CISSP certification – accreditation value for employees and recruiters

There is an increasing need to hire skilled IT security professionals but organisations worldwide have a hard time to fill their vacant IT security positions. The constant demand for new IT security professionals and increased requirements in their skillset raises the need for know-how also among professional recruiters. These recruiters must find ways to identify and verify IT security recruits skillset during the recruitment process. To uphold the IT security standards, organisations must make sure they use the best practices concerning IT security by hiring qualified persons. Many IT security certifications have been developed to help organisations to verify that the persons they hire have the needed IT security qualifications. This is why security certificates such as CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) are becoming increasingly important for IT professionals and recruiters. Certification provides a way to get validation of a person’s IT security qualifications. CISSP is a well-reputed IT security certificate; becoming a CISSP certificate person likely provides credibility on a resume when marketing IT security consultant or management services to organisations. This thesis studies the value, for both companies and employees, of the CISSP certificate developed by International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)². The thesis sets out to investigate if there is value or benefits in acquiring CISSP certificate from two perspectives, the certificate holder’s perspective and the recruiter’s perspective. The thesis also researches the contents of the CISSP certificate. It provides details on the CISSP certification content and covers the knowledge that must be learned to pass the CISSP certification exam. The thesis includes insights on the requirements and contents to be learned for the CISSP certificate. The thesis covers the CISSP certificate requirements for all eight different IT security knowledge domains defined by CISSP certification standards. In addition, as part of my empirical research, I participate in the CISSP certificate exam, try to become, a CISSP certificate holder.There is an increasing need to hire skilled IT security professionals but organisations worldwide have a hard time to fill their vacant IT security positions. The constant demand for new IT security professionals and increased requirements in their skillset raises the need for know-how also among professional recruiters. These recruiters must find ways to identify and verify IT security recruits skillset during the recruitment process. To uphold the IT security standards, organisations must make sure they use the best practices concerning IT security by hiring qualified persons. Many IT security certifications have been developed to help organisations to verify that the persons they hire have the needed IT security qualifications. This is why security certificates such as CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) are becoming increasingly important for IT professionals and recruiters. Certification provides a way to get validation of a person’s IT security qualifications. CISSP is a well-reputed IT security certificate; becoming a CISSP certificate person likely provides credibility on a resume when marketing IT security consultant or management services to organisations. This thesis studies the value, for both companies and employees, of the CISSP certificate developed by International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)². The thesis sets out to investigate if there is value or benefits in acquiring CISSP certificate from two perspectives, the certificate holder’s perspective and the recruiter’s perspective. The thesis also researches the contents of the CISSP certificate. It provides details on the CISSP certification content and covers the knowledge that must be learned to pass the CISSP certification exam. The thesis includes insights on the requirements and contents to be learned for the CISSP certificate. The thesis covers the CISSP certificate requirements for all eight different IT security knowledge domains defined by CISSP certification standards. In addition, as part of my empirical research, I participate in the CISSP certificate exam, try to become, a CISSP certificate holder