TLDR; If you know how to perform sys admin stuff like setting up an AD configuring firewalls and a bit of networking you should be good to go for the exam

Course

To get a detailed overview of what is covered in the course please refer to the syllabus linked below. All in all, I found the course material to be of high quality covering both network and endpoint security in depth and how these are configured in on-prem environments. as with most eLearnSecurity courses now these are beginning to be a bit out of date, however still relevant as these basics have changed little. The course covers the duties of a system admin tasked with network defence, you learn how to configure firewalls to limit ports and protocols allowed on a network, how to set up VPNs and switches, How to configure AD with GPOs etc., how to configure endpoint protection, how to setup WSUS and multiple domain controllers. All in all a wide variety of topics are covered in a very nice way. If you are thinking about getting into system administration this might be a viable option.

All in all the course does a good job of teaching (outdated) the best practices for setting up an AD and network, along with endpoint protection. Despite the information on security best practices being a bit outdated it still has a lot of value as a stepping stone to modern security and best practices!

The Exam

As with most ELS courses and exams, here there will be nothing you have not yet encountered in the course. You do however have to pass an MCQ before you are allowed to start the practical part of the examination. The MCQ is, however, one of the easier compared to other ELS exams. I would recommend that you have good notes as always in a searchable format as the INE portal does not let you search in the different course material. For the practical examination, you will be tasked with hardening a network - a key point here is to remember to have adequate documentation for the work you have done, I failed my first attempt due to a lack of documentation, so be sure to take plenty of screenshots for each step required to complete an objective. As with all examinations where you have the time, remember to take some breaks and get away from the screen you will likely find the best solutions to your problems and where you are stuck by getting some fresh air and getting away from the monitor.

Resources

  • https://dsxte2q2nyjxs.cloudfront.net/Syllabus_PND.pdf
  • https://kleiber.me/blog/2022/02/12/short-review-els-endp-2022/