About CISSP Certification

CISSP Certification was designed to recognize mastery of an international standard for information security and understanding of the CBK. Certification can enhance a professional’s career and provide added IS credibility.

CISSP Exam Structure
The CISSP Certification examination consists of 250 multiple-choice questions. Candidates have up to 6 hours to complete the examination. The CISSP examination covers ten information systems security domains, including:

• Access Control Systems & Methodology

• Applications & Systems Development

• Business Continuity Planning

• Cryptography

• Law, Investigation & Ethics

• Operations Security

• Physical Security

• Security Architecture & Models

• Security Management Practices

• Telecommunications, Network & Internet Security

Why Choose Certification?
Information security [IS] professionals invest substantially in information assets, including technology, architecture and process.

But how can protection of these assets be ensured? Only through the strengths of the professionals in charge.

Industry standards, ethics and certification of IS professionals and practitioners becomes critical to ensuring a higher standard for security is achieved. (ISC)2, as the only not-for-profit consortium charged with maintaining, administering and certifying IS professionals in the Common Body of Knowledge [CBK], is the premier resource for IS professionals worldwide.

Benefits of (ISC)2 Certification to the Enterprise

• Establishes best practices

• Provides a solutions-orientation, not specialization, particularly with the broader understanding of the IS CBK

• Access to a network of global industry and subject matter/domain experts

• Resource for broad-based security information

• Adds to credibility with the rigor and regimen of the certification examinations

• Provides a business and technology orientation to risk management

Benefits of (ISC)2 Certification to the Professional

• Confirms a working knowledge of information security

• Confirms passing of a rigorous examination

• Career differentiator, with peer networking and added IS credibility

• Broadening expectation of credentials

CISSP Certification Examination – Applicant Requirements

CISSP Certification candidates must meet the following requirements prior to taking the CISSP examination.

• Subscribe to the (ISC)2 Code of Ethics.

• Have a minimum 4 years of direct full-time security professional work experience in one or more of the ten domains of the information systems security CBK or 3 years experience plus a college degree or 2 years experience plus a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree in Information Security from a Center of Excellence.
  
  Valid experience includes information systems (IS) security-related work performed as a practitioner, auditor, consultant, investigator or instructor, that requires IS security knowledge and involves the direct application of that knowledge.
  
  The required years of experience must be the equivalent of actual full-time IS security work (not just IS security responsibilities for the period); this requirement is cumulative, however, and may have been accrued over a much longer period of time.

No affiliation with any organization is required for taking the CISSP Certification examination.

Maintenance Requirements
Upon successfully passing your CISSP Certification examination, you will receive your certificate and ID card. You are also eligible to be listed in the CISSP Directory, can elect to participate in the Speakers’ Bureau, and you can serve on (ISC)2 committees and participate in annual elections.

Recertification is also required every 3 years, with on-going requirements for maintaining your credentials in good standing. This is primarily accomplished through continuing professional education [CPE] and the earning of 120 CPE credits every three years. More on qualifying for credits will be available upon certification.

Core exams: one required