ISSEP
Information Systems Security Engineering Professional
ISC2 specialization for security engineering, developed in cooperation with NSA. Focus on Systems Security Engineering, Risk Management, and Security Planning. Particularly relevant in US Government/Defense context.
› Quality score
Four-axis SecProve rubric, each 0–10. SecProve editorial assessment — each axis carries a written justification so you can push back on any single call without dismissing the whole score.
› Market signals
public, citable inputs to the recognition score› Built for these roles
› Exam format
Linear, 125 questions, 3 hours, 700/1000
30/60/90 day waits for retakes 1/2/3 in a rolling 12-month window.
› Recertification
60-140 CPEs per 3-year cycle, $135/year AMF
› 3-year cost of ownership
Excludes study materials, training, retake risk, and lost-wage opportunity. Use as a floor estimate.
› NICE Framework work roles
The NIST NICE work-role IDs this cert maps to. NICCS lookup.
› Core domains covered
The 3 domains this cert is centrally about. Passing the exam demonstrates working knowledge of each.
Reference architectures, control frameworks (NIST SP 800-53, CIS Controls), secure-by-design patterns, threat modeling, trust-boundary design, technology standards.
Risk frameworks (NIST RMF, ISO 31000, FAIR), policy development, audit, regulatory compliance, third-party risk.
Cyber risk quantification, board communication, security program development, budget & ROI.
› Prerequisites
Active CISSP + 2 years experience in the respective specialization
› Progression
requiredrecommendedWhere this cert fits in the typical learning path. Required edges are vendor-gated; recommended edges reflect de facto industry progression.
No de facto priors typically expected.
No certs require this one.
No follow-on certs reference this one yet.
› Study materials
Curated starting points. Not exhaustive — vet each against your learning style and the current exam version.
- Official (ISC)² ISSEP CBK Reference — Wiley/ISC2
- Boson ExSim-Max for ISSEP
› Version & lifecycle
› Salary signal
Federal / DoD security systems engineer, US, 7+ years. Requires active CISSP.
Robert Half Salary Guide + Glassdoor 'Security Systems Engineer' aggregations · 2024 · US base only · p25–p75 range
› How it compares
ISSEP focuses on systems-engineering lifecycle (SE-aligned, federal-heavy); ISSAP focuses on security architecture composition.
↔ Compare side-by-sideISSEP is a CISSP concentration — narrower depth, broader CISSP credential is the prerequisite.
↔ Compare side-by-sideSee this cert’s domains highlighted on the interactive map, or compare it against the rest of the catalog.