The Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification recognizes mastery of an international standard. So, this certification is about information security and understanding a Common Body of Knowledge (CBK).
The International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC) administers the certification to recognize individuals. Basically, it recognizes those who have distinguished themselves as experienced, knowledgeable, and competent information security professionals.
CISSP is an approved certification for specific job classifications. This certification award is to those who take a course. Certainly, this course contains ten CISSP domains relevant to passing a corresponding professional certification exam. The domains are:
- Security and Risk Management (Security, Risk, Compliance, Law, Regulations, Business Continuity).
- Asset Security (Asset Security Protection).
- Security Engineering (Security Engineering and Management).
- Network and communications security (network security design and protection).
- Identity and access management (access control and identity management).
- Security evaluation and testing (design, conduct, and analysis of security tests).
- Security Operations (Fundamental Concepts, Investigations, Incident Management, Disaster Recovery).
- Software development security (understanding, applying, and complying with software security and help desk software).
Relevance ofcertification
As of July 2022, there were 156,054 ISC2 members with CISSP certification worldwide. Before that, in June 2004, the CISSP designation gave credit according to ANSI ISO/IEC 17024:2003. It is also formally approved by the US Department of Defense.
In May 2020, the UK’s National Academic Recognition Information Center assessed the CISSP qualification as a level 7 award. Even, the level 7 award is the same level as a master’s degree. In the mid-1980s, the need arose for a standardized, vendor-neutral certification program that would provide structure and demonstrate competency.
Since 1990, the first working committee established a Common Body of Knowledge (CBK). In 1994, the committee launched the CISSP credential. For 2003, CISSP became one of the bases for the US National Security Agency’s ISSEP program.
