156-587

The Check Point 156-587 exam, "Check Point Certified Security Expert - R80," focuses on configuring and managing Check Point Security Gateways in the R80 software blade architecture. The main points covered broadly fall under these categories:

• Security Management: This is a core component. Expect questions on:

  • Policy Management: Understanding and configuring security policies, including access control lists (ACLs), routing, and NAT. This includes creating, deploying, and troubleshooting policies.
  • Object Management: Working with various objects like users, groups, hosts, and networks within the Check Point environment. Understanding object inheritance and how it impacts policy.
  • User and Group Management: Integrating with various authentication methods like LDAP and Radius.
  • Security Logging and Monitoring: Analyzing logs, configuring logging settings, and understanding alert management.
  • High Availability and Clustering: Setting up and managing high-availability configurations and clusters for redundancy and scalability.
  • VPN Management: Configuring and troubleshooting Site-to-Site and Remote Access VPNs.

• Network Management: You'll need to understand:

  • Network Objects and Topology: Properly defining and utilizing network objects within the security management environment.
  • NAT (Network Address Translation): Understanding and configuring various NAT types.
  • Routing: Understanding routing protocols and configuring routing within the Check Point environment.

• Advanced Security Features: This area tests your knowledge of:

  • Threat Prevention: This includes understanding and configuring features like IPS (Intrusion Prevention System), Application Control, Anti-Virus, and Anti-Bot.
  • Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Preventing sensitive data from leaving the network.
  • Endpoint Security (if covered in the specific version): Integrating and managing Check Point endpoint security solutions.
  • Firewall Management: Deep understanding of firewall rules and how they interact with other security features.

• Troubleshooting: A significant portion of the exam involves troubleshooting scenarios. You'll need to:

  • Analyze logs to diagnose problems.
  • Understand common security issues and their solutions.
  • Use Check Point's management tools effectively.

In short: The exam tests your practical, hands-on skills in configuring and managing a Check Point security gateway. It's less about theoretical knowledge and more about knowing how to implement and troubleshoot various security features within the R80 software blade architecture. Focus on practical experience and using the Check Point management console. Remember to check the official Check Point exam blueprint for the most up-to-date and precise topics.