CISSP — Certified Information Systems Security Professional

The gold standard senior security certification globally and the most recognized credential for security management and architecture roles. Covers all eight CISSP domains across the breadth of information security — architecture, engineering, network security, IAM, asset security, assessment, operations, and software security. Requires five years of paid work experience in two or more domains. DoD 8140 approved and expected for CISO, security architect, and senior security manager roles in enterprise and government. The main criticism is that it's broad rather than deep — it validates strategic and managerial security knowledge rather than hands-on technical skill. Despite this, CISSP remains the single most career-impactful security certification available.

Issuer	ISC2
Level	expert
Domains	Governance, Risk & Compliance, Oversight & Leadership, Security Architecture & Engineering, Identity & Access Management
Practical weight	0%
Cost (USD)	749
Renewal	3 years
DoD 8140	Yes
Skills	security_architecture_design, asset_security, security_engineering, network_security_architecture, identity_and_access_management, security_assessment, security_operations, software_development_security

Official certification page

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