McAfee Secure

Why do you need to attend CISSP exam in every few years to stay current?

Certification: ISC CISSP - Certified Information Systems Security Professional

The international Information Systems Security Certification Consortium governs CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) which is an independent certification for information security. The certification is valid worldwide according to the reports of (ISC)2. The CISSP obtained the ANSI ISO/IEC Standard 17024:2003 accreditation in June 2004. Te certification is also approved by Department of Defense of US, for both of Information Assurance Technical (IAT) and Information Technical Managerial (IAM) categories. It is the baseline certification for the US National Security Agency’s ISSEP program.

An organization cannot be protected by technological solutions only; it has to have security professionals. These professionals will provide the organization a high standard of security to their customers, stake holders, employers and protect the organizational information. The Human Resource department in USA says that the security certification by CISSP is the biggest certification which one has, shows that he/she is qualified and can provide security to the organization competently than other certifications. The US department stating that is correct in its own terms. The certified professionals who have the CISSP certification need to have five year of experience in the IT industry to secure their certification.

Need to be current

The purpose behind the certification to be current is that, in today’s world the updates in the IT sector are very vast. You need to update yourself to stay in the industry as a certified professional. For this a person having a CISSP certification have to undergo some evaluations every year to prove themselves more capable and knowledgeable despite of the advances the IT sector went in, especially the Security Systems Domain. There are no of benefits that the certification provides you are enormous. The certification is valued by both the individuals as well as the employers. Individuals having CISSP certifications, provides an organization the working knowledge of system security. The certification gives them confidence to be committed to their profession. The certification provides them differentiation between career options, on the basis of marketability and credibility of the job option. The certification provides you certain benefits, like exchange of ideas and peer networking. The certification allows you to earn comparatively more than the individuals without the certifications. The certification allows individuals to fulfill requirements of government and private organization for security certifications.

The certification will allow the employers to position the candidates on the field that are recognized internationally. While working with contractors and vendors, the certification provides the employers increased work credibility. The certification circumvents ambiguity with practices and industry accepted terms, giving the employees a universal language. The certification allows the employers to validate experience and commitment towards the work in the industry. The certification needs the employee to renew the certification every three year, which allows the employers individuals with current skills. The certification satisfies the necessary requirements that are required by various contractors and service providers.

How to maintain the CISSP certification

The maintenance of the CISSP certification is not at all easy task. You have to learn and study more to be updated and be certified. You need to earn CPEs (Continuing Professional Education); 120 credits are required for three years, you can submit minimum of 20 credits each year of the three year certification along with a fee of US$85 every year as maintenance fee. The technology of the security systems are changing on a constant basis. By the submission of required no of Continuing Professional Education (CPEs) to Board of Directors ensure you that you are aware of the recent advances in the Security Technology. Each certification issued by (ISC)2 has its own annual and overall 3 year requirement of CPE that need to be submitted in order to maintain yours certification current and in good standing. You can earn your CPEs by following ways by less investment:

  • Listening to podcasts: Listen to the podcasts that are available to you, make notes and submit it for CPEs. The persons, who travel more and have long distance travel, have this as a good option.
  • Online training: There are several online portals that can be used to earn CPEs. You should have a screenshot or a copy of the certificate that you may receive on completion. This will be needed in case your CPEs are audited.
  • Webinars: There are several webinars that can be used for earning CPEs, and they are acceptable too. But they should be of non-sales and vendor-neutral in nature.
  • Reading books: You should read as much as you can. You can pick a book that covers the domains listed in CBK and study them to earn CPE.

You must abide by the rules of the (ISC)2 t remain a good member. You should follow the rules for the Code of Ethics provided by (ISC)2. You should submit the CPEs that are required to be current on time. The annual invoices that are provided to you upon certification should be used for the submission of the Annual Maintenance Fees (AMFs). Above all these now (ISC)2 has made the process of earning CPEs easier than it was before. (ISC)2 offers live educational events all over the world as well as seminars online, that are easily accessible.

If the certification get terminated

In any case the certification gets terminated; you would have to take the exam again to be certified. Before taking the exam you will be asked to clear all your outstanding payments. After clearing the exam you will have to contact Member Services to renew your certification. The holders with terminated certifications need to pay reinstatement fees upon recertification either through appeal or sitting for exam again.

So it’s better to avoid such circumstances, and you should submit you CPEs on time along with the annual maintenance fees.