CISSP Program Overview
The CISSP certification is one of the most renowned achievements within the realm
of information security. Our training course is meticulously crafted to endow
participants with the technical skills and managerial prowess necessary to
effectively design, build, and oversee an organization’s security framework, aligning
with globally recognized information security norms.
About the CISSP Exam
Exam Name - Certified Information Security Professional (CCSP)
Exam Duration - 3 hours
Number of questions 100 -150
Exam format Multiple Choice Questions
Passing Score 700 out of 1000
Language English, Chinese, German and Japanese
Testing center Pearson VUE Testing Centre
CISSP CAT Examination Weights
Domains Average
Weight
1. Security and Risk Management 16%
2. Asset Security 10%
3. Security Architecture and 13%
Engineering
4. Communication and Network 13%
Security
5. Identity and Access 13%
Management (IAM)
6. Security Assessment and Testing 12%
7. Security Operations 13%
8. Software Development Security 10%
Total 100%
CISSP Domains
1) Domain 1: Security and Risk Management
2) Domain 2: Asset Security
3) Domain 3: Security Architecture and Engineering
4) Domain 4: Communication and Network Security
5) Domain 5: Identity and Access Management (IAM)
6) Domain 6: Security Assessment and Testing
7) Domain 7: Security Operations
8) Domain 8: Software Development Security
Domain 1: Security and Risk Management
1.1 - Understand, adhere to, and promote professional ethics
ISC2 Code of Professional Ethics
Organizational code of ethics
1.2 - Understand and apply security concepts
Confidentiality, integrity, and availability, authenticity, and
nonrepudiation (5 Pillars of Information Security)
1.3 - Evaluate and apply security governance principles
Alignment of the security function to business strategy, goals, mission,
and objectives
Organizational processes (e.g., acquisitions, divestitures, governance
committees)
Organizational roles and responsibilities
Security control frameworks (e.g., International Organization for
Standardization (ISO), National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST), Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology
(COBIT), Sherwood Applied Business Security Architecture (SABSA),
Payment Card Industry (PCI), Federal Risk and Authorization
Management Program (FedRAMP))
Due care/due diligence
1.4 - Understand legal, regulatory, and compliance issues that pertain to
information security in a holistic context
Cybercrimes and data breaches
Licensing and Intellectual Property requirements
Import/export controls
Transborder data flow
Issues related to privacy (e.g., General Data Protection Regulation
(GDPR), California Consumer Privacy Act, Personal Information
Protection Law, Protection of Personal Information Act)
Contractual, legal, industry standards, and regulatory requirements
1.5 - Understand requirements for investigation types (i.e., administrative,
criminal, civil, regulatory, industry standards)
1.6 - Develop, document, and implement security policy, standards,
procedures, and guidelines
Alignment of the security function to business strategy, goals, mission,
and objectives
Organizational processes (e.g., acquisitions, divestitures, governance
committees)
Organizational roles and responsibilities
Security control frameworks (e.g., International Organization for
Standardization (ISO), National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST), Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology
(COBIT), Sherwood Applied Business Security Architecture (SABSA),
Payment Card Industry (PCI), Federal Risk and Authorization
Management Program (FedRAMP))
Due care/due diligence
1.7 - Identify, analyse, assess, prioritize, and implement Business Continuity
(BC) requirements
Business impact analysis (BIA)
External dependencies
1.8 - Contribute to and enforce personnel security policies and procedures
Candidate screening and hiring
Employment agreements and policy driven requirements
Onboarding, transfers, and termination processes
Vendor, consultant, and contractor agreements and controls
1.9 - Understand and apply risk management concepts
Threat and vulnerability identification
Risk analysis, assessment, and scope
Risk response and treatment (e.g., cybersecurity insurance)
Applicable types of controls (e.g., preventive, detection, corrective)
Control assessments (e.g., security and privacy)
Continuous monitoring and measurement
Reporting (e.g., internal, external)
Continuous improvement (e.g., risk maturity modelling)
Risk frameworks (e.g., International Organization for Standardization
(ISO), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Control
Objectives for Information and Related Technology (COBIT), Sherwood
Applied Business Security Architecture (SABSA), Payment Card Industry
(PCI))
1.10 - Understand and apply threat modelling concepts and methodologies
1.11 - Apply Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) concepts
Risks associated with the acquisition of products and services from
suppliers and providers (e.g., product tampering, counterfeits,
implants)
Risk mitigations (e.g., third-party assessment and monitoring,
minimum security requirements, service level requirements, silicon
root of trust, physically unclonable function, software bill of materials)
1.12 - Establish and maintain a security awareness, education, and training
program
Methods and techniques to increase awareness and training (e.g.,
social engineering, phishing, security champions, gamification)
Periodic content reviews to include emerging technologies and trends
(e.g., cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain)
Program effectiveness evaluation
Domain 2: Asset Security
2.1 - Identify and classify information and assets
Data classification
Asset Classification
2.2 - Establish information and asset handling requirements
2.3 - Provision information and assets securely
Information and asset ownership
Asset inventory (e.g., tangible, intangible)
Asset management
2.4 - Manage data lifecycle
Data roles (i.e., owners, controllers, custodians, processors,
users/subjects)
Data collection
Data location
Data maintenance
Data retention
Data remanence
Data destruction
2.5 - Ensure appropriate asset retention (e.g., End of Life (EOL), End of
Support)
2.6 - Determine data security controls and compliance requirements
Data states (e.g., in use, in transit, at rest)
Scoping and tailoring
Standards selection
Data protection methods (e.g., Digital Rights Management (DRM), Data
Loss Prevention (DLP), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB))
Domain 3: Security Architecture and Engineering
3.1 - Research, implement and manage engineering processes using secure
design principles
Threat modelling
Least privilege
Defence in depth
Secure defaults
Fail securely
Segregation of Duties (SoD)
Keep it simple and small
Zero trust or trust but verify
Privacy by design
Shared responsibility
Secure access service edge
3.2 - Understand the fundamental concepts of security models (e.g., Biba,
Star Model, Bell-LaPadula)
3.3 - Select controls based upon systems security requirements
3.4 - Understand security capabilities of Information Systems (IS) (e.g.,
memory protection, Trusted Platform Module (TPM), 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 (e.g., Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure
as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS))
Distributed systems
Internet of Things (IoT)
Microservices (e.g., application programming interface (API))
Containerization
Serverless
Embedded systems
High-Performance Computing systems
Edge computing systems
Virtualized systems
3.6 - Select and determine cryptographic solutions
Cryptographic life cycle (e.g., keys, algorithm selection)
Cryptographic methods (e.g., symmetric, asymmetric, elliptic curves,
quantum)
Public key infrastructure (PKI) (e.g., quantum key distribution
3.7 - Understand methods of cryptanalytic attacks
Brute force
Ciphertext only
Known plaintext
Frequency analysis
Chosen ciphertext
Implementation attacks
Side-channel
Fault injection
Timing
Man-in-the-Middle (MITM)
Pass the hash
Kerberos exploitation
Ransomware
3.8 - Apply security principles to site and facility design
3.9 - Design site and facility security controls
Wiring closets/intermediate distribution facilities
Server room’s/data centre’s
Media storage facilities
Evidence storage
Restricted and work area security
Utilities and Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
Environmental issues (e.g., natural disasters, man-made)
Fire prevention, detection, and suppression
Power (e.g., redundant, backup)
3.10 - Manage the information system lifecycle
Stakeholder’s needs and requirements
Requirements analysis
Architectural design
Development /implementation
Integration
Verification and validation
Transition/deployment
Operations and maintenance/sustainment
Retirement/disposal
Domain 4: Communication and Network Security
4.1 - Apply secure design principles in network architectures
Open System Interconnection (OSI) and Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) models
Internet Protocol (IP) version 4 and 6 (IPv6) (e.g., unicast, broadcast,
multicast, anycast)
Secure protocols (e.g., Internet Protocol Security (IPSec), Secure Shell
(SSH), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)/ Transport Layer Security (TLS))
Implications of multilayer protocols
Converged protocols (e.g., Internet Small Computer Systems Interface
(iSCSI), Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), InfiniBand over Ethernet,
Compute Express Link)
Transport architecture (e.g., topology, data/control/management
plane, cut-through/store-and-forward)
Performance metrics (e.g., bandwidth, latency, jitter, throughput,
signal-to-noise ratio)
Traffic flows (e.g., north-south, east-west)
Physical segmentation (e.g., in-band, out-of-band, air-gapped)
Logical segmentation (e.g., virtual local area networks (VLANs), virtual
private networks (VPNs), virtual routing and forwarding, virtual
domain)
Micro-segmentation (e.g., network overlays/encapsulation; distributed
firewalls, routers, intrusion detection system (IDS)/intrusion prevention
system (IPS), zero trust)
Edge networks (e.g., ingress/egress, peering)
Wireless networks (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, satellite)
Cellular/mobile networks (e.g., 4G, 5G)
Content distribution networks (CDN)
Software defined networks (SDN), (e.g., application programming
interface (API), Software-Defined Wide- Area Network, network
functions virtualization)
Virtual Private Cloud (VPC)
Monitoring and management (e.g., network observability, traffic
flow/shaping, capacity management, fault detection and handling)
4.2 - Secure network components
Operation of infrastructure (e.g., redundant power, warranty, support)
Transmission media (e.g., physical security of media, signal propagation
quality)
Network Access Control (NAC) systems (e.g., physical, and virtual
solutions)
Endpoint security (e.g., host-based)
4.3 - Implement secure communication channels according to design
Voice, video, and collaboration (e.g., conferencing, Zoom rooms)
Remote access (e.g., network administrative functions)
Data communications (e.g., backhaul networks, satellite)
Third-party connectivity (e.g., telecom providers, hardware support)
Domain 5: Identity and Access Management (IAM)
5.1 - Control physical and logical access to assets
Information
Systems
Devices
Facilities
Applications
Services
5.2 - Design identification and authentication strategy (e.g., people, devices,
and services)
Groups and Roles
Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) (e.g., multi-factor
authentication (MFA), password-less authentication)
Session management
Registration, proofing, and establishment of identity
Federated Identity Management (FIM)
Credential management systems (e.g., Password vault)
Single sign-on (SSO)
Just-In-Time
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
Access policy enforcement (e.g., policy decision point, policy
enforcement point)
5.5 - Manage the identity and access provisioning lifecycle
Account access review (e.g., user, system, service)
Provisioning and deprovisioning (e.g., on /off boarding and transfers)
Role definition and transition (e.g., people assigned to new roles)
Privilege escalation (e.g., use of Sudo, auditing its use)
Service accounts management
5.6 - Implement authentication systems
Domain 6: Security Assessment and Testing
6.1 - Design and validate assessment, test, and audit strategies
Internal (e.g., within organization control)
External (e.g., outside organization control)
Third-party (e.g., outside of enterprise control)
Location (e.g., on-premises, cloud, hybrid)
6.2 - Conduct security control testing
Vulnerability assessment
Penetration testing (e.g., red, blue, and/or purple team exercises)
Log reviews
Synthetic transactions/benchmarks
Code review and testing
Misuse case testing
Coverage analysis
Interface testing (e.g., user interface, network interface, application
programming interface (API))
Breach attack simulations
Compliance checks
6.3 - Collect security process data (e.g., 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 - Analyse test output and generate report
Remediation
Exception handling
Ethical disclosure
6.5 - Conduct or facilitate security audits
Internal (e.g., within organization control)
External (e.g., outside organization control)
Third-party (e.g., outside of enterprise control)
Location (e.g., on-premises, cloud, hybrid)
Domain 7: Security Operations
7.1 - Understand and comply with investigations
Evidence collection and handling
Reporting and documentation
Investigative techniques
Digital forensics tools, tactics, and procedures
Artifacts (e.g., data, computer, network, mobile device)
7.2 - Conduct logging and monitoring activities
Intrusion detection and prevention (IDPS)
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
Continuous monitoring and tuning
Egress monitoring
Log management
Threat intelligence (e.g., threat feeds, threat hunting)
User and Entity Behaviour Analytics (UEBA)
7.3 - Perform Configuration Management (CM) (e.g., provisioning, baselining,
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 (SLA)
7.5 - Apply resource protection
Media management
Media protection techniques
Data at rest/data in transit
7.6 - Conduct incident management
Detection
Response
Mitigation
Reporting
Recovery
Remediation
Lessons learned
7.7 - Operate and maintain detection and preventative measures
Firewalls (e.g., next generation, web application, network)
Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Systems
(IPS)
Whitelisting/blacklisting
Third-party provided security services
Sandboxing
Honeypots/honeynets
Anti-malware
Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) based tools
7.8 - Implement and support patch and vulnerability management
7.9 - Understand and participate in change management processes
7.10 - Implement recovery strategies
Backup storage strategies (e.g., cloud storage, onsite, offsite)
Recovery site strategies (e.g., cold vs. hot, resource capacity
agreements)
Multiple processing sites
System resilience, high availability (HA), Quality of Service (QoS), and
fault tolerance
7.11 - Implement Disaster Recovery (DR) processes
Response
Personnel
Communications (e.g., methods)
Assessment
Restoration
Training and awareness
Lessons learned
7.12 - Test Disaster Recovery Plans (DRP)
Read-through/tabletop
Walkthrough
Simulation
Parallel
Full interruption
Communications (e.g., stakeholders, test status, regulators)
7.13 - Participate in Business Continuity (BC) planning and exercises
7.14 - Implement and manage physical security
Perimeter security controls
Internal security controls
7.15 - Address personnel safety and security concerns
Travel
Security training and awareness (e.g., insider threat, social media
impacts, two-factor authentication (2FA) fatigue)
Emergency management
Duress
Domain 8: Software Development Security
8.1 - Understand and integrate security in the Software Development Life
Cycle (SDLC)
Development methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall, DevOps,
DevSecOps, Scaled Agile Framework)
Maturity models (e.g., Capability Maturity Model (CMM), Software
Assurance Maturity Model (SAMM))
Operation and maintenance
Change management
Integrated Product Team
8.2 - Identify and apply security controls in software development
ecosystems
Programming languages
Libraries
Tool sets
Integrated Development Environment
Runtime
Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD)
Software configuration management (CM)
Code repositories
Application security testing (e.g., static application security testing
(SAST), dynamic application security testing (DAST), software
composition analysis, Interactive Application Security Test (IAST))
8.3 - Assess the effectiveness of software security
Auditing and logging of changes
Risk analysis and mitigation
8.4 - Assess security impact of acquired software
Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS)
Open source
Third-party
Managed services (e.g., enterprise applications)
Cloud services (e.g., Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a
Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS))
8.5 - Define and apply secure coding guidelines and standards
Security weaknesses and vulnerabilities at the source-code level
Security of application programming interfaces (API)
Secure coding practices
Software-defined security