A couple of days ago, I got the official renewal of my CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) certification from ISC2.  My certification is valid again for another three years, until October 2015.

CISSP certification is one of the certifications I make sure to maintain because of its usefulness. No question every IT professional should be aware of security implications in any system he/she develops, build, or maintain.  Security breaches are becoming the norm and IT professionals should be prepared to face these challenges.  CISSP certification greatly help IT professionals like me in creating and enforcing security policies and procedures, and in designing and maintaining secure systems.

When I first obtained the certification six years ago, in Oct 2006, I remembered it was one of the toughest exam I ever took.  And passing the exam is just one of the requirements.  One should have at least five years information security experience, and should be endorsed by another CISSP professional.  In addition, one should abide by the ISC2 code of ethics.

To maintain certification, one should obtain Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits of 120 points within three years, and pay the annual maintenance fee.   The requirement to obtain CPE credits keeps my security skills current.  There are many ways to obtain CPE credits.  My favorites are the security seminars and conferences such as Secure Boston, Source Boston, and IANS.  One can also get points by reviewing security books, reading and writing security articles, and speaking about security in seminars and conferences, among others.

To learn more about CISSP and how to get certified, go to the ISC2 website.