevention, RSTP improvements.
  • EtherChannel: PAgP and LACP link aggregation.

  • Routing: Static, dynamic, and default routing.
  • Protocols: RIP, OSPFv2/v3, EIGRP basics.
  • IPv6: Link-local addressing, neighbor discovery.
  • Router Config: Interfaces, routing tables, ADs.

  • DHCP & DNS: DORA process, name resolution.
  • NAT: Static NAT, dynamic NAT, PAT.
  • QoS: Traffic prioritization for voice/video.
  • NTP: Device time synchronization.

  • Device Security: Passwords, line vty, console access.
  • Port Security: MAC address restrictions.
  • ACLs: Standard and extended filters.
  • VPNs: Basic tunneling and encryption.

  • Configuration Tools: Ansible, Puppet, Chef.
  • APIs & RESTCONF: Structured device communication.
  • Data Models: JSON, XML for configuration.
  • SDN: Separation of control/data planes.

Summary Notes (CCNP Security)


  • Cybersecurity vs. Information Security: Integration of real-time threat intelligence, AI, and OT/ICS security.
  • Security Frameworks: NIST, ISO/IEC 27001, CIS, MITRE ATT&CK, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS.
  • Threats & Vulnerabilities: APTs, zero-days, ransomware, insider threats, IoT risks.
  • CIA Triad: Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability using encryption, hashing, and redundancy.
  • Incident Response: Cyber Kill Chain, NIST IR Lifecycle, MITRE ATT&CK.

  • Encryption Mechanisms: Symmetric (AES, ChaCha20) and asymmetric (RSA, ECC) encryption.
  • Hashing Algorithms: SHA-3, BLAKE2, HMAC.
  • PKI & SSL/TLS: X.509 certificates, TLS protocols, digital signatures.
  • Post-Quantum Cryptography: CRYSTALS-Kyber, Dilithium.

  • SDN Security: Centralized control and policy enforcement.
  • Micro-Segmentation: VLANs, VXLANs, ACI, TrustSec.
  • Network Automation: YANG, RESTCONF, NETCONF.

  • Authentication Methods: Biometrics, passwordless, FIDO2, certificate-based.
  • Access Control Models: RBAC, ABAC, Zero Trust.
  • Accounting & Auditing: TACACS+, RADIUS, Syslog, ISE.

  • NetFlow, IPFIX, Telemetry: Real-time traffic inspection and analysis.
  • Cisco Stealthwatch: AI analytics to detect anomalies and threats.
  • TrustSec: Identity-based segmentation control.

  • Layer 2 Security: VLAN hopping, ARP spoofing, MAC flooding prevention.
  • Hardening: Device authentication, CoPP, secure management.
  • IPv6 Threat Mitigation: RA spoofing, ND exhaustion, EH abuse.

  • Firepower & ASA: Deep packet inspection, intrusion prevention.
  • Threat Intelligence: Sandboxing, SSL decryption, URL filtering.
  • Malware Defense: Cisco AMP, Threat Grid, DNS-layer security.

  • IPsec & SSL VPNs: Secure tunneling with IKEv2, ESP, TLS.
  • AnyConnect: Endpoint compliance, MFA, app-specific VPNs.
  • DMVPN, GETVPN, SD-WAN: Scalable, encrypted, intelligent VPNs.

  • CSPM: Compliance in AWS, Azure, GCP.
  • CASB & Umbrella: Visibility and control over SaaS/cloud apps.
  • DevSecOps: Security in CI/CD pipelines, container scanning.

  • Email & Web Security: ESA/WSA protects against phishing, malware.
  • Umbrella & DNS-Layer: Block C2, DGA, DNS tunneling threats.
  • DLP & Encryption: Data protection in motion/rest/use.

  • Cisco AMP & EDR: AI-driven threat detection for endpoints.
  • Telemetry & AI Threat Analysis: Detect compromised devices.
  • Patch & Asset Management: Automate security updates, scan vulnerabilities.

CCNA Quiz
CCNP Quiz