ISC2 certifications

ISC2 bookends a security career with these two exams. Certified in Cybersecurity is the entry credential: five domains — security principles, business continuity and incident response concepts, access controls, network security, security operations — with no experience requirement, designed for people entering the field. CISSP is the flagship: eight domains spanning risk management, asset security, architecture and engineering, network security, identity and access, assessment and testing, security operations and software development security, with a substantial professional-experience requirement before the certification is granted.

Both are delivered at Pearson VUE test centres and scored on a scale with a published passing score. CISSP candidates without the required experience can pass the exam and become an Associate of ISC2 while they accumulate it. Both credentials are maintained through continuing professional education and an annual maintenance fee, with a grace period after the due date.

ISC2 exams are scheduled through Pearson VUE under ISC2's own rescheduling and cancellation rules. After passing CISSP, endorsement follows: an existing ISC2-certified professional attests to your experience within a window after the exam, and the certification is issued on approval. Both credentials carry an annual maintenance fee and continuing-education credits reported over a multi-year cycle, with a grace period on the fee due date.

How to use this family page: start with Certified in Cybersecurity if you are new, otherwise open the CISSP exam guide for the eight domain weights and work the practice sets by domain. Line up an endorser before you sit CISSP, and log experience against the domains as you go so the endorsement is ready when the pass arrives.

Which first: Certified in Cybersecurity if you cannot yet document the CISSP experience, because it is inexpensive and gives you a credential now; CISSP directly if you can. The entry credential is not required for CISSP and does not reduce its experience requirement.