Top 8 CISSP Domains - The Complete Guide

For more information about CISSP, you can check out the complete tutorial on CISSP by Intellipaat:

What is CISSP?

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is an autonomous data security certification given by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, which is also known as the (ISC)².

The CISSP title is a recognized, vendor-neutral specification certifying to an IT security expert’s technical abilities and hands-on knowledge in applying and controlling a security plan.

As of January 1, 2021, there are 147,591 (ISC)² participants having the CISSP certification globally. In June 2004, the CISSP label was approved under the ANSI ISO/IEC Standard 17024:2003. CISSP is also officially approved by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) in their Information Assurance Technical (IAT), Managerial (IAM), and System Architect and Engineer (IASAE) groupings for DoDD 8570 certification requirements.

CISSP is perfect for skilled security specialists, managers, and officials who are interested in establishing their expertise across an array of safety practices and principles:

• Chief Information Security Officer
• Chief Information Officer
• Director of Security
• IT Director or Manager
• Security Systems Engineer
• Security Analyst

How to become CISSP – Certified

Becoming a CISSP needs more than just passing the CISSP exam. Applicants have to have five years of full-time hands-on knowledge in at least two of the eight CISSP domains.

The (ISC)² recommends a four-step pathway for certification to applicants, starting with determining that the CISSP credential is the right credential for them. The (ISC)² advises CISSP certification for candidates who are skilled cybersecurity practitioners.

The next step that (ISC)² recommends is preparing and enrolling for the certification exam. Many candidates enroll in CISSP training courses to prepare for the exam.

CISSP Exam

The CISSP exam is six hours long and comprises of 250 MCQs and complex innovative questions examining the applicant’s knowledge and understanding of the eight CISSP domains, security, and risk management, asset security, communications and network security, security engineering, security assessment and testing, identity and access management, security operations, and software development security. The results are computed on a scaled score, with a score of 700 or more out of a 1,000-point maximum needed to qualify for the credential.

The CISSP exam is offered in English, Chinese, Korean, French, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, and Japanese.

The CISSP exam costs around $699, although accurate pricing and taxes vary based on the site of the exam. Attendance at the certification exam can be rearranged for a $50 fee and there is a $100 fee for exam cancellation.

What is (ISC)² CISSP CBK?

CISSP applicants are confirmed on the basis of their practical skills and academic knowledge. This knowledge must be connected to the Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) domains that focus on theory for scheming and keeping the security structure in a company. It is also focused on incorporating the knowledge of new fears, technologies, and regulations as described on the (ISC)² website.

The (ISC)² CISSP CBK is a recognized common framework of data on security terms and values. CBK was confirmed in 1992 and the very first CISSPs were certified in 1994.

Top 8 CISSP Domains

CISSP CBK is a compilation of 8 CISSP domains. Applicants need to show their knowledge in each of the CISSP domains to obtain the certification. Numerous updates and curriculum revisions constitute the CISSP. These revisions and updates guarantee the CISSP’s correspondence with the knowledge needed in the ever-evolving IT field. Effective from May 1, 2021, (ISC)²’s CISSP qualification exam will have 8 CISSP domains revived to include the following CISSP domains.

Here is a list of the top 8 CISSP domains:

Security and Risk Management

This CISSP domain covers about 15 percent of the CISSP exam. This is the main CISSP domain, offering a complete summary of the things that are required to be understood about information systems management.

Security and Risk Management covers:

• Security control principles
• IT policies and methods
• Calculation of observance requirements
• Creating a scope, proposal, and strategy for enterprise continuity requirements
• Risk-centered concepts
• Compliance requirements
• Notions of threat modeling and methods

Asset Security

This CISSP domain is about safeguarding resources. It covers about 10 percent of the CISSP exam. Asset Security deals with topics related to the administration of information and the idea of possession of information. It comprises the skills of numerous roles concerning data managing, owning and processing, privacy issues, and constraints of use.

Asset Security covers:

• Managing requirements
• Data security restrictions
• Safeguarding privacy
• Asset’s retention
• Categorization and possession of data

Security Architecture and Engineering

This CISSP domain is about employing principles in IS architecture design. It covers about 13 percent of the CISSP exam. It is a domain with a broad scope encompassing several key concepts in data security. Applicants are examined on safety engineering processes, models, design rules, exposures, database protection, cryptosystems, and cloud systems.

Security Architecture and Engineering include:

• Ideas for security skills of data systems
• Cryptography
• Ability to lessen weaknesses in security architects, plans, mobile applications, web-based applications, and entrenched systems.
• Essential concepts of security prototypes

Communications and Network Security

This CISSP domain is about creating and safeguarding network security. It covers about 13 percent of the CISSP exam. It covers network safety and the capability to create reliable interaction channels. Applicants will have to solve questions on various characteristics of network design, communication rules, separation, transmitting, and wireless communications.

Communications and Network Security includes:

• Protecting network parts
• Protecting communication channels
• Applying and safeguarding layout values in network design

Identity and Access Management

This CISSP domain casts a light on attacks manipulating the human element to obtain access to information and methods to detect those who have the right to log on to servers and access data. It covers about 13 percent of the CISSP exam. It covers the conception of phases, multifactor validation, and credentials.

Identity and Access Management includes:

• Logical and physical access to data
• Detection and validation
• Assimilating uniqueness as a provision and third-party identity services
• Approval mechanisms

Security Assessment and Testing

This CISSP domain consists of the tools and methods that are used to evaluate the security of procedures and find weaknesses, errors in coding or layout, vulnerabilities, and potential troublesome areas not rectified by policies and systems. It covers about 12 percent of the CISSP exam.

Security Assessment and Testing covers:

• Vulnerability assessment and penetration testing
• Disaster recovery
• Business continuity plans
• Awareness training for clients

Security Operations

This CISSP domain emphasizes initial concepts, inspections, incident administration, and calamity recovery. It covers about 13 percent of the CISSP exam. It is a wide-ranging and helpful domain encompassing digital forensics, probes, intrusion avoidance and exposure tools, firewalls, and sandboxing.

Security Operations covers:

• Enabling security inspections
• Accumulating secure information
• Business endurance
• Safeguarding the provision of assets
• Logging and examining events

Software Development Security

This CISSP domain interacts with executing security regulations on software systems surrounded by the environment for which the security data system professional is accountable.

Software Development Security covers:

• Examining hazard evaluation
• Detecting weaknesses in source codes

Conclusion

If you want to have knowledge in the field of data security, CISSP certification training can help. It will build and enhance your knowledge in describing IT building and in constructing, developing, and providing a protected business ecosystem using universally accepted information security guidelines.

This course will prepare you for the CISSP certification exam conducted by (ISC)².