The first step to scheduling the exam is to create an account with the testing provider, Pearson Vue Testing Services. Pearson Vue has over 25 years of certification testing experience and works with (ISC)² so that you can schedule and take your exam at one of their many partner testing provider centers.

The first step is to create an account with (ISC)² on the Pearson Vue partner page here: https://home.pearsonvue.com/isc2.

After your Pearson Vue/(ISC)² account is created, log in and select View Exams, and then select the CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional exam to schedule. (There is an option for Online Exams to take at home, but this is not available for the CISSP exam.)

Select your preferred language, and review the testing policies as needed. These will contain information pertaining to COVID-19 and mask-wearing while at the testing center. Also, the candidate needs to bring two pieces of identification to the testing center; otherwise, the candidate is failed without a refund.

Look your best at the testing center because, as stated in the testing policies, they will take a photograph and a palm vein scan that stays with your (ISC)² account.

The testing policies also include information about rescheduling and cancellation fees. Find the full list of terms and conditions here: https://www.isc2.org/uploadedFiles/Certification_Programs...

The certification is not a lifetime credential and expires after 3 years. There are two options to retain the certification beyond that period. Either take the exam every 3 years or complete Continuing Professional Education hours (CPE hours). Details are found here: https://www.isc2.org/-/media/ISC2/Certifications/CPE/CPE---Handbook.ashx.

Continuing professional education credits are granted for the following:

• Attending information system security related training classes
• Reading or publishing information system security related articles or books
• Attending information system security conferences
• Attending information system security classes
• Preparing to teach a course on information system security
• A work-related project that is not part of your normal work duties
• Taking a higher education course
• Volunteering in information system security for non-profit organizations
• Self-study preparing for a certification...

Not only does the candidate need to pass the exam, but they must meet the CISSP experience requirements found here: https://www.isc2.org/Certifications/CISSP/experience-requirements.

Candidates must have at least 5 years of work experience in at least 2 of the 8 domains. If the candidate does not have the work experience, they may become an Associate CISSP and are allowed up to 6 years to achieve the 5-year work experience requirement. Also, a college degree and some certifications count toward 1 of the 5 years of work experience.

The eight domains are as follows:

• Domain 1: Security and Risk Management
• Domain 2: Asset Security
• Domain 3: Security Architecture and Engineering
• Domain 4: Communication and Network Security
• Domain 5: Identity and Access Management (IAM)
• Domain 6: Security Assessment and Testing
• Domain 7: Security Operations
• Domain 8: Software Development Security

Don't think that you...

1.1 Understand, adhere to, and promote professional ethics:

• (ISC)2 Code of Professional Ethics
• Organizational code of ethics

1.2 Understand and apply security concepts:

• Confidentiality, integrity, and availability, authenticity, and nonrepudiation

1.3 Evaluate and apply security governance principles:

• Alignment of the security function to business strategy, goals, mission, and objectives
• Organizational processes (for example, acquisitions, divestitures, governance committees)
• Organizational roles and responsibilities
• Security control frameworks
• Due care/due diligence

1.4 Determine compliance and other requirements:

• Contractual, legal, industry standards, and regulatory requirements
• Privacy requirements

1.5 Understand legal and regulatory issues that pertain to information security in a holistic context:

• Cybercrimes and data breaches
• Licensing and Intellectual...

2.1 Identify and classify information and assets:

• Data classification
• Asset classification

2.2 Establish information and asset handling requirements:

• Information and asset ownership
• Asset inventory (for example, tangible or intangible)
• Asset management

2.3 Provision resources securely

2.4 Manage the data life cycle:

• Data roles (for example, owners, controllers, custodians, processors, and users/subjects)
• Data collection
• Data location
• Data maintenance
• Data retention
• Data remanence
• Data destruction

2.5 Ensure appropriate asset retention (for example, End-of-Life (EOL) or End-of-Support (EOS))

2.6 Determine data security controls and compliance requirements:

• Data states (for example, in use, in transit, or at rest)
• Scoping and tailoring
• Standards selection
• Data protection methods (for example, Digital Rights Management (DRM), Data Loss Prevention (DLP), or...

3.1 Research, implement, and manage engineering processes using secure design principles:

• Threat modeling
• Least privilege
• Defense in depth
• Secure defaults
• Fail securely
• Separation of Duties (SoD)
• Keep it simple
• Zero trust
• Privacy by design
• Trust but verify
• Shared responsibility

3.2 Understand the fundamental concepts of security models (for example, Biba, Star Model, and Bell-LaPadula)

3.3 Select controls based upon systems security requirements

3.4 Understand security capabilities of Information Systems (IS) (for example, memory protection, Trusted Platform Module (TPM), and encryption/decryption)

3.5 Assess and mitigate the vulnerabilities of security architectures, designs, and solution elements:

• Client-based systems
• Server-based systems
• Database systems
• Cryptographic systems
• Industrial Control Systems (ICS)
• Cloud-based systems (for example...

4.1 Assess and implement secure design principles in network architectures:

• Open System Interconnection (OSI) and Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) models
• Internet Protocol (IP) networking (for example, Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) or Internet Protocol (IP) v4/6)
• Secure protocols
• Implications of multilayer protocols
• Converged protocols (for example, Fiber Channel Over Ethernet (FCoE), Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI), and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP))
• Micro-segmentation (for example, Software Defined Networks (SDN), Virtual eXtensible Local Area Network (VXLAN), encapsulation, and Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN))
• Wireless networks (for example, Li-Fi, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and satellite)
• Cellular networks (for example, 4G, and 5G)
• Content Distribution Networks (CDN)

4.2 Secure network components:

• Operation of hardware (for example...

5.1 Control physical and logical access to assets:

• Information
• Systems
• Devices
• Facilities
• Applications

5.2 Manage identification and authentication of people, devices, and services:

• Identity Management (IdM) implementation
• Single/Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
• Accountability
• Session management
• Registration, proofing, and establishment of identity
• Federated Identity Management (FIM)
• Credential management systems
• Single Sign On (SSO)
• Just-In-Time (JIT)

5.3 Federated identity with a third-party service:

• On-premise
• Cloud
• Hybrid

5.4 Implement and manage authorization mechanisms:

• Role Based Access Control (RBAC)
• Rule based access control
• Mandatory Access Control (MAC)
• Discretionary Access Control (DAC)
• Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC)
• Risk based access control

5.5 Manage the identity and access provisioning...

6.1 Design and validate assessment, test, and audit strategies:

• Internal
• External
• Third-party

6.2 Conduct security control testing:

• Vulnerability assessment
• Penetration testing
• Log reviews
• Synthetic transactions
• Code review and testing
• Misuse case testing
• Test coverage analysis
• Interface testing
• Breach attack simulations
• Compliance checks

6.3 Collect security process data (for example, technical and administrative):

• Account management
• Management review and approval
• Key performance and risk indicators
• Backup verification data
• Training and awareness
• Disaster Recovery (DR) and Business Continuity (BC)

6.4 Analyze test output and generate reports:

• Remediation
• Exception handling
• Ethical disclosure

6.5 Conduct or facilitate security audits:

• Internal
• External
• Third-party

7.1 Understand and comply with investigations:

• Evidence collection and handling
• Reporting and documentation
• Investigative techniques
• Digital forensics tools, tactics, and procedures
• Artifacts (for example, a computer, network, or mobile device)

7.2 Conduct logging and monitoring activities:

• Intrusion detection and prevention
• Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
• Continuous monitoring
• Egress monitoring
• Log management
• Threat intelligence (for example, threat feeds or threat hunting)
• User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)

7.3 Perform Configuration Management (CM) (for example, provisioning, baselining, or automation)

7.4 Apply foundational security operations concepts:

• Need-to-know/least privilege
• Separation of Duties (SoD) and responsibilities
• Privileged account management
• Job rotation
• Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

7.5 Apply resource protection...

8.1 Understand and integrate security in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC):

• Development methodologies (for example, Agile, Waterfall, DevOps, or DevSecOps)
• Maturity models (for example, the Capability Maturity Model (CMM) or the Software Assurance Maturity Model (SAMM))
• Operation and maintenance
• Change management
• Integrated Product Team (IPT)

8.2 Identify and apply security controls in software development ecosystems:

• Programming languages
• Libraries
• Tool sets
• Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
• Runtime
• Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD)
• Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR)
• Software Configuration Management (SCM)
• Code repositories
• Application security testing (for example, Static Application Security Testing (SAST) or Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST))

8.3 Assess the effectiveness of software security...

To best prepare for taking the CISSP exam, it is recommended you attempt practice exam 1 first, at the end of the book. Take 2 hours to complete the exam. Make sure to grade yourself.

Use the domain guide at the end of the exam, and determine which domains you need the most help with. Study further by reviewing the Learn more links that are provided with some of the questions to brush up on domains you are weak on.

This book has 100 practice questions for each domain, so review those practice questions to become stronger in those domains, and become better at test taking. For example, make sure to not spend more than 1 to 2 minutes per question so that when taking the real exam, you will not run out of time.

The real exam has up to 150 questions, with 3 hours to complete it, but if you demonstrate the required information security skills earlier, the exam may end at question 100, 120, or even 137. The exam ends once you demonstrate the required knowledge...

To best prepare for the CISSP exam, study the practice questions in this book, and complete the full practice exams at the end of the book:

• The CISSP exam has a 5-year experience requirement, and if you have been working in information systems for at least 10 years, it should be straightforward to satisfy the work experience requirement.
• Once you earn the CISSP, you can retain it with CPE credit, or you can take the exam again in 3 years.
• Good luck on the exam, and please let us know how well you did on Twitter or YouTube: @JordanTeamLearn.