CISSP certification and the exam

The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) exam is a comprehensive exam that covers a wide range of topics in the field of information security. The exam consists of 250 multiple choice questions, and candidates are given 6 hours to complete it.

The CISSP exam is organised into eight domains, each of which covers a specific area of knowledge in the field of information security. The eight domains are:

1. Security and Risk Management: This domain covers the principles and practices of security and risk management, including the development of security policies and procedures, risk assessment and analysis, and the implementation of controls to mitigate risk.
2. Asset Security: This domain covers the protection of assets, including the identification and classification of assets, as well as the implementation of controls to protect against unauthorised access or destruction.
3. Security Engineering: This domain covers the principles and practices of security engineering, including the development of secure systems and networks, and the implementation of security controls in hardware, software, and firmware.
4. Communication and Network Security: This domain covers the principles and practices of communication and network security, including the design and implementation of secure networks, and the protection of data transmitted over networks.
5. Identity and Access Management: This domain covers the principles and practices of identity and access management, including the management of user identities, the implementation of access controls, and the protection of data from unauthorised access.
6. Security Assessment and Testing: This domain covers the principles and practices of security assessment and testing, including the use of tools and techniques to assess the security of systems and networks, and the evaluation of the effectiveness of security controls.
7. Security Operations: This domain covers the principles and practices of security operations, including the management of security incidents, the implementation of security controls to protect against threats, and the maintenance of security infrastructure.
8. Software Development Security: This domain covers the principles and practices of software development security, including the integration of security into the software development process, and the implementation of controls to protect against vulnerabilities in software.

Questions on the CISSP exam will be different each time, but they will be based on the knowledge and skills covered in these 8 areas. For candidates to do well on the exam, they need to have a deep understanding of all of the domains.