7/23/2003 -- Yesterday, Cisco Sytems opened beta testing for a new Cisco Secure Intrusion Detection System exam.

The beta exam (CSIDS 643-531) is available for $50 at Prometric and Pearson Vue testing centers worldwide through August 22. It focuses on "the new features, management applications, and a new graphical user interface" in Cisco IDS v4.0, the company said.

Those who pass the exam will recieve credit toward certification. The exam counts toward Cisco's Certified Security Professional and IDS Specialist titles.

A retirement date for the current CSIDS exam (9E0-100) has yet to be announced.

More information on this beta can be found here.