In the world of constantly evolving technologies, we all need to be sure that our private information is well protected. The organizations across the world are concerned about the same so that’s why the need for cyber security experts is constantly growing.
The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is a popular IT certification among professionals in the cyber security field which is provided by (ISC)² organization. Such certification is proof of your ability to effectively design, implement and manage a cyber security program. It is the most in-demand security certification on LinkedIn and there are over 129,000 CISSP qualified professionals who work in over 160 countries.
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About (ISC)²
The International Information System Security Certification Consortium is the world’s largest IT security organization.The (ISC)² is a community of over 140,000 members who are leaders in the Information Security field. All credentials offered by (ISC)² including CISSP are certified by ANSI.
Who Needs CISSP certification?
If you are looking to advance in your cyber security career by broadening your peer network and gaining access to exclusive resources and educations tools, then earning CISSP will serve you right. To be more specific, if your role or current position as a security professional falls under one of the following, then it is of your great interest that you obtain:
- Chief Information Officer
- Chief Information Security Officer
- IT Director/Manager
- Director of Security
- Security Systems Engineer
- Security Analyst/Manager/Auditor/Architect/Consultant
- Network Architect
Why CISSP?
There’s plenty of reasons as to why you would choose CISSP certification to further expand your career prospects. Here’s a list of key reasons why this certification has been the number one choice by cybersecurity professionals across the globe.
1. It is widely recognized and trusted for its quality. CISSP meets the strict conditions of ISO/IEC Standard 17024 and is also approved by the Department of Defense of the US. This DoD approval means that your certification will abide by the policies and satisfy the requirements of the US Department of Defense.
2. With CISSP certification, you gain access to a set of exclusive, valuable and useful resources and expertise. When you achieve CISSP certification offered by the (ISC)², you become a member of the organization. As a member of the (ISC)², you will become part of a large community of cyber security professionals and experts. This will enable you to access knowledge, educational tools and materials to further strengthen your career.
3. Some of the direct membership benefits are a free subscription to Info Security Professional Magazine, discounts for official textbooks and industrial conferences, volunteering opportunities, updates on the latest security issues via expert-led webinars and much more.
4. Your profile will standout among other non-CISSP profiles. Employers and clients trust CISSP for meeting the latest standards in the industry, therefore, certified candidates have a higher demand.
Now that we have a clear idea on what CISSP is and how it’ll be beneficial for advancement in your Information Security profession, you may be considering obtaining the certification to add up to your career profile.
Pre-requisites and Eligibility
There are certain requirements that the candidates need to satisfy to be eligible for the certification. It will be enough if you satisfy one of the following criteria:
1. The candidate should pass CISSP exam andmust possess a minimum of 5 years of paid work experience in a field covering two or more of the 8 domains listed by the (ISC)² CISSP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK). The 8 domains are:
• Asset Security
• Security and Risk Management
• Software Development Security
• Security Architecture and Engineering
• Communication and Network Security
• Security Operations
• Security Assessment and Testing
• Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Receiving a four-year college degree or the (ISC)²-approved regional credential are equated to one year of the mandatory experience.
2. If you do not have the required amount of experience, you can pass the exam and then become an Associate of (ISC)² to gain the necessary experience within a period of 6 years.
Although you are bound to acquire a whole set of benefits by attaining CISSP certification, this certification may not be for everyone! That’s right, earning this certification will definitely strengthen your long-term career prospects, but if you are looking forward to building your profile to achieve short-term professional goals, then this may not be the most effective option.
If you are eligible and consider taking CISSP exam in order to assist your career advancement, your step number one would be to familiarize yourself with the exam content structure.
Exam Overview
This test will specifically assess your competence in the 8 domains mentioned above. Each domain will carry a different pre-set weight in the exam. The exam is available in 10 different languages including English plus anadaptive exam for visually-impaired individuals, with slight differences in exam structure between English and non-English exams. The main differences between the English and Non-English exams are:
- Since the end of 2017, all English exams are offered in a Computer-Adaptive Testing format (CAT), while the Non-English exams are continued in a linear format.
- The English CISSP CAT will consist of 100-150 questions with a duration of 3 hours to complete. On the other hand, the non-English exams will have 250 items of assessment and last for 6 hours.
You will be assessed based on a score of 1000. To pass the exam, you will need a minimum of 700.
I strongly recommend you refer the official Exam Outline document to get a detailed analysis of the structure and information on key areas you will be tested on. Familiarizing yourself with the exam is just the first step to success. As with any professional exam, preparation and practice are critical!
Tips for Preparation
- Study the areas under the 8 domains you will be assessed on. The exam outline document breaks down each domain into sub-sections, which gives you a better understanding of what content you have to study. I suggest you use the latest Official (ISC)² Guide to the CISSP CBK as your textbook because it covers everything you need to know.
- Practice with sample questions obtained from reliable resources. These practice questions will help you to learn everything about the test format and assess your level before the test day.
- Empower your practice with the aid of trusted and up-to-date resources. Quality resources are your best friend when it comes to preparation.Strategies and effective methods of approach, tutorials, study planners, etc. will help you ace the test.
Web resources
Here’s a couple of external online resources popular among CISSP’s:
- Prepaway is a website that contains practice exams for CISSP.You will have access to trusted up-to-date VCE files you can use to simulate CISSP exam. This will be a great source to identify your weak areas and reduce anxiety during the actual exam. Here you will also find CISSP lectures and study guide.
- Another great platform for CISSP preparation is Prep Away. This website offers lectures, reliable practice questions in ETE format and more than a thousand-page CISSP guide.
Conclusion
CISSP is a certification sought after by major companies in the Information Security industry. If you are looking for advancement in your cyber security career, then CISSP will serve you right. If you meet the necessary requirements and pass CISSP exam, you too will be able to expand your personal network and benefit from a wide range of opportunities offered exclusively to (ISC)² members.
