Cyber security threats have become more sophisticated and prevalent in today's digital age. To safeguard against cyber attacks, businesses and organizations must have well-trained professionals to manage and store sensitive data using technology.
That's where CISSP comes in - a globally recognized certification validating an individual's cybersecurity expertise. CISSP certification has become increasingly in demand as remote work becomes more prevalent. CISSP training and certification will be explored in this blog as we explore the benefits, the process, and what makes CISSP certification training so special.
This article takes you through the CISSP certification requirements, exam costs, jobs, and the salaries to expect in 2023.
What Is a CISSP Certification?
This credential validates a person's expertise in the field of cybersecurity at an advanced level. It is globally recognized and sought after by organizations and businesses as it demonstrates an individual's deep understanding of the cybersecurity landscape and their ability to implement and manage effective security protocols.
The certification is offered by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, a renowned nonprofit organization specializing in cybersecurity education and certifications.
To earn the certification, candidates must pass a comprehensive exam covering eight domains related to cybersecurity, including security and risk management, asset security, security engineering, communication and network security, and more. This certification is a symbol of an individual's proficiency in cybersecurity, and holders of the certification are often considered industry experts.
The Information Systems Security Professional certification provides information security professionals with not only an objective evaluation of their expertise but also a level of accomplishment that is recognized all around the world.
CISSP Certification Course Curriculum
To ensure that professionals are testing on current topics relevant to today's activities and responsibilities, the CISSP Common Body of Knowledge domains are updated every three years. (ISC)2 revised the certificate’s structure in 2015 by reducing the number of domains from ten to eight and further changed the examination length in 2022.
CISSP Certification Course Curriculum
The CISSP comprises numerous updates and curriculum components. Indeed, regular upgrades and changes ensure that the CISSP aligns with the knowledge and skills required in the constantly changing IT industry. From May 1, 2021, the (ISC)2 CISSP qualifying exam will include the following eight CISSP domains:
1. Security and risk management
This is the primary CISSP domain, covering 15% of the exam. It provides a detailed description of the concepts related to information systems management. Principles of security control, IT policies and procedures, and calculation of observance requirements are all covered under security and risk management. It also covers enterprise continuity, compliance standards, and threat modeling techniques.
In the new CISSP curriculum, candidates will also be tested on their knowledge of social engineering and phishing defensive strategies and how they can utilize gamification to enhance their enterprise’s cybersecurity.
2. Asset Security
This CISSP domain focuses on resource protection and covers 10% of the CISSP exam. Asset security addresses issues about information management and the concept of information ownership. It includes the skills of several roles in data management, ownership, processing, privacy concerns, and usage restrictions. Some of this curriculum component’s key areas include
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Managing asset requirements,
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Restricting data security,
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Protecting user privacy,
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Retaining, categorizing, and possessing assets
Additionally, it verifies a candidate’s understanding of various tasks involving the processing of data, as well as data security strategies and data states. As part of the CISSP exam, you will also be tested on handling resource allocation, asset classification, and the data lifecycle.
3. Security architecture and engineering
This CISSP domain is all about using ideas to design the architecture of IT and data systems. It accounts for about 13% of the CISSP exam. Candidates are tested on safety engineering procedures, models, design guidelines, exposures, database security, cryptography, and cloud computing systems. These are some of the areas covered by security architecture and engineering:
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Ideas for data system security capabilities,
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Ability to minimize weaknesses in security architecture plans
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Flaws in web-based applications, mobile applications, and established systems
Additionally, it discusses the fundamental ideas behind security prototypes and how to recognize cryptanalytic attacks.
4. Communication and network security
The fourth domain of the CISSP curriculum assesses candidates’ proficiency in securing networks and communication channels. Candidates must respond to questions on secure and convergent protocols, wireless and cellular networks, network hardware functioning (redundant power and warranty), and third-party connectivity.
This domain also includes IP networking (i.e., IPsec, IPv4, and IPv6). The weight of the communication and network security area in the most recent CISSP exam was recently reduced from 14% to 13%. After completing this part of the curriculum, CISSP-certified professionals would be able to:
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Secure network components
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Evaluate and put into practice secure design principles in network topologies.
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Put into practice secure communication channels as per design.
5. Identity and access management
This CISSP domain sheds light on attacks that utilize the human factor to access data. It also includes strategies for identifying authorized people to connect to systems and access data. Further, candidates are assessed on recognizing people with access to servers and information. This section of the CISSP test accounts for around 13% of the total score and covers important topics such as phase conceptualization, credentials, and multifactor authentication. The areas covered in identity and access management include data access, approval systems, and identity services.
6. Security assessment and testing
This area of study, comprising 12% of the exam ,focus on all methods and instruments for identifying system flaws and other critical areas that security protocols and policies don’t cover. This domain also includes ethical disclosure and attack simulations. Candidates are also put through vulnerability analysis and penetration testing tests. Compliance checks are included as one of the subjects evaluated on the most recent CISSP exam. You will be required to know about audit strategies, security testing, security process information gathering, and test result examination.
7. Security operations
This CISSP domain emphasizes initial concepts, inspections, incident management, and disaster recovery, comprising 13% of the CISSP exam. It is a broad and helpful domain that includes sandboxing, firewalls, intrusion avoidance and exposure tools, probes, and digital forensics. The exam will test candidates on behavior analytics, threat intelligence, log management, machine learning, and artificial intelligence-based security tools.
This domain’s coverage includes enabling security inspections and different types of investigations, acquiring secure information, ensuring company resilience, protecting the supply of assets, and documenting and evaluating incidents.
8. Software development security
Implementing software-based security mechanisms in contexts where an IT expert is in charge is the focus of this domain. This segment covers risk analysis, vulnerability spotting, and source code auditing, among other things. In addition, candidates are tested on the security of open-source and third-party development, maturity models, and application security. This component of the curriculum includes the following types of questions on the associated exams:
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How to integrate security into coding practices
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Enforcing secure coding guidelines
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Third-party risk management
CISSP Certification Cost
The total cost of CISSP certification (course and exam) varies from region to region and frequently from city to city. The CISSP certification is only awarded to candidates who complete all prerequisites within three years. This certificate holder can recertify after three years, providing they continue to fulfill the program’s requirements by earning 40 hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits annually and paying the yearly maintenance fee.
The CISSP certification fee comprises training courses, which range from $300 to $3200, examination fees, which are $699 in the US, and at least 50 to 70 hours of preparation time, which should count as a hidden cost.
In addition to traditional classroom instruction, CISSP courses are also available online for self-paced learning. The price of self-paced, online CISSP training varies significantly. A CISSP training costs $300 but may also be offered for $900. Your CISSP certification costs will be reduced if you choose this option because online self-paced courses are less expensive than traditional classroom training and even live online training. However, live online classes can be costly. The price range for an online CISSP course might be anywhere between$600 and $1500.
The second component of the CISSP certification cost is the exam fee, currently $599. The CISSP exam cost is slated to increase from $699 to $749 very soon. However, the time you devote to studying for the test will cost you money. Your time requirements will also vary depending on various factors, such as your prior work history, level of competency, and the need to become certified.
CISSP Salary
Where you reside in the nation significantly impacts your income regarding infosec wages. A big city well-known for its technological industry, such as New York or Silicon Valley, will have a higher average salary for those who have earned the CISSP certification. According to statistics provided by PayScale, a person with the CISSP certification may anticipate earning an annual salary of more than $120,000 by 2022. (last updated on June 15, 2022).
Your location and occupation can significantly affect your salary. According to ZipRecruiter research, there are ten cities where the typical salary for CISSP jobs exceeds the national average. San Mateo, California, is the highest-ranked city, followed closely by Berkeley, California, and Daly City, California. When weighing location and pay for a CISSP career, the likelihood of a lower cost of living can be the most crucial consideration. Why is the CISSP certification so popular? Here are a few reasons why IT professionals can consider having CISSP certification:
1. Ability to earn and progress in one’s career
The annual salary of a CISSP is $131,030, as per PayScale data. This shows that the person has deep knowledge of cybersecurity, practical cybersecurity experience from at least 4 years of paid work in the field, and a solid commitment to a strict code of ethics. Employers value and respect the CISSP certification, which can help you earn more.
2. Achieve full professional potential
More people with the CISSP certification are needed than are now available. The CISSP focus areas (CISSP-ISSMP for Management, CISSP-ISSEP for Engineers, and CISSP-ISSAP for Architects) allow you to build on CISSP and boost the career and wage opportunities available to you even more.
3. Leadership among peer networks
The CISSP is something to be proud of because it shows the industry and your peers that you are a professional with the wide range of knowledge needed to lead in cybersecurity. CISSP covers the essential parts of the cybersecurity industry, such as security and risk management, network security, testing, and security operations. It guarantees you know all information security issues and, more importantly, how the infosec environment connects with the larger organizational ecosystem.
CISSP Jobs in 2023
CISSP certification prepares IT professionals for the following key jobs:
1.Chief Information Security Officer (CISO):
A highly qualified Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) who has acquired the CISO credential is a C-level executive responsible for overseeing information security inside an organization. An infosec program – which consists of procedures and guidelines to protect business communications, systems, and assets against internal and external threats – is developed and put into place by a CISO. In addition to a solid knowledge of information security, a CISO needs a wide range of IT experience, excellent leadership and communication abilities, and other qualifications. These days, the job role is frequently used reciprocally with the CSO and VP of security, indicating a more considerable responsibility.
2. Senior information security consultant
Senior information security consultants help organizations ensure data security. They should know how cyber threats, including information security concerns, may harm an organization’s business objectives. They put safeguards in place to aid in identifying the most persistent risks and mitigating them. To check for information system vulnerabilities, consultants deploy various cybersecurity solutions.
A senior information security consultant’s primary duties include conducting security assessments, ensuring that infosec programs are implemented, collaborating with businesses to develop security policies, and offering support for security management systems.
3. Information security assurance analyst
Information security analysts protect the computer networks used by for-profit organizations, governmental agencies, and private businesses. These analysts will identify and address vulnerabilities, deploy security tools, enhance user education and awareness, and assist with incident response preparation. They will also support the creation of security policies and programs and the selection, adoption, and practical use of appropriate technological solutions.
4. Senior IT security consultant
One of the duties of a senior IT security consultant is to conduct internal research and analysis to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the existing IT security systems. They must also draw on their CISSP knowledge to offer remedies for problem areas and recommend new tools and methods to improve data security.
They may oversee security operations for a single company, consult with clients individually or through a larger organization, or manage security operations for multiple companies. This helps companies identify potential gaps in their cybersecurity standards.
5. Security systems administrator:
They are answerable for implementing, administering, and debugging a company’s security mechanisms – spanning the entire spectrum of desktop, mobile, and network security
Takeaway
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, infosec jobs will substantially surge in the coming years. Information security analyst positions are expected to see a 33% increase in demand between 2021 and 2029, which is significantly faster than the average growth rate for other occupations. This emphasizes the importance of obtaining certifications such as CISSP for professionals in the IT and cybersecurity fields.
Preparing for the CISSP exam allows individuals to broaden their knowledge of cybersecurity-related topics.
They can gain insight into the link between cybersecurity and business continuity, the impact of user privacy on information asset security, and the methods used for designing a secure network architecture. By addressing pertinent questions, the CISSP curriculum establishes the groundwork for a fulfilling career in Information Security.
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