Certifications carry considerable importance within the information technology field. An estimated 91% of recruiters appreciate these certifications when assessing IT applicants, according to research from CompTIA. Therefore, many third-party organizations provide technology-based certification programs to satisfy market demand. However, few are as efficient and important as the International Information System Security Certification Consortium’s CISSP certification.
The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) standard has a confirmed tradition behind it, one that get back more than 20 years. Since the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC)² began testing for and providing the CISSP certification in the mid-1990s, information technology professionals and those in many related fields, have pursued it.
Because CISSP acts as a clear indicator of broad-based, platform-agnostic expertise in information security and can assist professionals in the field beside their careers, the decision to take the exam is a popular one for those with experience in the world of digital security. Just as a master’s degree presents a critical second level of advanced learning and a robust consequent knowledge base that is easily noticeable by colleagues and employers, the CISSP certification offers similar benefits.
Understanding precisely what goes into earning the CISSP designation and the opportunities it offers those who successfully sit for the exam is an essential step in formulating future career plans, especially in terms of the management skills imparted. With the MS MIS degree program focused on helping applicants cultivate practical management skills, an equivalent certification offers explicit assistance for professional development.
Understanding the Value of a CISSP Certification
The (ISC)² calls CISSP the most respected cybersecurity certification in the profession on a global level, and there’s no doubt about its extensive recognition in a variety of information security management positions. This type of industrywide recognition is valuable for everyone who holds the certification. That’s especially true for those seeking new jobs in other regions of the U.S. and foreign countries. No matter where a cybersecurity management job is based, all skilled employers will recognize the added value of an applicant with CISSP certification.
What foundation is this high level of recognition for CISSP built upon? The doubled emphasis on management and on-the-ground implementation is one crucial component. CISSP professionals confirm understanding of effective cybersecurity efforts from a leadership perspective, including in-depth, functional knowledge of how to efficiently spearhead a specific strategy and supervise the process as it’s assigned across a team or department. There’s also an emphasis on practical skills and the technical means required to make a cybersecurity strategy productive on the ground level. Eventually, this means a CISSP-certified professional can take a cybersecurity plan from primary design through the development and installation phases, and then monitor, adjust, and improve as necessary.
The CISSP certification is also a useful and robust networking tool. The CISSP certification allows applicants focused on cybersecurity likewise to develop productive and mutually beneficial professional relationships as they communicate through conferences and during continuing learning opportunities. Because CISSP is so singularly focused on cybersecurity, it means certified professionals establish strong bonds with other competent leaders in their preferred field.
Another CISSP value to consider is the knowledge of up-to-date, real-world information and threats that the certification presents. Drawing on education, work experience, and the independent learning that occurs before sitting for the exam, the CISSP certification is a clear indication that holders of this esteemed designation perceive cybersecurity issues confronting organizations in today’s fast-developing digital world. While this knowledge is often cultivated in significant part through prior education and work experience, CISSP classifies and standardizes it. The certification acts as a clear, instantly recognized achievement in terms of effective cybersecurity skills on a wide range of useful levels. This is a powerful asset in day-to-day operations, as proof of competence to colleagues and subordinates and as a selling point when holders seek new opportunities in the field.
The Path to CISSP certification
The CISSP certification is a multistep, multiyear process when the education and experience factors are taken into account. This is one of the primary reasons why the designation is so highly regarded across the world of cybersecurity. The exam preparation, which requires many hours of study and revision, is probably the least time-consuming when the other requirements are considered.
Those wishing to sit for the exam should hold persistent experience in the working world of cybersecurity as well as a relevant education. Specifically, all test-takers must have five years of paid, full-time work experience in suitable positions that concentrate on at least two, if not more, of the eight cyber security and related domains covered in the CISSP common body of knowledge.
The Eight Domains are:
1. Asset security
2. Communication and network security
3. Identity and access management
4. Security assessment and testing
5. Security engineering
6. Security operations
7. Security and risk management
8. Software development security
This requirement can be decreased to an extent through one-year experience waivers offered for completing a four-year college degree in a related field or the prevailing holding of a credential (ISC)² approves. A few examples comprise the Certified Cloud Security Professional, CyberSecurity Forensic Analyst, and Certified Internal Auditor designations. There is one alternative path for those aspiring to take the CISSP exam who haven’t yet earned the required work experience. Passing the exam and earning an Associate of (ISC)² title indicates the sanctioning body provides a six-year window to achieve the five years of work experience required for full certification.
The CISSP exam itself is also a significant undertaking, taking about six hours and comprising 250 questions across all eight common-knowledge domains. The exam is scored on a scale of 1000, with a 700 required to pass. Rigorous preparation is necessary for success.
The essential requirements for potential test-takers are one of the most apparent reasons behind CISSP’s significance. Like similar high-level, internationally respected titles in other professions, the CISSP exam confines applicants based on experience and education — to say nothing of the difficulty of the exam itself. Those who fulfill the significant steps needed to qualify to take the exam have already confirmed a significant level of dedication to the process, and professionals who go on to earn the CISSP certification can place themselves in an elite class.
The Career Benefits of CISSP Certification
A CISSP certification can help professionals develop their careers in many fields. While not a guarantee for any individual seeking a specific job, the certification has proven beneficial to those who hold it. A salary survey of IT security professionals revealed holders of the CISSP certification, as well as similar prestigious certifications such as CISA and CISM, averaged a salary of $101,000 versus non-certified professionals, who received an average of $87,000 per year. For those in management roles, the divide is slightly smaller but still notable: CISSP and similar designations mean the difference between earning $130,000 on average in yearly salary and $121,000.
This practical consideration is important for professionals in the field to consider: While compensation doesn’t influence day-to-day duties, it’s a vital element of a successful career. Earning the CISSP certification can have a significant effect on the financial bottom line of the professionals who receive the certification.
Employers in the public and private sectors acknowledge the value of staff holding the CISSP certification. For example, the Department of Defense and National Security Agency both use it as an essential component of their certification and development method. In a broader perception, businesses and governmental organizations across the world recognize CISSP, allowing interested certification holders to expand the scope of their job searches as well as the jobs they seek.
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