International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc. (ISC)²
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
Credential: Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
Credentialing Agency: International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc. (ISC)²
Renewal Period: 3 years
The International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc. (ISC 2), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is an advanced skill level certification for experienced security practitioners, managers and executives interested in proving their knowledge across a wide array of security practices and principles. Candidates must meet a combination of education and experience requirements. Candidates must pass a written exam.
More information can be found on the certifying agency's website.
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
Attainability: 
Eligibility Requirements (View Details)
- Credential Prerequisite
- Experience: 5 years
- Education
- Training
- Membership
- Other
- Fee
Note: This credential may have multiple options for a Service member to meet eligibility requirements. Requirements listed here are based on the minimum degree required.
To view other options, see the Eligibility tab.
Exam Requirements (View Details)
- Exam
- Written Exam
- Oral Exam
- Practical Exam
- Performance Assessment
Exam Administration (View Details)
- In-person exam
- Remote proctored on-line exam
- Third-party test vendor
Renewal Period: 3 years
- Continuing Education
- Exam
- Continuing Education OR Exam
- Fee
- Other
International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc. (ISC)²
311 Park Place Blvd
Suite 400
Clearwater, FL 33759
Phone: (866) 331-4722
Fax: (703) 356-7977
Email: communications@isc2.org
Option 1:
Candidate must have a minimum of five years of cumulative paid full-time work experience in two or more of the eight domains of the CISSP.
Option 2:
Candidate must have four years of direct full-time security professional work experience in two or more of the eight domains of the CISSP with a four year college degree or regional equivalent, or an advanced degree in information security from the U.S. National Center of Academic Excellence (CAE/IAE).
Option 3:
Candidate must have four years of direct full-time security professional work experience in two or more of the eight domains of the CISSP and hold an (ISC2) approved credential. See the (ISC2) website for complete list of approved credentials.
The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) credential has the following other requirements:
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Candidate must subscribe to the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, Inc. (ISC)2 Code of Ethics.
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Candidate passing the CISSP exam must have qualifications endorsed by another (ISC2) credential holder.
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Security and Risk Management (15%)
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Understand and apply concepts of confidentiality, integrity and availability
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Evaluate and apply security governance principles
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Determine compliance requirements
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Understand legal and regulatory issues that pertain to information security in a global context
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Understand, adhere to, and promote professional ethics
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Develop, document, and implement security policy, standards, procedures, and guidelines
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Identify, analyze, and prioritize Business Continuity (BC) requirements
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Contribute to and enforce personnel security policies and procedures
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Understand and apply risk management concepts
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Understand and apply threat modeling concepts and methodologies
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Apply risk-based management concepts to the supply chain
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Establish and maintain a security awareness, education, and training program
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Asset Security (10%)
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Identify and classify information and assets
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Determine and maintain information and asset ownership
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Protect privacy
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Ensure appropriate asset retention
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Determine data security controls
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Establish information and asset handling requirements
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Security Architecture and Engineering (13%)
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Implement and manage engineering processes using secure design principles
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Understand the fundamental concepts of security models
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Select controls based upon systems security requirements
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Understand security capabilities of information systems (e.g., memory protection, Trusted Platform Module (TPM), encryption/decryption)
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Assess and mitigate the vulnerabilities of security architectures, designs, and solution elements
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Assess and mitigate vulnerabilities in web-based systems
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Assess and mitigate vulnerabilities in mobile systems
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Assess and mitigate vulnerabilities in embedded devices
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Apply cryptography
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Apply security principles to site and facility design
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Implement site and facility security controls
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Communication and Network Security (14%)
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Implement secure design principles in network architectures
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Secure network components
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Implement secure communication channels according to design
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Identity and Access Management (IAM) (13%)
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Control physical and logical access to assets
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Manage identification and authentication of people, devices, and services
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Integrate identity as a third-party service
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Implement and manage authorization mechanisms
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Manage the identity and access provisioning lifecycle
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Security Assessment and Testing (12%)
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Design and validate assessment, test, and audit strategies
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Conduct security control testing
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Collect security process data (e.g., technical and administrative)
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Analyze test output and generate report
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Conduct or facilitate security audits
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Security Operations (13%)
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Understand and support investigations
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Understand requirements for investigation types
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Conduct logging and monitoring activities
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Securely provisioning resources
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Understand and apply foundational security operations concepts
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Apply resource protection techniques
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Conduct incident management
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Operate and maintain detective and preventative measures
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Implement and support patch and vulnerability management
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Understand and participate in change management processes
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Implement recovery strategies
-
Implement Disaster Recovery (DR) processes
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Test Disaster Recovery Plans (DRP)
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Participate in Business Continuity (BC) planning and exercises
-
Implement and manage physical security
-
Address personnel safety and security concerns
-
Software Development Security (10%)
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Understand and integrate security in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
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Identify and apply security controls in development environments
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Assess the effectiveness of software security
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Assess security impact of acquired software
-
Define and apply secure coding guidelines and standards
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Security and Risk Management
-
Understand, adhere to, and promote professional ethics
-
Understand and apply security concepts
-
Evaluate and apply security governance principles
-
Determine compliance and other requirements
-
Understand legal and regulatory issues that pertain to information security in a holistic context
-
Understand requirements for investigation types (i.e., administrative, criminal, civil, regulatory, industry standards)
-
Develop, document, and implement security policy, standards, procedures, and guidelines
-
Identify, analyze, and prioritize Business Continuity (BC) requirements
-
Contribute to and enforce personnel security policies and procedures
-
Understand and apply risk management concepts
-
Understand and apply threat modeling concepts and methodologies
-
Apply Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) concepts
-
Establish and maintain a security awareness, education, and training program
-
Asset Security
-
Identify and classify information and assets
-
Establish information and asset handling requirements
-
Provision resources securely
-
Manage data lifecycle
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Ensure appropriate asset retention (e.g., End-of-Life (EOL), End-of-Support (EOS))
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Determine data security controls and compliance requirements
-
Security Architecture and Engineering
-
Research, implement and manage engineering processes using secure design principles
-
Understand the fundamental concepts of security models (e.g., Biba, Star Model, Bell-LaPadula)
-
Select controls based upon systems security requirements
-
Understand security capabilities of Information Systems (IS) (e.g., memory protection, Trusted Platform Module (TPM), encryption/decryption)
-
Assess and mitigate the vulnerabilities of security architectures, designs, and solution elements
-
Select and determine cryptographic solutions
-
Understand methods of cryptanalytic attacks
-
Apply security principles to site and facility design
-
Design site and facility security controls
-
Communication and Network Security
-
Assess and implement secure design principles in network architectures
-
Secure network components
-
Implement secure communication channels according to design
-
Identity and Access Management (IAM)
-
Control physical and logical access to assets
-
Manage identification and authentication of people, devices, and services
-
Federated identity with a third-party service
-
Implement and manage authorization mechanisms
-
Manage the identity and access provisioning lifecycle
-
Implement authentication systems
-
Security Assessment and Testing
-
Design and validate assessment, test, and audit strategies
-
Conduct security control testing
-
Collect security process data (e.g., technical and administrative)
-
Analyze test output and generate report
-
Conduct or facilitate security audits
-
Security Operations
-
Understand and comply with investigations
-
Conduct logging and monitoring activities
-
Perform Configuration Management (CM) (e.g., provisioning, baselining, automation)
-
Apply foundational security operations concepts
-
Apply resource protection
-
Conduct incident management
-
Operate and maintain detective and preventative measures
-
Implement and support patch and vulnerability management
-
Understand and participate in change management processes
-
Implement recovery strategies
-
Implement Disaster Recovery (DR) processes
-
Test Disaster Recovery Plans (DRP)
-
Participate in Business Continuity (BC) planning and exercises
-
Implement and manage physical security
-
Address personnel safety and security concerns
-
Software Development Security
-
Understand and integrate security in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
-
Identify and apply security controls in software development ecosystems
-
Assess the effectiveness of software security
-
Assess security impact of acquired software
-
Define and apply secure coding guidelines and standards
There are a number of resources available to help you prepare for the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) examination:
An additional resource is O'Reilly Learning Safari Books Online, a searchable digital library that provides online access to thousands of books, training videos and conference sessions. See the Educational Resources section on the
Related Sites page here on COOL to learn how to get free access.
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Exam Administration
Credential exams may be administered in-person at a testing site, proctored on-line remotely, or have options for both. If an exam is administered through a test vendor, the third-party test vendor box will be checked. The following test administration options apply to the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) credential where checked:
- In-person exam
- Remote proctored on-line exam
- Third-party test vendor
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Third-Party Test Vendor Information
Testing for this credential is handled by the following vendor:
Pearson VUE
The test centers are located in the U.S.
They also have some test centers on military bases.
To find out more, use the following links on the Pearson VUE website:
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
Renewal Period: 3 years
The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) credential has the following recertification information:
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The CISSP credential must be renewed every three years by meeting continuing education requirements. More information on Continuing Professional Education (CPE) requirements and annual maintenance fees can be found on the ISC2 website.
- A candidate who doesn’t have the required experience to become a CISSP may become an Associate of (ISC)² by successfully passing the CISSP examination. The Associate of (ISC)² will then have six years to earn the five years required experience.
MOS is Military Occupational Specialty
ASI is Additional Skill Identifier
WOMOS is Warrant Officer Military Occupational Specialty
AOC is Area Of Concentration Officer
Functional Area
Branch
Bright Outlook – new job opportunities are very likely in the future for this job
This is an official U.S. Army website
Updated: March 31, 2021
Army Table Legend
Related As
The military occupations shown in this table are related to this credential in one of four ways: Most, Some, or Other.
MOST
This credential is directly related to most of the major duties associated with the military occupation (at least 80%). Note that the credential may require additional education, training or experience before you are eligible for it.
SOME
This credential is related to some tasks associated with the duties of the military occupation (related 80% to at least one or more critical tasks but less than 80% of all of the entire military occupation). Note that the credential may require additional education, training or experience before you are eligible for it.
OTHER
This credential is related to this military occupation, but is more advanced or specialized and therefore will likely require additional education, training, or experience.
CA Eligible
This column indicates that the credential is eligible for CA.
Promotion Points
This credential has been approved for promotion points for this MOS towards promotion to Sergeant and Staff Sergeant. Clicking the Promotion Points icon will open a link to the promotion points fact sheet.
Skill Level Designation
Skill Level I
This skill level consists of all Soldiers in the ranks of Private (pay grade E-1) up to Specialist (pay grade E-4). Time in Service (TIS) is generally between initial entry and four Years of Service (YOS). This skill level is Entry-level positions requiring performance of tasks under direct supervision.
Institutional training:
- Structured Self-Development (SSD) level I
- Basic Leader Course (BLC)
Skill Level II
This skill level is obtained when promoted to Sergeant (paygrade E-5). TIS is generally between 4-8 YOS. Positions requiring performance of more difficult tasks under general supervision; and in some instances, involving supervision of Soldiers in SL1.
Institutional training:
- Structured Self-Development (SSD) level II
- Advance Leader Course (ALC)
Skill Level III
This skill level is obtained when promoted to Staff Sergeant (paygrade E-6). TIS is generally between 8-12 YOS. Positions requiring performance of still more difficult tasks and involving first line supervision of Soldiers in SL1 & SL2.
Institutional training:
- Senior Leader Course (SLC)
- Structured Self-Development (SSD) level III
Skill Level IV
This skill level is obtained when promoted to the rank of Sergeant First Class (paygrade E-7). TIS is generally between 12-18 YOS. Positions requiring relatively detailed knowledge of all tasks specified for a given MOS, normally involving first-line supervision of Soldiers in SLs 1, 2, and 3, and involving managerial duties.
Institutional training:
- Master Leader Course (MLC)
- Structured Self-Development (SSD) level IV
- Senior Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education (SEJPME) I Course
Skill Level V
This skill level is obtained when promoted to the rank of Master Sergeant (paygrade E-8). TIS is generally between 18-22 YOS. Positions requiring direct and indirect leadership roles with expertise in company and battalion-level operations and competency across a given CMF, serving as members of a staff at every level in the Army, with a full understanding of the allocation of resources and their utilization in order to accomplish Army functions and missions.
Institutional training:
- United States Army Sergeants Major Academy (USASMA)
- Structured Self-Development (SSD) level V
Skill Level VI
This skill level is obtained when promoted to the rank of Sergeants Major (paygrade E-9). TIS is generally between 22-30 YOS. Positions requiring organizational leadership roles with multi-dimensional expertise in units and teams on division, corps, and Army staffs, integrated with Joint, Interagency, Intergovernmental, and Multinational (JIIM) partners with a full understanding of the Force Generation process, operations at all echelons, and how the Army runs.
Star Credential
Star credentials are MOS enhancing, as designated by the Proponent. MOS enhancing credentials are directly related to an MOS or ASI, are taught either partially or completely as part of a Program of Instruction (POI), and improve the MOS technical proficiency.
Proponent Funded
This icon indicates that the credential may be funded through a Soldier's MOS proponent. Some proponents offer credentialing opportunities in conjunction with military training and/or as part of MOS development beyond the training base.
Gap Analysis
A detailed analysis comparing the credential requirements to the military occupation has been completed. Click on the gap analysis icon to view the analysis page.
Federal Occupations Table Legend
Related As
The federal occupations shown in this table are related to this credential in one of three ways: Most, Some, or Other.
MOST
This credential is directly related to most of the major duties associated with the federal occupation (at least 80%). Note that the credential may require additional education, training or experience before you are eligible for it.
SOME
This credential is related to some tasks associated with the duties of the federal occupation (related 80% to at least one or more critical tasks but less than 80% of all of the entire military occupation). Note that the credential may require additional education, training or experience before you are eligible for it.
OTHER
This credential is related to this federal occupation, but is more advanced or specialized and therefore will most likely require additional education, training, or experience.
Civilian Occupations Table Legend
Bright Outlook
The Bright Outlook icon indicates that new job opportunities are very likely in the future for this job. Click the links in this column to go to the external link My Next Move For Veterans State Map.
Registered Apprenticeship
The Registered Apprenticeship icon indicates that this job has an apprenticeship program registered with the U.S. Department of Labor. Click the links in this column to go to the Apprenticeship Finder and enter career path or location to find apprenticeship opportunities
Local Salary Information
Click the links in this column to go to the external link My Next Move for Veterans web site to view salary and employment information for the job.
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