The CISSP credential is valid for three years. You can renew it by obtaining 120 continuing professional education (CPE) credits before the certification expires (or retaking the exam), 40 of which must be earned each year. An annual maintenance fee is also required.
The CISM certification is solely management-focused, while CISSP is both technical and managerial and designed for security leaders who design, engineer, implement and manage the overall security posture of an organization. CISSP is more widely known than CISM, with 136,428 CISSPs globally, compared with 28,000 CISMs.
You can take the CISSP exam without any experience, while not recommended, and then you'll have 6 years to complete your 5 years of industry experience. After that, you officially submit your endorsement to become an official CISSP, and then you can start using those letters after your name.
What are the 8 CISSP domains?
- Security and Risk Management.
- Asset Security.
- Security Architecture and Engineering.
- Communications and Network Security.
- Identity and Access Management.
- Security Assessment and Testing.
- Security Operations.
- Software Development Security.
CISSP is a 100% must for anyone in a security role. And it's valuable for the vast majority of IT pros — especially those who have generic IT roles in smaller companies. Most of those organizations don't have dedicated security specialists so security falls on the shoulders of IT generalists.
Risk management professionals find 60-70 hours of time for preparation quite adequate to clear the CISSP exam. IT professionals would need less time – 40-50 hours of study should suffice to clear the exam. ISC2 material is a must for professionals of all backgrounds.
When everything is said and done, not only is CISSP in 2018 still relevant, but it remains one of the most crucial professional certifications available to information security professionals.
Best CISSP Training Books
- Best CISSP Study Materials.
- The Eleventh Hour CISSP Study Guide, 3RD Edition.
- CISSP (ISC)2 Official Study Guide, 7TH Edition.
- CISSP (ISC)2 Official Practice Tests.
- Conclusion.
Examining the CISSP Examination. The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification examination is a grueling 6-hour, 250-question marathon. However, all 250 multiple-choice questions require you to select the best answer from 4 possible choices.
Top Tips!
- Know the concepts.
- Exam Study Strategy – 50% CISSP material and 50% Practice Exams.
- At the end of each of the CISSP domains you cover in the text books.
- Prepare for Judgement/Scenario based questions (BEST/MOST/LEAST)
- Prepare your own strategy for when you sit the exam.
International Information System Security Certification Consortium
You Should Consider Taking the CISSP if:
You have at least 5 years of Experience in the field. You are likely to seek a new job in the near-term. You are likely to seek a salary negotiation at your current job.The CISSP exam takes half the time.
You'll need to manage your time wisely – just as before – as the time limit for the CAT format is three hours, as opposed to six with the linear exam. Instead of 250 items, the CAT format is down to 150 – at the most.Information Systems Security Management Professional (CISSP-ISSMP), an advanced information security certification issued by (ISC)² that focuses on the management aspects of information security. In September 2014, Computerworld rated ISSMP one of the top ten most valuable certifications in all of tech.
As of January 1, 2020 there are 142,112 (ISC)² members holding the CISSP certification worldwide, in 170 countries with the United States holding the highest member count at 90,514 members (63.4%). In June 2004, the CISSP designation was accredited under the ANSI ISO/IEC Standard 17024:2003.
Top Tips!
- Know the concepts.
- Exam Study Strategy – 50% CISSP material and 50% Practice Exams.
- At the end of each of the CISSP domains you cover in the text books.
- Prepare for Judgement/Scenario based questions (BEST/MOST/LEAST)
- Prepare your own strategy for when you sit the exam.
