Tony Vizza
Director of Cybersecurity Advocacy, APAC, ISC2 

The CISSP is one of the world’s most valued information technology and information security certifications. With a proven track record over 25 years in the making, the CISSP truly demonstrates that you are at the top of your cybersecurity game in terms of both knowledge and experience.

The enduring appeal of the CISSP is evidenced in the numbers. Today, there are more than 131,000 CISSPs in more than 170 countries and regions around the world. And demand for CISSP-certified professionals is at a record high, with numerous workforce studies showing that the demand for CISSP-certified professionals far outstrips the number of CISSP credential holders.

Why would you consider becoming CISSP-certified? Here are seven fantastic reasons why the CISSP could be the right certification for you.

  1. You will maximize your earning potential. The average CISSP earns US$131,030 a year. This reflects a number of aspects that are core to the CISSP, including extensive knowledge of cybersecurity, hands-on cybersecurity experience of at least four years’ paid employment in the industry and a commitment to a strong code of ethics. Employers value and respect the CISSP certification and, as a result, this commands a premium in terms of your salary.

  2. You will maximize your career potential. The demand for CISSP-qualified personnel is significantly higher than the number of credential holders. And with the ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study indicating a global cyber workforce shortage of over 2.9 million men and women, there is no better time to accelerate your career development with a CISSP. In addition, the CISSP concentrations (CISSP-ISSMP for Management, CISSP-ISSEP for Engineers and CISSP-ISSAP for Architects) allow you to continue building on the CISSP, further boosting your career prospects.

  3. You will stand tall among your peers. The CISSP is arduous and difficult to attain. Achieving the CISSP is a proud achievement and demonstrates to the industry and your peers that you are a consummate industry professional with depth of experience to provide effective cybersecurity leadership and direction for the organization you work for. In fact, the 2017 Cybersecurity Trends Spotlight Report illustrated that the CISSP is the Most Valued Credential Among Employers.

  4. You will understand all aspects of the cybersecurity landscape. The CISSP is often described as “a mile wide and an inch deep.” Yet this enduring description is factually incorrect. The CISSP covers the fundamental elements of the entire cybersecurity field – from security and risk management to communication and network security to security testing and operations. It ensures that a certified professional understands all aspects of information security and, most critically, how the aspects of the information security environment they themselves work on will interact with the overall organizational ecosystem.

  5. You will have demonstrated years of hands-on cybersecurity experience. As part of your CISSP assessment, you must have paid, hands-on experience in cybersecurity. In fact, you need to demonstrate the equivalent of four years’ full-time work. In addition, you require the endorsement of an existing ISC2 credential holder who can attest to your experience and good character. Finally, CISSP credential holders must complete a continuing professional education program of 120 credits over a three-year period to maintain the certification.

  6. You will stand out as the best of the best. Holding a CISSP is valuable because the certification itself is a product of years of development and research. The CISSP was the first information security credential to meet the strict conditions of the ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024 standard. The CISSP also meets the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) 8570 IAM Level II/III, IAT Level III and IASAE Level I/II. In addition, the CISSP serves as a prerequisite to the CISSP-ISSAP and CISSP-ISSEP concentrations, which are the only accredited DoD 8570 IASAE Level III certifications that exist. The CISSP is also a prerequisite of the Australian Government Information Security Registered Assessors Program (IRAP).

  7. You will become a member of the largest association of cybersecurity professionals in the world today. Achieving CISSP certification provides the added benefit of membership in (ISC)², the world’s largest nonprofit association of cybersecurity professionals. More than 140,000 members strong and growing, ISC2 offers its members professional development courses, continuing professional education through industry events such as Secure Summits held around the world, technical webinars discussing areas of developing cybersecurity trends, and benefits such as Member Perks and the ISC2 Community.

The CISSP wins industry accolades year after year. SC Magazine has named the CISSP as Best Professional Certification Program numerous times, and it consistently ranks in the Top 10 information technology certifications to achieve by publications including Certification Magazine, TechGig and PC Magazine.