Monthly Archive for March, 2007

CISSP Mind Map – Application and Systems Development

Published on March 26, 2007 in Certifications, CISSP, General Items, Mind Mapping and Mind Maps. 2 Comments

This is the second Mind Map out of ten in the CISSP Series.

This Mind Map covers the Application and Systems Development domain on the Common Body of Knowledge (CBK).

This domain addresses the important security concepts that apply to application software development. It outlines the environment where software is designed and developed and explains the critical role software plays in providing information system security.

As always, I would love to hear any feedback you have about these Mind Maps or suggestions for improving them.

The Mind Map can be downloaded HERE.

CEH Study Tool – BackTrack

Published on March 23, 2007 in Certifications and General Items. 0 Comments

For those of you involved in the Certified Ethical Hacker certification, or interested in general network security, then be sure to check out BackTrack.

I used BackTrack as the basis for my studies towards the CEH exam which I successfully passed.

The CEH tests very heavy on security tools. A lot of these security tools are Linux based, and a lot of them are already installed on BackTrack. The ones which are not installed, can be, giving you a fantastic platform to base your studies.

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Certified Ethical Hacker – Module 1 – Ethical Hacking Mind Map

Published on March 19, 2007 in Certified Ethical Hacker, General Items and Mind Maps. 0 Comments

In an earlier post today, I provided a review of the Certified Ethical Hacker certification from the EC-Council.

Well, as promised, I am starting to convert my Mind Maps to the Mind Cert format and this is my first one.

This Mind Map covers module 1 from the Certified Ethical Hacker exam blueprint. Module 1 is titled Ethical Hacking and it covers the terminology used to represent Ethical Hackers.

I would love to hear your viewpoints on the CEH and how many of you have passed the exam so please comment. Also, if you have any comments regarding my Mind Maps, suggestions for improvements, or requests for Mind Maps then be sure to let me know.

The Mind Map can be downloaded HERE.

Certified Ethical Hacker – CEH Review

Published on March 19, 2007 in Certifications and General Items. 0 Comments

Just thought I would take the time to provide a review on a certification I have recently studied for and successfully passed. This is the Certified Ethical Hacker from the EC-Council.

I had been getting more involved in security and vulnerability testing so I thought that looking for a certification that would help me learn these topics in a structured format would be good. I had heard about the Certified Ethical Hacker exam so I thought I would give that a go.

If you want to stop hackers from invading your network, first you’ve got to invade their minds.

There is not much available on the Internet about the CEH exam. It definitely does not have the traction or following of the Microsoft and Cisco exams, but if you are interested in network security, it is a fantastic learning opportunity and certification.

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Nmap Mind Map – General Security

Published on March 11, 2007 in General Items, General Security, Hacking Tools and Mind Maps. 2 Comments

Nmap Mind MapFor those of you who don’t already know, Nmap is one killer application for network security. Commonly known as a port scanner, Nmap will check for the existence of open ports on the given target machines.

Nmap has a lot more than just simple port scanning techniques and supports all of the common stealth scanning techniques such as the XMAS scan, FIN scan, NULL scan, and the RST scan. This provides a tool that can provides results you can rely upon.

One other area of use for Nmap is OS detection. Based upon various results, Nmap can quite accurately detect what Operating System the target machine is running.

I have been using Nmap for about four years and have considerable experience with it. It is a command line tool but it does have a graphical user interface (GUI) for Linux, OS X, and also Windows.

What I have prepared here, is a Mind Map that provides background information and a refresher about the types of scans Nmap can perform as well as explanations on what command line switches are required in order to run the associated scans.

You can download the Mind Map HERE.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Mind Map Video – Tony Buzan on Mind Mapping

Published on March 11, 2007 in General Items and Mind Mapping. 1 Comment

Tony Buzan is the acknowledged creator of Mind Mapping. This fantastic video is a 5 minute introduction to Mind Mapping from Tony Buzan. Well worth a watch.

CISSP Mind Map – Access Control Systems

Published on March 5, 2007 in CISSP, General Items and Mind Maps. 10 Comments

CISSP Access Control SystemsHot on the trail of the last Mind Map, I thought I would quickly add another.

This Mind Map is for the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) examination. The CISSP is broken down into 10 domains which make up the Common Body of Knowledge (CBK).

The Mind Map here is for the Access Control Systems and Methodology Domain, which is classed as the first domain in the CBK.

I passed the CISSP using these Mind Maps which I created and have just edited and updated. I also know of a few other people who I have provided these Mind Maps to who have passed the CISSP on the first attempt.

As before, I would love to hear your feedback on this new Mind Map from MindCert.com.

The Mind Map can be downloaded HERE.

Cisco IPsec Mind Map – Cisco CCIE Security and CCSP

Published on March 3, 2007 in Cisco CCSP, Cisco Resources, Mind Maps and Security CCIE. 8 Comments

Thought it was time to show you all what this site is about. Here is the first of my Mind Maps brought to you on MindCert.com.

This Mind Map covers IPsec on Cisco devices and acts as a memory jogger utilzing the Mind Mapping techniques to bring together both sides of your brain. We will cover Mind Mapping techniques in much greater detail in the future but I thought it would be good to give you some examples of what this site is going to offer.

This Mind Map is relevant to the Security CCIE as well as the Cisco CCSP exams. Of course, all of these Mind Maps are also handy references for learning about a specific technology and there are a lot more to come.

The IPsec Mind Map can be downloaded HERE.

Please comment and let me know your thoughts about this.

Cisco Firewall Technologies – My Latest Book

Published on March 1, 2007 in Cisco Resources. 3 Comments

Cisco Firewall TechnologiesJust thought I would let you all know about the release of my latest book from Cisco Press.

This is the first “Short Cut” that I have done. These are like mini books that have a quick time to market so you can actually write about a current product.

This Short Cut covers firewall technologies from Cisco. The IOS Firewall, PIX, Firewall Services Module (FWSM) and Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) are all covered.

Continue reading ‘Cisco Firewall Technologies – My Latest Book’

Kick Off Post

Published on March 1, 2007 in General Items. 0 Comments

Well, hello and welcome to MindCert.com. This website and blog is brought to you by Andrew Mason, of Mason Technologies Limited.

The aim of MindCert.com is to combine my 15 years of experience in the IT Industry with my experience and research into study techniques and methods to help you make better use of your study and revision time. The ultimate aim is to help you pass your exams, to get ahead in life.

My main focus will be study techniques utilizing Mind Mapping as an advanced method to help you improve the power of your mind! We will also cover self development, motivation, and productivity to ensure you get the most out of the time you have.

I will be providing study mind maps for exams as well as more general mind maps for specific technology topics.

Today is the 1st of March 2007, I will be updating the About Us page on this site with information about myself and my achievements so be sure to check it out. I am also listing my publications on the Andrew’s Publications page so also please check these out to see what I have achieved.

I hope you enjoy what is going to come!