Top 8 CISSP Domains and How to Crack the Exam Like a Boss

Written by Prisha singh  »  Updated on: January 30th, 2025

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) falls among the gold standard and most sorted information security certification. This certification is well-known for proving knowledge in cybersecurity. This approves the professionals for their information and experience to develop and manage security architects for the organization.

A non-profit company, International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC)2 maintains it. It develops and maintains the CISSP domains and conducts exams for experts worldwide.

What is CISSP?

CISSP is a well-known certification for cybersecurity professionals worldwide. The International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium(ISC2) provides the certification. Let us look at the top 8 CISSP domains and chapters considered under this certification:

  1. Security and Risk Management
  2. Asset Security
  3. Security Architecture and Engineering
  4. Communications and Network Security
  5. Identity and Access Management
  6. Security Assessment and Testing
  7. Security Operations
  8. Software Development Security

A candidate must have approximately 5 years of work experience in at least two or more of the CISSP Domains for qualifying this certification. These CISSP security domains and CISSP domains give awareness in the International standards following cybersecurity professionals worldwide.

CISSP Domains

If you are looking to move up the IT professional ladder, a technical certification might be an amazing option for you. Now, let us read more briefly about the top 8 CISSP domains:

1. Security and Risk Management

This is the first domain of CISSP. It is the largest and has the highest percentage (15%) of marks in the certification. This domain includes key aspects as:

  • Concepts of confidentiality, availability, and integrity.
  • Applying security governance principles.
  • Evaluating compliance requirements.
  • Integrating professional ethics.
  • Regulatory and legal issues related to information security on a global perception.
  • Developing scope, planning, and impact on business continuity needs.
  • Establishment of personnel security policies and procedures.
  • Understanding and implementing fundamentals of risk management.
  • Concepts of methodologies and threat modeling.
  • Developing risk-based management concepts in the supply chain.
  • Conducting security awareness, educational programs, and training.

2. Asset Security

The asset security covers the security information and needs for assets in an organization. The main topics of this domain are:

  • Identification, classification, and ownership of information and assets.
  • Protection of privacy.
  • Retention of assets.
  • Establishment of data security controls.
  • Handling

3. Security Architecture and Engineering

This domain involves many aspects of design principles, secure abilities, and models assessment in organizational security architecture. The major topics focussing this domain are:

  • Engineering implementations using safe design principles.
  • Fundamental concepts are practised in security models.
  • Concepts for security abilities of information systems.
  • Cryptography
  • Asset and mitigation of vulnerabilities in security architects, designs, mobile systems, web-based systems, and embedded systems.
  • Apply and implement security principles and controls to the site.

4.Communications and Network Security

This domain learning includes secure network components, principles and implementing communications. The major topics discussed in this domain are:

  • Implementation and securing design principles in network architecture.
  • Establishment of secure network components.
  • Securing communication channels according to the design.

5. Identity and Access Management

This domain includes user accessibility features in an organization. The main topics covered in this section are:

  • Controlling physical and logical accessibility to the assets.
  • Control and manage authentication and identification of people, services, and devices.
  • Understand and integrate identity as a third-party service.
  • Implementation of Authorization mechanism.
  • Accessible lifecycle and identity.

6. Security Assessment and Testing

This domain deals with the performance, design, testing, and Information System auditing. The main topics covering this domain are:

  • Building external, internal, and third-party audit strategies.
  • Assessment of security control testing.
  • Deriving secure data.
  • Analyzing test outputs and generating reports.
  • Facilitation of security audits.

7. Security Operations

The security operations domain offers insights into the plan of operations with monitoring, investigations, and protecting techniques for security. The topics covered in this domain are:

  • Understanding Investigations (Techniques, handling, digital forensic tools, and collection).
  • International needs for investigation types.
  • Establishment of logging and monitoring activities.
  • Assets configurations, inventory, and management.
  • Understanding the resource protection techniques.
  • Management of incidents.
  • Implementation and testing disaster recovery plans.
  • Processing and testing for Disaster Recovery (DR).
  • Evaluation of physical security.
  • Planning and exercises for Business Continuity.
  • Management of physical security.
  • Management of personnel security and safety.

8. Software Development Security

This domain offers concepts, applications, and implementations for software security. The topics this domain covers are:

  • Understanding and implementing security throughout the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
  • Execution of security controls in development environments.
  • Effectiveness of software security (Auditing, logging, risk analysis, and mitigation).
  • Evaluating security impact.
  • Setting and applying safe coding standards and guidelines.

How to Crack the CISSP Exam like a Boss?

The (ISC2) CISSP domains are now a standard for professionals to gain the highest learning curve for managing Cybersecurity. People with elite security experience only usually clear this CISSP certification domain for building a victorious career. Here are some tips to crack this exam like a leader:

  • Building smart strategies for covering each CISSP domain.
  • Using time wisely for each section.
  • Practicing the CISSP exams to handle questions and timing along with your work.
  • Make sure to have a good night sleep before the exam to have a fresh mind for the exam.

There will be 250 questions in total and the time duration is 6 hours. Professionals need to score at least 700 out of 1000 points from this exam. Experts must take the Advanced Executive Program in Cybersecurity program, which is going to guide them with the best industry practices. The simulation test offers a robust check for your level of expertise and gives additional improvisation techniques. Different learning options are available, with self-paced, blended and corporate training to achieve your dreams.

Final Words

CISSP certification domains are perfectly suited for professionals with experience in networking and security. It is ideal for professionals seeking to excel in their career with more opportunities.


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