Risk management professionals find 60-70 hours of time for preparation quite adequate to clear the CISSP exam. IT professionals would need less time – 40-50 hours of study should suffice to clear the exam.
Based on the CAT, the CISSP exam is between 100-150 questions, with a time limit of 3 hours. You need to get 700 of 1000 total points to pass the exam. The exam cost is $699 for students in the United States. You'll pay this fee when you register for the exam (See “CISSP Exam Registration” below).
Salary for Certification: Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) $111k. SalaryShow Hourly Rate. Average. $60k.
All "GIAC certification exams are open book format". The CISSP is a closed book exam.
Unfortunately, the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) is not one of them. Given the ever-growing importance of cyber security, maybe it's no surprise that the CEH is rated as one of the hardest exams in the IT world. A four-hour long affair that costs $950 or more, it's not something you want to do more than once.
The CISSP credential is valid for three years. You can renew it by obtaining 120 continuing professional education (CPE) credits before the certification expires (or retaking the exam), 40 of which must be earned each year. An annual maintenance fee is also required.
CISSP is relatively a difficult credential to achieve as it is intended for IT professionals who have 5 years of experience with decent experience working in the Infosec domain. There are many professionals who take the exam without any proper strategic study [only follow self-study mode] and fail to pass the exam.
If you take a look at our 2019 list, you'll notice another fixture: CISSP - Certified Information Systems Security Professional. This year, CISSP-certified IT professionals have the third highest global salary ($116,573) and the 10th highest in North America ($123,815).
Ultimately, it's up to you to decide. Earning potential may be slightly higher with a CISSP, but the CEH allows for what most IT professionals would consider more exciting work coupled with fewer demands for certification. Plus, the CEH was recognized as one of the Best Information Security Certifications for 2017.
To sit for the CISSP Exam candidates need to prove that they possess 5 years of experience in Information Security. Your experience must be within at least two of the 10 security domains of the (ISC)2 CISSP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK).
Top Tips!
- Know the concepts.
- Exam Study Strategy – 50% CISSP material and 50% Practice Exams.
- At the end of each of the CISSP domains you cover in the text books.
- Prepare for Judgement/Scenario based questions (BEST/MOST/LEAST)
- Prepare your own strategy for when you sit the exam.
Candidates must have a minimum of five years cumulative paid work experience in two or more of the eight domains of the CISSP CBK. Earning a four-year college degree or regional equivalent or an additional credential from the (ISC)² approved list will satisfy one year of the required experience.
What are the 8 CISSP domains?
- Security and Risk Management.
- Asset Security.
- Security Architecture and Engineering.
- Communications and Network Security.
- Identity and Access Management.
- Security Assessment and Testing.
- Security Operations.
- Software Development Security.
The CISSP isn't a technical exam. It's a management exam. If you pass, however, you'll be caught in a CISSP purgatory (aka CISSP Associate) for up to six years until you get the minimum work experience. (ISC)2 requires a minimum cumulative five years paid work experience to earn the CISSP — and, yes, they check.
In order to get Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP) certification, one must pass the exam and complete an endorsement process. After you pass the exam, the (ISC)2will notify you after which moment you must complete the endorsement process.
I see the overall Security+ exam is less challenging. There are 3 simple comparisons to put the word “hard” in the right scale. Alphaprep.net can make the studying process much more fun and passing the exam much easier. If you have more questions or need more explanation just comment.
The CompTIA Security+ certification is worth the effort if you intend to pursue a cyber security related career track or you want to add security credentials to your resume, or if need to learn network security as part of your job.
Network+ is MUCH more difficult than Security+ (in my opinion), but it provides a foundation of knowledge that you need to really understand security.
Short answer: CCNA Security is a vendor specific certificate. You will learn networks security and how to implement network security protocols in Cisco devices. It is considered more practical and challenging certificate compared to Security+.
While the CISM is geared toward management, the CISSP is more of a hands-on technical certification. If you are more of a technical guy in information security, CISSP would be easier for you to pass while if you are more in to management side of information security CISM is would be easier for you to pass.
The books are incredible, but you only get them in hard copy form during the course itself. As many have said, it's only worth it if your employer pays for it. You get the most value out of it at some companies where getting specific GIAC certs will qualify you for a raise or promotion.
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
- CompTIA Security+
- Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP)
- Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
- Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework (NCSF)
- Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
After earning CompTIA Security+, cybersecurity professionals can take the next step by pursuing an intermediate skills-level cybersecurity certification, such as CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+) or CompTIA PenTest+.
Best CISSP Certification Study Books 2020
- Eleventh Hour CISSP®: Study Guide 3rd Edition by Eric Conrad, Seth Misenar and Joshua Feldman.
- The Official (ISC)2 Guide to the CISSP CBK Reference 5th Edition by John Warsinske.
- CISSP: A Comprehensive Beginners Guide on the Information Systems Security Kindle Edition by Walker Schmidt.
Top Tips!
- Know the concepts.
- Exam Study Strategy – 50% CISSP material and 50% Practice Exams.
- At the end of each of the CISSP domains you cover in the text books.
- Prepare for Judgement/Scenario based questions (BEST/MOST/LEAST)
- Prepare your own strategy for when you sit the exam.
To sit for the CISSP Exam candidates need to prove that they possess 5 years of experience in Information Security. Your experience must be within at least two of the 10 security domains of the (ISC)2 CISSP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK).
Follow these nine tips for Security+ certification exam success.
- Become Familiar With the Security+ Exam Domains.
- Create a Study Plan.
- Take Practice Exams.
- Get Plenty of Rest.
- Get to Know Your Exam.
- Leverage Free Exam-Prep Resources.
- Get Involved In an Exam Prep Course.
- Join a Security+ Online Community.
