The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is an independent information security certification granted by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, also known as ISC2. It is a globally recognized, vendor-neutral standard attesting to an IT security professionals technical skills and hands-on experience implementing and managing a security program. The CISSP certification exam consists of 125 questions covering 5 domain areas: Security Engineering Principles, Risk Management, Security Planning, Design, and Implementation, Secure Operations, Maintenance, and Disposal, and Secure Engineering Technical Management.

To become CISSP-certified, candidates are required to have a minimum of five years of full-time, hands-on experience in at least two of the eight CISSP domains. Candidates may also qualify for the certification with four years of employment plus an undergraduate degree or another approved credential. The CISSP certification is highly sought after by IT professionals, and it is formally approved by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) in their Information Assurance Technical (IAT), Managerial (IAM), and System Architect and Engineer (IASAE) categories for their DoDD 8570 certification requirement.

Earning a CISSP certification can lead to higher salaries and is among the most common cybersecurity credentials required by employers. It is recommended for experienced cybersecurity practitioners, including chief information security officers (CISOs) and chief information officers (CIOs). The CISSP certification requires an annual maintenance fee of $125 at the end of each certification year, and candidates must take the test every three years to remain a member in good standing with the certification.