CISSP

About the CISSP

CISSP is the cybersecurity industry's gold standard for senior practitioners. It tests breadth across eight domains rather than depth in any single one, which makes it a management-track cert rather than a technical-track one. ISC2 requires five years of paid cumulative experience in two or more of the eight domains before you can earn the full CISSP designation; pass the exam without the experience and you become an Associate of ISC2 until you log the time. The exam itself uses computerized adaptive testing, which means the difficulty adjusts to your performance and the length varies from 100 to 150 questions.

Who should earn it

Senior security practitioners targeting architect, lead engineer, or CISO tracks. The right cert for professionals with five plus years of experience who want the broadest senior-level recognition.

Exam details

Provider

ISC2

Exam code

CISSP

Questions

100-150 (adaptive)

Duration

3 hours

Passing score

700/1000

Exam fee

$749 (verify with ISC2)

Renewal

Every 3 years via CPE

Experience level

Advanced

DoD 8570/8140

Approved

Prerequisites

Five years of paid work experience in two or more of the eight CISSP domains. The experience requirement is enforced after you pass; an endorser who is already a CISSP holder must sign off.

Key domains

• Security and Risk Management
• Asset Security
• Security Architecture and Engineering
• Communication and Network Security
• Identity and Access Management
• Security Assessment and Testing
• Security Operations
• Software Development Security

Federal and DoD relevance

The CISSP is approved under DoD Directive 8570.01-M (now 8140), so cybersecurity roles supporting US Department of Defense information systems can use it to satisfy the baseline certification requirement for their IAT, IAM, or CSSP workforce category. That matters for federal contractors, cleared facilities, and agencies where 8140 compliance is a hiring gate.

Salary impact

CISSP carries one of the largest documented salary premiums in cybersecurity. ISC2 2024 workforce data shows CISSP holders earning $25,000-$45,000 more than non-holders at the same experience level. Architect, CISO, and lead engineer roles in the $140,000-$250,000 range frequently require it as a hard filter.

Most relevant roles