Introduction
Congratulations! If you are reading this Introduction, then you have probably decided to obtain a Cisco certification and want to learn about VPN technology. As of February 24, 2020, in order to obtain a professional-level certification in security from Cisco, a candidate must pass two exams. One required milestone is the 350-701 SCOR core exam. The other exam is a concentration exam, and the Implementing Secure Solutions with Virtual Private Networks SVPN 300-730 exam is one option to meet the concentration exam requirement.
Obtaining a Cisco certification in VPN technology will ensure that you have a solid understanding of how to develop, configure, and support various types of VPN solutions. Securing communication has always been and will continue to be a critical topic for many organizations, and the skills covered in this book are extremely valuable. As more devices are provided network access and the concept of “work from anywhere” increases in popularity, knowledge of VPN technology will continue to be in demand. Protecting the confidentially, integrity, and availability of data is a fundamental requirement for every security program, and VPN technology is a tool commonly used to meet those objectives.
Professional certifications have been an important part of the computing industry for many years and will continue to become more important. Many reasons exist for these certifications, but the most popularly cited reason is credibility. All other factors being equal, a certified employee/consultant/job candidate is considered more valuable than one who is not certified. The SVPN 300-730 exam can be challenging, but this book can serve as a valuable tool for exam preparation to help you become certified in VPN technology. This book can also serve as a resource for those already in the field working with VPN solutions.
Be sure to visit www.cisco.com to find the latest information on CCNP concentration requirements and to keep up to date on any new concentration exams that are announced.
Goals and Methods
The focus of this book is to teach how to develop and deliver Cisco VPN solutions. By accomplishing the learning objectives in this book, you will prepare yourself for taking the Implementing Secure Solutions with Virtual Private Networks SVPN 300-730 exam as well as deploying VPN technology. The goal of the book is to both help you pass the SVPN 300-730 exam and serve as a go-to resource when you are developing, deploying, and managing VPN technology. This book combines technical concepts with real-world experience, including tips and tricks for troubleshooting VPN deployment problems. Many parts of this book are inspired by our work with customers to deploy VPN technology.
One key methodology used in this book is to help you discover the exam topics that you need to review in more depth, to help you fully understand and remember those details, and to help you prove to yourself that you have retained your knowledge of those topics. Our goal is not to help you pass the SVPN 300-730 simply through memorization. The mixture of technology and lab concepts in this book is meant to help you truly learn and understand the VPN topics needed for both the exam and real-world deployments. This book will help you pass the SVPN 300-730 exam by using the following methods:
• Helping you discover which test topics you have not mastered
• Providing explanations and information to fill in your knowledge gaps
• Supplying exercises and scenarios that enhance your ability to recall and deduce the answers to test questions
Who Should Read This Book?
This book is ideal for anybody interested in learning about VPN concepts and Cisco VPN technology, including those planning to take the SVPN 300-730 exam. However, anyone else who needs a resource for VPN concepts and Cisco VPN technology will also benefit from this book. We have a handful of objectives for writing this book but the primary focus is to help you pass the exam.
Strategies for Exam Preparation
The strategy you use to study for the SVPN 300-730 exam might be slightly different than strategies used by other readers, depending on the skills, knowledge, and experience you have already obtained. For instance, if you have attended an SVPN 300-730 course, you might take a different approach than someone whose knowledge is based on job experience alone.
Regardless of the strategy you use or the background you have, this book is designed to help you get to the point where you can pass the exam in the least amount of time possible. For instance, there is no need for you to practice or read about encryption concepts if you fully understand them already. However, many people like to make sure that they truly know a topic and thus read over material that they already know. Several book features will help you gain the confidence you need to be convinced that you know some material already and to also help you know what topics you need to study more.
The Companion Website for Online Content Review
All the electronic review elements, as well as other electronic components of the book, exist on this book’s companion website. To access the companion website, start by establishing a login at www.ciscopress.com and registering your book. To do so, simply go to www.ciscopress.com/register and enter the ISBN of the print book: 9780136660606. After you have registered your book, go to your account page and click the Registered Products tab. From there, click the Access Bonus Content link to get access to the book’s companion website.
Note that if you buy the Premium Edition eBook and Practice Test version of this book from Cisco Press, your book will automatically be registered on your account page. Simply go to your account page, click the Registered Products tab, and select Access Bonus Content to access the book’s companion website.
How to Access the Pearson Test Prep (PTP) App
You have two options for installing and using the Pearson Test Prep application: a web app and a desktop app. To use the Pearson Test Prep application, start by finding the access code that comes with the book. You can find the code in these ways:
• Print book: Look in the cardboard sleeve in the back of the book for a piece of paper with your book’s unique access code.
• Premium Edition: If you purchase the Premium Edition eBook and Practice Test directly from the Cisco Press website, the code will be populated on your account page after purchase. Just log in at www.ciscopress.com, click Account to see details of your account, and click the Digital Purchases tab.
• Amazon Kindle: For those who purchase a Kindle edition from Amazon, the access code will be supplied directly by Amazon.
• Other bookseller eBooks: Note that if you purchase an eBook version from any other source, the practice test is not included because other vendors to date have not chosen to vend the required unique access code.
Note
Do not lose the access code because it is the only means with which you can access the QA content with the book.
Once you have the access code, to find instructions about both the Pearson Test Prep web app and the desktop app, follow these steps:
Step 1. Open this book’s companion website
Step 2. Click the Practice Exams button.
Step 3. Follow the instructions listed there for installing the desktop app and for using the web app.
If you want to use the web app only at this point, just navigate to www.pearsontestprep.com, establish a free login if you do not already have one, and register this book’s practice tests using the access code you just found. The process should take only a couple of minutes.
Note
Amazon eBook (Kindle) customers: It is easy to miss Amazon’s email that lists your Pearson Test Prep access code. Soon after you purchase the Kindle eBook, Amazon should send an email; however, the email uses very generic text and makes no specific mention of PTP or practice exams. To find your code, read every email from Amazon after you purchase the book. Also do the usual checks for ensuring your email arrives, like checking your spam folder.
Note
Other eBook customers: As of the time of publication, only the publisher and Amazon supply Pearson Test Prep access codes when you purchase their eBook editions of this book.
How This Book Is Organized
Although this book could be read cover-to-cover, it is designed to be flexible and allow you to easily move between chapters and sections of chapters to cover just the material that you need to more work with. Chapters 1 through 10 cover SVPN topics that are relevant for the SVPN 300-730 exam. These core chapters cover the following topics:
• Chapter 1, “Understanding the Implementing Secure Solutions with Virtual Private Networks SVPN 300-730 Exam”: This chapter introduces drivers for getting certified in VPN technology as well as what is involved in getting certified at a professional level for Cisco security.
• Chapter 2, “Introduction to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)”: This chapter introduces fundamental VPN concepts, including an overview of the topics that covered in that book and a look at the Cisco technologies that offer VPN capabilities.
• Chapter 3, “Site-to-Site VPNs”: This chapter takes a close look at site-to-site VPN technology and concepts you need to know to pass the SVPN 300-730 exam. This chapter also lays the groundwork for Chapters 4 through 6.
• Chapter 4, “Group Encrypted Transport VPN (GETVPN)”: This chapter takes a closer look at a specific site-to-site VPN topic: GETVPN. This chapter covers everything from designing to managing GETVPN using Cisco technology.
• Chapter 5, “Dynamic Multipoint Virtual Private Network (DMVPN)”: This chapter takes a deep dive into DMVPN. You need to master the deployment, management, and troubleshooting concepts covered in the chapter because they are heavily featured in the SVPN 300-730 exam.
• Chapter 6, “FlexVPN Configuration and Troubleshooting”: This chapter covers various FlexVPN learning objectives outlined in the SVPN 300-730 exam blueprint as well as tips and tricks used in real-world FlexVPN deployments.
• Chapter 7, “Remote Access VPNs”: This chapter examines remote access VPN technology. You will learn fundamental remote access VPN concepts, including which Cisco technologies support remote access VPNs. This chapter lays the groundwork for Chapters 7 through 10.
• Chapter 8, “Clientless Remote Access SSLVPNs on the ASA”: This chapter focuses on clientless remote accesss VPN concepts specific to the Cisco ASA. Clientless VPNs continue to grow in popularity, and you need to understand them for the SVPN 300-730 exam.
• Chapter 9, “AnyConnect VPNs on the ASA and IOS”: This chapter examines client-based remote access VPNs. The client you need to know for the SVPN 300-730 exam is Cisco AnyConnect, which is one of the VPN technologies deployed most widely in organziations around the world. This chapter covers how to deliver remote access VPNs using Cisco AnyConnect from both an appliance and IOS.
• Chapter 10, “Troubleshooting Remote Access VPNs”: This chapter provides a wrap-up of the remote access VPN topics, with a focus on troubleshooting.
• Chapter 11, “Final Preparation”: The final chapter covers how to prepare for the SVPN exam and resources you can use as a next step after reading this book.
The questions for each certification exam are a closely guarded secret. However, Cisco has published an exam blueprint that lists the topics you must know to successfully complete the exam. The blueprint for the SVPN 300-730 exam lists the following topics and the percentage of the exam that is dedicated to each of them:
You should be proficient with these topics for the exam as well as for designing and implementing Cisco VPN technology in the real world.
Each version of the exam can have topics that emphasize different functions or features, and some topics can be rather broad and generalized. The goal of this book is to provide the most comprehensive coverage to ensure that you are well prepared for the exam. Although some chapters might not address specific exam topics, they provide a foundation that is necessary for a clear understanding of important topics. Your short-term goal might be to pass this exam, but your long-term goal should be to become a qualified CCNP security engineer with an understanding of VPN technology.
It is important to understand that this book is a static reference, whereas the exam topics are dynamic. Cisco can and does change the topics covered on certification exams often.
This book should not be your only reference when preparing for the certification exam. You can find a wealth of information at Cisco.com that covers each topic in great detail. If you think you need more detailed information on a specific topic, read the Cisco documentation that focuses on that topic.
Note that as VPN technologies continue to evolve, Cisco reserves the right to change the SVPN 300-730 exam topics without notice. Check Cisco.com to verify the actual list of topics to ensure that you are prepared before taking the exam. You can view the current exam topics on any current Cisco certification exam by visiting the Cisco.com website, choosing Menu, choosing Training & Events, and selecting from the Certifications list. Note also that, if needed, Cisco Press might post additional preparatory content on the web page associated with this book, at http://www.ciscopress.com/title/9780136660606. It’s a good idea to check the website a couple of weeks before taking your exam to be sure that you have up-to-date content.