As our world changes, the need for improvements in security and technology continues to grow. Corporations and other organizations are desperate to identify and recruit talented and experienced security professionals to help protect the resources on which they depend to run their businesses and remain competitive. As a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), you will be seen as a security professional of proven ability who has successfully met a predefined standard of knowledge and experience that is well understood and respected throughout the industry. By keeping this certification current, you will demonstrate your dedication to staying abreast of security developments.
Consider some of the reasons for attaining a CISSP certification:
• To broaden your current knowledge of security concepts and practices
• To demonstrate your expertise as a seasoned security professional
• To become more marketable in a competitive workforce
• To increase your salary and be eligible for more employment opportunities
• To bring improved security expertise to your current occupation
• To show a dedication to the security discipline
The CISSP certification helps companies identify which individuals have the ability, knowledge, and experience necessary to implement solid security practices; perform risk analysis; identify necessary countermeasures; and help the organization as a whole protect its facility, network, systems, and information. The CISSP certification also shows potential employers you have achieved a level of proficiency and expertise in skill sets and knowledge required by the security industry. The increasing importance placed on security in corporate success will only continue in the future, leading to even greater demands for highly skilled security professionals. The CISSP certification shows that a respected third-party organization has recognized an individual’s technical and theoretical knowledge and expertise, and distinguishes that individual from those who lack this level of knowledge.
Understanding and implementing security practices is an essential part of being a good network administrator, programmer, or engineer. Job descriptions that do not specifically target security professionals still often require that a potential candidate have a good understanding of security concepts as well as how to implement them. Due to staff size and budget restraints, many organizations can’t afford separate network and security staffs. But they still believe security is vital to their organization. Thus, they often try to combine knowledge of technology and security into a single role. With a CISSP designation, you can put yourself head and shoulders above other individuals in this regard.
The CISSP Exam
Because the CISSP exam covers the eight domains making up the CISSP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK), it is often described as being “an inch deep and a mile wide,” a reference to the fact that many questions on the exam are not very detailed and do not require you to be an expert in every subject. However, the questions do require you to be familiar with many different security subjects.
The CISSP exam comprises 250 multiple-choice and innovative questions, which must be answered in no more than 6 hours. Innovative questions incorporate drag-and-drop (i.e., take a term or item and drag it to the correct position in the frame) or hotspot (i.e., click the item or term that correctly answers the question) interfaces, but are otherwise weighed and scored just like any other question. The questions are pulled from a much larger question bank to ensure the exam is as unique as possible for each entrant. In addition, the test bank constantly changes and evolves to more accurately reflect the real world of security. The exam questions are continually rotated and replaced in the bank as necessary. Only 225 questions are graded, while 25 are used for research purposes. The 25 research questions are integrated into the exam, so you won’t know which go toward your final grade. To pass the exam, you need a scale score of 700 points out of 1,000. Questions are weighted based on their difficulty; not all questions are worth the same number of points. The exam is not product or vendor oriented, meaning no questions will be specific to certain products or vendors (for instance, Windows, Unix, or Cisco). Instead, you will be tested on the security models and methodologies used by these types of systems.
EXAM TIP There is no penalty for guessing. If you can’t come up with the right answer in a reasonable amount of time, then you should guess and move on to the next question.
(ISC)2, which stands for International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, also includes scenario-based questions in the CISSP exam. These questions present a short scenario to the test taker rather than asking the test taker to identify terms and/or concepts. The goal of the scenario-based questions is to ensure that test takers not only know and understand the concepts within the CBK, but also can apply this knowledge to real-life situations. This is more practical because in the real world, you won’t be challenged by having someone asking you “What is the definition of collusion?” You need to know how to detect and prevent collusion from taking place, in addition to knowing the definition of the term.
After passing the exam, you will be asked to supply documentation, supported by a sponsor, proving that you indeed have the type of experience required to obtain this certification. The sponsor must sign a document vouching for the security experience you are submitting. So, make sure you have this sponsor lined up prior to registering for the exam and providing payment. You don’t want to pay for and pass the exam, only to find you can’t find a sponsor for the final step needed to achieve your certification.
The reason behind the sponsorship requirement is to ensure that those who achieve the certification have real-world experience to offer organizations. Book knowledge is extremely important for understanding theory, concepts, standards, and regulations, but it can never replace hands-on experience. Proving your practical experience supports the relevance of the certification.
A small sample group of individuals selected at random will be audited after passing the exam. The audit consists mainly of individuals from (ISC)2 calling on the candidates’ sponsors and contacts to verify the test taker’s related experience.
One of the factors that makes the CISSP exam challenging is that most candidates, although they work in the security field, are not necessarily familiar with all eight CBK domains. If a security professional is considered an expert in vulnerability testing or application security, for example, she may not be familiar with physical security, cryptography, or forensics. Thus, studying for this exam will broaden your knowledge of the security field.
The exam questions address the eight CBK security domains, which are described in Table 1.
Table 1 Security Domains That Make Up the CISSP CBK
(ISC)2 attempts to keep up with changes in technology and methodologies in the security field by adding numerous new questions to the test question bank each year. These questions are based on current technologies, practices, approaches, and standards. For example, the CISSP exam given in 1998 did not have questions pertaining to wireless security, cross-site scripting attacks, or IPv6.
What Does This Book Cover?
This book covers everything you need to know to become an (ISC)2-certified CISSP. It teaches you the hows and whys behind organizations’ development and implementation of policies, procedures, guidelines, and standards. It covers network, application, and system vulnerabilities; what exploits them; and how to counter these threats. The book explains physical security, operational security, and why systems implement the security mechanisms they do. It also reviews the U.S. and international security criteria and evaluations performed on systems for assurance ratings, what these criteria mean, and why they are used. This book also explains the legal and liability issues that surround computer systems and the data they hold, including such subjects as computer crimes, forensics, and what should be done to properly prepare computer evidence associated with these topics for court.
While this book is mainly intended to be used as a study guide for the CISSP exam, it is also a handy reference guide for use after your certification.
Tips for Taking the CISSP Exam
Many people feel as though the exam questions are tricky. Make sure to read each question and its answer choices thoroughly instead of reading a few words and immediately assuming you know what the question is asking. Some of the answer choices may have only subtle differences, so be patient and devote time to reading through the question more than once.
A common complaint heard about the CISSP exam is that some questions seem a bit subjective. For example, whereas it might be easy to answer a technical question that asks for the exact mechanism used in Transport Layer Security (TLS) that protects against man-in-the-middle attacks, it’s not quite as easy to answer a question that asks whether an eight-foot perimeter fence provides low, medium, or high security. Many questions ask the test taker to choose the “best” approach, which some people find confusing and subjective. These complaints are mentioned here not to criticize (ISC)2 and the exam writers, but to help you better prepare for the exam. This book covers all the necessary material for the exam and contains many questions and self-practice tests. Most of the questions are formatted in such a way as to better prepare you for what you will encounter on the actual exam. So, make sure to read all the material in the book, and pay close attention to the questions and their formats. Even if you know the subject well, you may still get some answers wrong—it is just part of learning how to take tests.
In answering many questions, it is important to keep in mind that some things are inherently more valuable than others. For example, the protection of human lives and welfare will almost always trump all other responses. Similarly, if all other factors are equal and you are given a choice between an expensive and complex solution and a simpler and cheaper one, the second will win most of the time. Expert advice (e.g., from an attorney) is more valuable than that offered by someone with lesser credentials. If one of the possible responses to a question is to seek or obtain advice from an expert, pay close attention to that question. The correct response may very well be to seek out that expert.
Familiarize yourself with industry standards and expand your technical knowledge and methodologies outside the boundaries of what you use today. We cannot stress enough that just because you are the top dog in your particular field, it doesn’t mean you are properly prepared for every domain the exam covers.
When you take the CISSP exam at the Pearson VUE test center, other certification exams may be taking place simultaneously in the same room. Don’t feel rushed if you see others leaving the room early; they may be taking a shorter exam.
How to Use This Book
Much effort has gone into putting all the necessary information into this book. Now it’s up to you to study and understand the material and its various concepts. To best benefit from this book, you might want to use the following study method:
• Study each chapter carefully and make sure you understand each concept presented. Many concepts must be fully understood, and glossing over a couple here and there could be detrimental to you. The CISSP CBK contains hundreds of individual topics, so take the time needed to understand them all.
• Make sure to study and answer all of the questions. If any questions confuse you, go back and study those sections again. Remember, some of the questions on the actual exam are a bit confusing because they do not seem straightforward. Do not ignore the confusing questions, thinking they’re not well worded. Instead, pay even closer attention to them because they are there for a reason.
• If you are not familiar with specific topics, such as firewalls, laws, physical security, or protocol functionality, use other sources of information (books, articles, and so on) to attain a more in-depth understanding of those subjects. Don’t just rely on what you think you need to know to pass the CISSP exam.
• After reading this book, study the questions and answers, and take the practice tests. Then review the (ISC)2 exam outline and make sure you are comfortable with each bullet item presented. If you are not comfortable with some items, revisit those chapters.
• If you have taken other certification exams—such as Cisco, Novell, or Microsoft—you might be used to having to memorize details and configuration parameters. But remember, the CISSP test is “an inch deep and a mile wide,” so make sure you understand the concepts of each subject before trying to memorize the small, specific details.
• Remember that the exam is looking for the “best” answer. On some questions test takers do not agree with any or many of the answers. You are being asked to choose the best answer out of the four being offered to you.