What costs will I incur with CISSP Certification in 2024?
The CISSP Certification from ISC² is gaining attention among IT professionals willing to stand out from the crowd. Although the certification was released back in the late 90s, currently the certification of CISSP is a popular credential that an IT professional can acquire. The credential certifies and highlights the expertise of professionals engaged in managing information security systems.
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is not designed for every IT professional. An individual is required to meet certain perquisites before taking up the CISSP Exam and earning the certification. Managerial or senior positions like IT director, security analyst, and chief information security officer can require professionals to have CISSP Certification.
The certification is designed to validate that a professional can create, engineer, implement and maintain information security programs. Even the salary packages are much higher for professionals with this certification compared to professionals pursuing the same position. Information Security Program plays a vital role in safeguarding the digital assets of the organization. As a result, professionals engaged in maintaining this program are required to possess advanced expertise in this domain.
Costs associated with CISSP Certification
The costs incurred while pursuing CISSP Certification can be categorized into 4 parts.
- Training Costs
- Exam Costs
- Maintenance Costs
Training cost
Prior to earning the certification, an aspiring professional is required to undergo CISSP Training. The training costs can range anywhere from USD 1600 to USD 2200 on average. This cost can further vary based on the location of the individual. Individuals also have the option of taking up in-classroom sessions or online training sessions as per their convenience. Organizations looking forward to training their employees with CISSP can get quotes for group training sessions. Therefore, it is evident that the training cost is not fixed and can differ from one individual to another.
Exam costs:
The exam cost for CISSP Certification is incurred when a professional fills out the application form for registering with ISC². Secondly, after meeting the eligibility requirements set for the credential is to fill in the application form for taking up the CISSP Exam. The exam fee is set at USD 749 by ISC². Professionals have to mandatorily incur this cost for becoming CISSP-certified. The fee does not vary based on the location of the candidates. Every aspirant will have to pay the CISSP Exam fee of $749 irrespective of the country he/she resides, to ISC².
Maintenance cost:
The process of becoming a CISSP does not end with acquiring the certification. Individuals need to further go through the process of maintaining the certification. Professionals are required to earn credits for maintaining their credential every three years and submit them to ISC². Additionally, professionals are required to incur USD 125 as the annual maintenance fee. Regardless of the ISC² credential held by certified professionals, the annual maintenance fee is a compulsory cost that has to be paid each year.
These three costs are worth the investment for professionals aspiring to be Certified in Information Security Systems. Even with such higher costs, CISSP professionals get to reap intangible and tangible benefits on a professional as well as personal level.
What is the prep time required for earning CISSP Certification?
Preparation time required to earn CISSP Certification cannot be said with certainty. It depends on the caliber of individuals and the time available at his/her disposal. Additionally, even the experience level of an individual counts for clearing the exam. An individual with little or basic experience in IT might tend to spend a greater number of hours in terms of preparation when compared to an experienced IT professional. Few experts even suggest spending time on prepping for CISSP Exam to be part of the certification costs as a lot of time is spent.
Is CISSP suitable for budding IT professionals?
The CISSP Certification is best suitable for people who have adequate experience in the field of Information Technology. With this certification, a professional can easily climb the career ladder and take up managerial positions. Individuals who have just started their career in IT, would need more experience in the CISSP domains over the course of five years. This helps in having a comprehensive knowledge of the domains which makes it easier to ace the CISSP exam.
Can an individual become a CISSP without experience?
Professionals can attempt the CISSP Exam without meeting the experience requirements and become associates of ISC². However, professionals cannot use the CISSP next to their names, until they meet experience requirements. On passing the exam, professionals need to earn their experience within 6 years from the date of CISSP Exam. Meeting the experience requirement in two or more of the domains is mandatory for professionals who want to professionally utilize the certification.
Candidates aspiring to earn the CISSP Certification can further waive the experience requirements. The waiver allows professionals to reduce one year of the experience requirement if they have a four-year degree or any of the credentials mentioned in the list. However, the remaining experience requirements have to be met in order to become a Certified Information Security Systems Professional.
In addition, the CISSP Certification is valid for three years. ISC² emphasizes individuals to develop and be up-to-date with information security practices. As a result, professionals are required to perform certain tasks that are listed within the ISC² guideline for maintaining their certification.
Why is CISSP a prestigious certification?
The Certification of CISSP is the most distinguished security certificate. It is offered by the reputed non-profit organization- International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium. Within the short span of its introduction, CISSP became a highly sought-after credential across the globe. Additionally, CISSP Certification is even used to acquire other higher accredited credentials in the IT discipline.
Apart from career growth and lucrative salaries, CISSP enhances the credibility and expertise of an individual in information security. With global recognition, the certification makes it easier for professionals to stand out from the crowd. This makes it evident that CISSP is a prestigious and in-demand certification in information security.
Individuals possessing the certification are adept at estimating both probabilities of identified threat sources taking actions and those completing them. Training teaches them to prepare an inventory of all software and devices present in the physical infrastructure of organizations. This helps them present to organizations their available range of IT assets. Certified professionals provide the framework for regular tracking of organizational software and hardware assets.
Certified individuals are familiar with all possible motives behind cyber attacks. Based on each motive, they analyze the strategies or to be deployed accordingly. The training program instills a zero trust mindset in aspirants. They always adhere to the principle “Never trust, always verify” irrespective of the type of data stream, application, device, and user. Such professionals are in demand for their assurance of data protection to organizations. Authentication of every security breach possibility is their aim.