The (ISC)2 CISSP-ISSEP exam, or in other words the CISSP Information Systems Security Engineering Professional, verifies that you have the required flair to skillfully make use of systems engineering processes as well as principles in order to build protective systems. In addition, by passing an evaluation like this you will earn the CISSP-ISSEP certificate that demonstrates your prowess in integrating the security features into projects, apps, businesses, and all other information systems.

More Certificate Details

The CISSP-ISSEP designation proves whether you’re well versed in delivering the needs of an organization by outlining security requirements, creating security architectures, upgrading design for security, implementing security for systems, and supporting the evaluation of system security as well as conducting the authorization for government and industry as a whole. This certification is a perfect fit for you if you’re currently working in the roles of a senior systems engineer, information assurance officer, senior security analyst, and information assurance systems engineer. Still, the earning of such a certificate is not an easy feat as you’ll have to study hard to memorize and understand all the domains available in the CISSP-ISSEP CBK (Common Body of Knowledge). Plus, to be allowed to participate in the related exam process, you will have to meet the distinct experience requirements that the vendor imposes. This, in particular, is holding 2-year experience in working closely with at best one domain of the CISSP-ISSEP CBK. Once you comply with this prerequisite, you are good to go and enroll in the official test.

Exam Structure

Of course, it’s easier to cope with exam anxiety when you’re familiar with the main evaluation process. Thus, the actual test, CISSP-ISSEP, will be featuring 125 questions of the multiple-choice type, and you will have at least 180 minutes to tackle all of them. To add more, the test in question is delivered in English via Pearson VUE, and to get the demanded certification, you need to score a minimum of 700 points. Finally, the fee that is to be paid for you to partake in the real exam is $599.

What Does This Evaluation Gauge?

Well, when it comes to the skills and knowledge that such an exam infuses in candidates, check the below-mentioned list of domains:

• Foundations for Systems Security Engineering;
• Managing Risks;
• Planning and Design for Security;
• Validation, Verification, and Systems Implementation;
• Change Management, Disposal, and Secure Operations.

Thus, the first topic details six peculiar objectives and starts with the explanations of the way to utilize the basics of systems security engineering. After that, you need to learn to handle various operations of systems security engineering and blend with the applicable methodology for system development. Knowing how to perform technical management, take part in the acquisition process, and define the trusted systems and networks (TSN) is also mandatory to nail the actual evaluation in one go. In a nutshell, throughout the whole domain, you’ll get equipped with the concepts like systems security engineering trust, quality assurance (QA), supply chain risk management, etc. Topic two is all about the procedure of risk management, where you need to make use of the principles for the same by aligning the management of security risk with enterprise risk management (ERM) and imparting the management of risks through the overall lifecycle. Plus, there, you will have to address risks to varied systems, and this can be done with the help of building risk context, checking the security risks for systems, accomplishing the analysis & evaluation of risks, and so on. Finally, under such a category, the candidates have to be in charge of risks to varied operations by checking the tolerance of the stakeholder risk, assessing the needs for remediation, and recommending the options for risk treatment. After this, the third measured area steps in, which commences with the definition of the setting that is organizational and operational. Plus, there, you will have to take advantage of principles of system security, know how to reduce the SPOF or Single Points of Failure, and denote the term of Separation of Duties (SoD). Next, while studying such a module, you will have to upgrade system requirements and build the design & architecture of system security. When you reach the fourth domain, it will impart to you the knowledge of executing, deploying, and integrating solutions for security so that you could accomplish the related processes smoothly. In addition, while dealing with the same domain, you will focus on validating as well as verifying the solutions for security to perform the necessary controls and meet the security requirements for stakeholders. Finally, the fifth chapter revolves around the procedure of developing a protective strategy for operations and participation in varied secure operations. Also, within this knowledge scope, you’ll have to take part in the procedure of change management as well as the disposal process. As a result, if you study all these carefully, you will be able to come up with the requirements for personnel conducting activities, upgrade the continual control processes, create the secure strategy for maintenance, build the protective strategy for disposal, develop risk evaluation documentation, and so on.

Career Prospects for Certified Professionals

Adding the CISSP-ISSEP qualification under your belt is the most sensible decision that you could make to accelerate your career. In more detail, a certificate like this makes you eligible for some top-notch job profiles that are highly revered and demanded in the market to date. Thus, you can select from a pool of options and become a Security Engineer in Information Systems, Senior Cybersecurity Engineer, Chief Architect, Chief Information Security Officer, Division General Manager, and so on. And for all your strains during the certification process, you will be compensated as much as $150k annually as Payscale.com depicts.

Next Certification Pathway

Even though passing the CISSP-ISSEP exam is an uphill task, you can never regret getting accredited. Hence, it’s recommendable that you sustain your acumen by garnering more certificates from the house of (ISC)2. For example, the most suitable options, in this case, will be the CISSP-ISSAP & CISSP-ISSMP.