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ISC2 CISSP Exam Topics

ISC2 CISSP Exam Overview :

Exam Name: Certified Information Systems Security Professional
Exam Code: CISSP
Certifications: ISC2 CISSP Certification
Actual Exam Duration: 360 minutes
Expected no. of Questions in Actual Exam: 250
See Expected Questions: ISC2 CISSP Expected Questions in Actual Exam

ISC2 CISSP Exam Topics :

Section Weight Objectives
Security and Risk Management 15% 1.1 Understand, adhere to, and promote professional ethics
  • (ISC)2 Code of Professional Ethics
  • Organizational code of ethics
1.2 Understand and apply security concepts
  • »Confidentiality, integrity, and availability, authenticity and nonrepudiation
1.3 Evaluate and apply security governance principles
  • Alignment of the security function to business strategy, goals, mission, and objectives
  • Organizational processes (e.g., acquisitions, divestitures, governance committees)
  • Organizational roles and responsibilities
  • Security control frameworks
  • Due care/due diligence
1.4 Determine compliance and other requirements
  • Contractual, legal, industry standards, and regulatory requirements
  • Privacy requirements
1.5 Understand legal and regulatory issues that pertain to information security in a holistic context
  • Cybercrimes and data breaches
  • Licensing and Intellectual Property (IP) requirements
  • Import/export controls
  • Transborder data flow»Privacy
1.6 Understand requirements for investigation types (i.e., administrative, criminal, civil, regulatory, industry standards)

1.7 Develop, document, and implement security policy, standards, procedures, and guidelines
Asset Security 10% 2.1 Identify and classify information and assets
  • Data classification
  • Asset Classification
2.2 Establish information and asset handling requirements

2.3 Provision resources securely
  • Information and asset ownership
  • Asset inventory (e.g., tangible, intangible)
  • Asset management
2.4 Manage data lifecycle
  • Data roles (i.e., owners, controllers, custodians, processors, users/subjects)
  • Data collection
  • Data location
  • Data maintenance
  • Data retention
  • Data remanence
  • Data destruction
2.5 Ensure appropriate asset retention (e.g., End-of-Life (EOL), End-of-Support (EOS))

2.6 Determine data security controls and compliance requirements
  • Data states (e.g., in use, in transit, at rest)
  • Scoping and tailoring
  • Standards selection
  • Data protection methods (e.g., Digital Rights Management (DRM), Data Loss Prevention (DLP),Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB))
Security Architecture and Engineering 13% 3.1 Research, implement and manage engineering processes using secure design principles
  • Threat modeling
  • Least privilege
  • Defense in depth
  • Secure defaults
  • Fail securely
  • Separation of Duties (SoD)
  • Keep it simple
  • Zero Trust
  • Privacy by design
  • Trust but verify
  • Shared responsibility
3.2 Understand the fundamental concepts of security models (e.g., Biba, Star Model, Bell-LaPadula) 3.3 Select controls based upon systems security requirements
3.4 Understand security capabilities of Information Systems (IS) (e.g., memory protection, Trusted Platform Module (TPM), encryption/decryption)
3.5 Assess and mitigate the vulnerabilities of security architectures, designs, and solution elements
  • Client-based systems
  • Server-based systems
  • Database systems
  • Cryptographic systems
  • Industrial Control Systems (ICS)
  • Cloud-based systems (e.g., Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS))
  • Distributed systems
  • Internet of Things (IoT)
  • Microservices
  • Containerization
  • Serverless
  • Embedded systems
  • High-Performance Computing (HPC) systems
  • Edge computing systems
  • Virtualized systems
3.6 Select and determine cryptographic solutions
  • Cryptographic life cycle (e.g., keys, algorithm selection)
  • Cryptographic methods (e.g., symmetric, asymmetric, elliptic curves, quantum)
  • Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
  • Key management practices
  • Digital signatures and digital certificates
  • Non-repudiation
  • Integrity (e.g., hashing)
3.7 Understand methods of cryptanalytic attacks
  • Brute force
  • Ciphertext only
  • Known plaintext
  • Frequency analysis
  • Chosen ciphertext
  • Implementation attacks
  • Side-channel
  • Fault injection
  • Timing
  • Man-in-the-Middle (MITM)
  • Pass the hash»Kerberos exploitation»Ransomware
3.8 Apply security principles to site and facility design
3.9 Design site and facility security controls
  • Wiring closets/intermediate distribution facilities
  • Server rooms/data centers
  • Media storage facilities
  • Evidence storage
  • Restricted and work area security
  • Utilities and Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
  • Environmental issues
  • Fire prevention, detection, and suppression
  • Power (e.g., redundant, backup)
Communication and Network Security 13% 4.1 Assess and implement secure design principles in network architectures
  • Open System Interconnection (OSI) and Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) models
  • Internet Protocol (IP) networking (e.g., Internet Protocol Security (IPSec), Internet Protocol (IP) v4/6)
  • Secure protocols
  • Implications of multilayer protocols
  • Converged protocols (e.g., Fiber Channel Over Ethernet (FCoE),Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI), Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP))
  • Micro-segmentation (e.g., Software Defined Networks (SDN), Virtual eXtensible Local Area Network (VXLAN), Encapsulation, Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN))
  • Wireless networks (e.g., Li-Fi, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, satellite)
  • Cellular networks (e.g., 4G, 5G)
  • Content Distribution Networks (CDN)
4.2 Secure network components
  • Operation of hardware(e.g., redundant power, warranty, support)
  • Transmission media
  • Network Access Control (NAC) devices
  • Endpoint security
4.3 Implement secure communication channels according to design
  • Voice
  • Multimedia collaboration
  • Remote access
  • Data communications
  • Virtualized networks
  • Third-party connectivity
Identity and Access Management (IAM) 13% 5.1 Control physical and logical access to assets
  • Information
  • Systems
  • Devices
  • Facilities
  • Applications
5.2 Manage identification and authentication of people, devices, and services
  • Identity Management (IdM) implementation
  • Single/Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Accountability
  • Session management
  • Registration, proofing, and establishmentof identity
  • Federated Identity Management (FIM)
  • Credential management systems
  • Single Sign On (SSO)
  • Just-In-Time (JIT)
5.3 Federated identity with a third-party service
  • On-premise
  • Cloud
  • Hybrid
5.4 Implement and manage authorization mechanisms
  • Role Based Access Control (RBAC)
  • Rule based access control
  • Mandatory Access Control (MAC)
  • Discretionary Access Control (DAC)
  • Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC)
  • Risk based access control
5.5 Manage the identity and access provisioning lifecycle
  • Account access review (e.g., user, system, service)
  • Provisioning and deprovisioning(e.g., on /off boarding and transfers)
  • Role definition (e.g., people assigned to new roles)
  • Privilege escalation (e.g., managed service accounts, use of sudo, minimizing its use)
5.6 Implement authentication systems
  • OpenID Connect (OIDC)/Open Authorization (Oauth)
  • Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML)
  • Kerberos
  • Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS)/Terminal Access Controller Access Control System Plus (TACACS+)
Security Assessment and Testing 12% 6.1 Design and validate assessment, test, and audit strategies
  • Internal
  • External
  • Third-party
6.2 Conduct security control testing
  • Vulnerability assessment
  • Penetration testing
  • Log reviews
  • Synthetic transactions
  • Code review and testing
  • Misuse case testing
  • Test coverage analysis
  • Interface testing
  • Breach attack simulations
  • Compliance checks
6.3 Collect security process data (e.g., technical and administrative)
  • Account management
  • Management review and approval
  • Key performance and risk indicators
  • Backup verification data
  • Training and awareness
  • Disaster Recovery (DR) and Business Continuity (BC)
6.4 Analyze test output and generate report
  • Remediation
  • Exception handling
  • Ethical disclosure
6.5 Conduct or facilitate security audits
  • Internal
  • Externa
  • Third-party
Security Operations 13% 7.1 Understand and comply with investigations
  • Evidence collection and handling
  • Reporting and documentation
  • Investigative techniques
  • Digital forensics tools, tactics, and procedures
  • Artifacts (e.g., computer, network, mobile device)
7.2 Conduct logging and monitoring activities
  • Intrusion detection and prevention
  • Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
  • Continuous monitoring
  • Egress monitoring
  • Log management
  • Threat intelligence (e.g., threat feeds, threat hunting)
  • User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA)
7.3 Perform Configuration Management (CM) (e.g., provisioning, baselining, automation)
7.4 Apply foundational security operations concepts
  • Need-to-know/least privilege
  • Separation of Duties (SoD) and responsibilities
  • Privileged account management
  • Job rotation
  • Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
7.5 Apply resource protection
  • Media management
  • Media protection techniques
7.6 Conduct incident management
  • Detection
  • Response
  • Mitigation
  • Reporting
  • Recovery
  • Remediation
  • Lessons learned
7.7 Operate and maintain detective and preventative measures
  • Firewalls (e.g., next generation, web application, network)
  • Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS)
  • Whitelisting/blacklisting
  • Third-party provided security services
  • Sandboxing
  • Honeypots/honeynets
  • Anti-malware
  • Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) based tools
7.8 Implement and support patch and vulnerability management
7.9 Understand and participate in change management processes
7.10 Implement recovery strategies
  • Backup storage strategies
  • Recovery site strategies
  • Multiple processing sites
  • System resilience, High Availability (HA), Qualityof Service (QoS), and fault tolerance
7.11 Implement Disaster Recovery (DR) processes
  • Response
  • Personnel
  • Communications
  • Assessment
  • Restoration
  • Training and awareness
  • Lessons learned
7.12 Test Disaster Recovery Plans (DRP)
  • Read-through/tabletop
  • Walkthrough
  • Simulation
  • Parallel
  • Full interruption
7.13 Participate in Business Continuity (BC) planning and exercises
7.14 Implement and manage physical security
  • Perimeter security controls
  • Internal security controls
7.15 Address personnel safety and security concerns
  • Travel
  • Security training and awareness
  • Emergency management
  • Duress
Software Development Security 11% 8.1 Understand and integrate security in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
  • Development methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall, DevOps, DevSecOps)
  • Maturity models (e.g., Capability Maturity Model (CMM), Software Assurance Maturity Model (SAMM))
  • Operation and maintenance
  • Change management
  • Integrated Product Team (IPT)
8.2 Identify and apply security controls in software development ecosystems
  • Programming languages
  • Libraries
  • Tool sets
  • Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
  • Runtime
  • Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD)
  • Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR)
  • Software Configuration Management (SCM)
  • Code repositories»Application security testing (e.g., Static Application Security Testing (SAST), Dynamic ApplicationSecurity Testing (DAST))
8.3 Assess the effectiveness of software security
  • Auditing and logging of changes
  • Risk analysis and mitigation
8.4 Assess security impact of acquired software
  • Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS)
  • Open source
  • Third-party
  • Managed services (e.g., Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platformas a Service (PaaS))
8.5 Define and apply secure coding guidelines and standards
  • Security weaknesses and vulnerabilities at the source-code level
  • Security of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
  • Secure coding practices
  • Software-defined security
Official Information https://www.isc2.org/cissp/default.aspx

Updates in the ISC2 CISSP Exam Topics:

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