About This Study Plan

This 30 days study plan breaks the CYBEROPS (CyberOps Associate) exam preparation into 4 focused study sessions with a total of 14 actionable tasks. The plan covers all 5 exam domains — Security Concepts, Security Monitoring, Host-Based Analysis, Network Intrusion Analysis, Security Policies and Procedures — ensuring complete coverage of the exam blueprint. Structured 30-day plan covering all 5 CyberOps domains. Ideal for candidates transitioning from networking to security.

4Study Days

14Total Tasks

5Domains Covered

Prerequisites

CCNA-level networking knowledge recommended
Basic familiarity with Linux command line
2–3 hours per day

Study Schedule

Week 1Security Concepts & Cryptography

Days 1–3: CIA triad, attacks, malware types, social engineering
Days 4–5: Cryptography, PKI, TLS handshake
Days 6–7: Domain 1 quiz + review

Week 2Security Monitoring

Days 8–10: Wireshark packet analysis deep dive
Days 11–12: NetFlow, syslog, SNMP monitoring
Days 13–14: SIEM tools, log correlation, domain 2 quiz

Week 3Host & Network Analysis

Days 15–17: Windows/Linux forensics, malware indicators
Days 18–19: Network intrusion analysis, IDS/IPS, Snort
Days 20–21: Domains 3–4 quiz + review

Week 4IR, Policies & Exam Prep

Days 22–23: Incident response lifecycle, evidence handling
Days 24–25: SOC operations, MITRE ATT&CK, kill chain
Day 26: Full practice exam #1
Day 27–28: Review + weak areas + practice exam #2
Days 29–30: Final review + rest

Study Tips

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Set up a home lab with VirtualBox/VMware to practice with Wireshark and Security Onion.

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CyberOps is more analytical than CCNA — focus on understanding attack patterns.

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Practice analyzing PCAP files — they commonly appear in scenario questions.

Recommended Cisco Study Resources

Supplement this study plan with Cisco's official cert guides (published by Cisco Press) and free Packet Tracer labs. The Cisco Learning Network community forums are valuable for discussing exam topics with other candidates and CCIEs. Allocate at least 30% of your study time to hands-on lab practice — configuring, troubleshooting, and verifying are skills that can only be built through repetition.