Certified Information Systems Security Professional

In November 2015 I attended a week long bootcamp at Firebrand Training in Wyboston, England. From the Sunday to the Saturday thirty or more students sat in the classroom and tried to take in all of the course materials, ready for an exam on the Sunday.

The exam itself is computer based, 250 multiple choice questions, and you’re given six hours to complete it. You are permitted to take breaks, and the training centre laid on food and drink so you could freshen up a bit before getting back to the exam.

I have to say that if I hadn’t had years of experience to call on, and if I hadn’t done the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) qualification a few years before I would probably have struggled with some sections. As it was, I passed and then had to apply for my certification proper.  That involved completing a questionnaire and finding an existing Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) to vouch for me, then waiting for several weeks before being given the good news.

As with the CISM and CEH designations, recertification requires at least 120 hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) in related topics over three years. As I have only recently gained the accreditation, I don’t have to recertification until 2019.

In my opinion, the CISSP from (ISC)2 was the hardest certification for me to pass, though the course for CEH was much more intense.