Applied Trust’s Trent R. Hein has joined the ranks of a very small number of engineers worldwide that have held Cisco’s highest certification for 10 years or more. The Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert certification, known as the CCIE, has been considered the most difficult certification in the IT industry since it was launched in 1993. Hein earned his certification in 1996 and is CCIE #1941. Approximately 13,700 engineers in 92 countries have achieved this credential to date; of those, only 314 individuals have held the CCIE for 10 years, putting Hein in extremely rare company.
"As a CCIE for 10 years, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a large number of very complex and interesting projects," notes Hein. "Though I must admit it makes me feel like an industry dinosaur."
Cisco offers three levels of general certification. The Associate, or CCNA, is considered the apprentice or foundation level of networking certification. The Professional, or CCNP, is the advanced or journeyman level of certification. The Expert – the CCIE – is the highest level of achievement for network professionals, certifying an individual as an expert or master; it is dramatically more technically demanding than either of the two lower-level Cisco certifications.
The CCIE certification process comprises two parts, a written exam and a hands-on lab test. Although the written test is far from easy, the lab test is notoriously difficult. Passing the lab test requires significant hands-on experience, speed, and the ability to remain calm under intense pressure. Hein passed both the initial written and lab tests on his first attempt, but it is much more common for people to require several or more tries to pass the lab test. Once the certification is received, engineers must take a written test every two years to maintain their credential.
Although the CCIE certification is little known outside of the IT industry, the certification commands the highest level of respect among network engineering peers – rightly so, given the degree of difficulty in obtaining it. According to Cisco, approximately 12,000 people take the written exam each year and 8,000 people take the lab exam; the average number of times it takes to pass the lab exam is 2.5. The overall pass rate over the 13-year life of the program is 26 percent. To put this in perspective, the overall pass rate of the California bar exam, which traditionally has the lowest bar pass rate in the United States, was 48 percent over that same time period.
The CCIE certification is offered in five tracks: routing and switching, security, service provider, storage networking, and voice. The most popular track is routing and switching, which is Hein’s track as well.
"It’s been well worth it to invest the time needed to maintain this credential," said Hein. "I’ve been lucky to have been able to spend a significant amount of time 'in the trenches' during my career, working with many of the products and technologies that are part of the CCIE tests."
In addition to holding the CCIE certification, Hein is also Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) #54481, with an Information Systems Security Management Professional (ISSMP) and Information Systems Security Architecture Professional (ISSAP) designation. Hein is also co-author of Unix System Administration Handbook and Linux Administration Handbook.
About Applied Trust Engineering
Applied Trust Engineering provides IT security and network/systems infrastructure consulting services. The company serves clients in a variety of industries, including healthcare, financial services, recreation, and government. Based in Boulder, Colo., Applied Trust's proven process provides industry-recognized experts to ensure a successful combination of technology, practice, and awareness. For more information, visit www.atrust.com.
