Relax, I was just taking a light jab at you. I hear what you're saying about using it as the last step for test prep, but I still feel it's not worth it. IMO all that's needed is a book, time, and practice. The book and the test are the only items that you need to pay for. There are plenty of free and useful online resources out there to use (that are within the guidelines). The knowledge and the challenge of the cert is just as important as the score to me.
You can go for the Cisco cert and still do help desk. It's just that you might not have much opportunity to put it to use. Most help desk jobs out here ask for A+/Microsoft certs. Sometimes the longer you go without applying the knowledge the more prone you are to forget it. But don't let me or anyone stop you from being certified. The CCNA or any Cisco cert is highly regarded and can never hurt your career or chances.
I probably should have explained that better. I'm not discouraging him from getting the CCNA, but if he is truly starting out than an A+ or microsoft cert would serve him better (learning the basics). It really depends on the extent of his current knowledge.
you ain't lying. Cyber security is the way to go. I'm a cyber intel analyst and got a TS security clearance. Now if I had these certs to go with that