What Is ISSEP?

Overview

ISSEP: Information Systems Security Engineering Professional is a ISC2 credential. Prepare for the ISC2 ISSEP concentration covering systems security engineering across five exam domains. This PathKey™ guide summarizes the domains, format, cost signals, eligibility, and renewal pattern so you can decide before you book. Accumentum is an Army CA and Air Force COOL Approved Vendor. We teach preparation for the ISC2 exam. ISC2 sets exam content, fees, and policies.

Accumentum is an Army CA and Air Force COOL Approved Vendor. We teach preparation for the ISC2 exam. ISC2 sets exam content, fees, and policies.

Who it is for

• Senior Systems Engineers responsible for incorporating security into system design and development.
• Information Assurance Systems Engineers and Information Assurance Officers supporting secure systems engineering.
• Information Assurance Analysts and Senior Security Analysts focused on security requirements, architecture, and validation.

Exam domains

Weights follow the official outline.

1. 01

   Systems Security Engineering Foundations

   Apply systems security engineering fundamentals, including trust concepts, engineering process relationships, and structural security design principles (e.g., NIST engineering framework, ISO 27001), Execute systems security engineering processes across hardware, software, and data, including organizational authorities, governance and compliance, and design concepts, and Integrate security tasks, verification, and assurance methods with system development methodologies (e.g., SDLC, ISO/IEC 24641:2023, model-based systems engineering).

2. 02

   Risk Management

   Apply security risk management principles aligned with enterprise risk management and integrated throughout the lifecycle, Manage risk to the system: establish risk context, identify threats, events, vulnerabilities, and impact, and perform inherent risk analysis and evaluation, and Monitor and evaluate changes to risk posture (residual, changed, new) and document findings and decisions.

3. 03

   Security Planning and Engineering

   Analyze the organizational and operational environment: capture stakeholder requirements, roles and responsibilities, constraints and assumptions, and prepare a security validation plan, Apply system security principles including resiliency, layered security (defense-in-depth, Zero Trust, secure-by-default), fail-safe defaults, least privilege, economy of mechanism, separation of interfaces/functions/services/roles, automation, software assurance, and data security, and Develop system requirements: security context, functions within the system and security concept of operations, requirements baseline, and requirements analysis.

4. 04

   Systems Security Implementation, Verification and Validation

   Implement and integrate security solutions and support ongoing system security activities such as Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) and DevSecOps, Verify successful implementation by developing security test plans and supporting system security verification, and Review and update risk analysis based on implementation results.

5. 05

   Secure Operations, Change Management and Disposal

   Develop a secure operations plan, including roles, responsibilities, and requirements for system security personnel and security-related event reporting, Support secure operations through continuous monitoring design, incident response support, and secure maintenance procedures, and Participate in change management: change reviews, impact assessment, verification and validation of changes, and updated risk assessment documentation.

Exam format and cost

Questions

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Duration

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Format

Multiple choice and related item types (confirm on the vendor outline)

Passing score

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Cost

Confirm the current exam fee on the vendor site before you register

Delivery

Pearson VUE test center or online where the vendor offers it

Languages

Confirm available languages on the vendor site

Experience and eligibility

Candidates must be a CISSP in good standing and have two years’ cumulative, full-time experience in one or more of the five domains of the current ISSEP outline, or have a minimum of seven years’ cumulative, full-time experience in two or more of the ISSEP domains (as required by ISC2). Familiarity with systems engineering concepts, security architecture, and risk management practices to support advanced course topics.

Renewal

Renewal rules for ISSEP: Information Systems Security Engineering Professional are set by ISC2. Many credentials use a multi-year cycle with continuing education, a renewal fee, or a newer exam. Confirm the current cycle on the vendor site.

Roles this credential fits

• Systems security engineering foundations, risk management, security planning and engineering, systems security implementation, verification and validation, and secure operations, change management, and disposal.
• Security Engineering
• Teams standardizing on this credential for hiring or compliance

Official sources

• ISC2 certifications

Always confirm fees, dates, and eligibility on the vendor site before you register. Vendors change outlines and prices without notice.