🛡️ CISSP Concentration · NSA Co-Developed

ISC2 Information Systems Security
Engineering Professional (ISSEP)

Apply engineering principles to develop truly secure systems. The ISSEP — co-developed with the U.S. NSA — recognises professionals who incorporate security into all facets of business operations and system engineering.

Security Engineering CISSP Concentration NSA Developed Systems Engineering Risk Management Defence-in-Depth

Enroll Now

Engineering FoundationsSystems security engineering principles

Risk ManagementEnterprise risk alignment & treatment

Security Planning & DesignSystem requirements & architecture

Verification & ValidationImplementation & security assurance

125

Exam Questions

3 Hrs

Duration

Active CISSP

Prerequisite

Domains

Why It's Valuable

The Engineering Excellence Credential

ISSEP is the definitive credential for security engineers who integrate security throughout the system lifecycle — trusted by government agencies and defence organisations worldwide.

NSA

Co-Developed

The ISSEP was developed with the U.S. National Security Agency, making it uniquely trusted in government and defence sectors.

Trending

Lifecycle

Integration

ISSEP proves you can embed security into projects, applications and systems from inception through to retirement.

Core Domains

Covers engineering foundations, risk management, security planning and systems implementation/validation.

Trending

Government

Recognised

Highly valued in US federal government, defence contracting and national security environments.

Certification

ISC2 Information Systems Security Engineering Professional (ISSEP)

ISSEP — Information Systems Security Engineering Professional

The ISSEP recognises your ability to apply engineering principles to develop secure systems across all facets of business operations. Co-developed with the U.S. NSA, it is an invaluable tool for any systems security engineering professional.

Prerequisite: Active CISSP certification in good standing. Experience: Two years of cumulative paid work experience in one or more of the four ISSEP domains. Ideal for: Senior Systems Engineer, Information Assurance Systems Engineer, Information Assurance Officer, Senior Security Analyst.

Course Content

Complete ISSEP Curriculum

Click any domain to expand and explore the topics covered in detail.

Systems Security Engineering Foundations

6 Topics

Apply systems security engineering fundamentals: trust concepts and hierarchies

Identify relationships between systems and security engineering processes

Apply structural security design principles and integrate with system development methodologies

Perform technical management: planning, risk management, configuration and quality assurance

Identify opportunities for security process automation

Prepare security requirements for acquisitions and participate in Supply Chain Risk Management

Risk Management

6 Topics

Align security risk management with Enterprise Risk Management (ERM)

Integrate risk management throughout the system lifecycle

Establish risk context and identify system security risks

Perform risk analysis, evaluation and document findings and decisions

Determine stakeholder risk tolerance and identify remediation needs

Assess and recommend risk treatment options for operational risks

Security Planning and Design

6 Topics

Analyse organisational and operational environment: stakeholder requirements and threats

Determine system protection needs and develop Security Test Plans (STP)

Apply system security principles: defence-in-depth, least privilege and fail-safe defaults

Understand Separation of Duties (SoD) and economy of mechanism

Develop system security context, concept of operations and requirements baseline

Create system security architecture: functional analysis, design components and trade-off studies

Systems Implementation, Verification and Validation

4 Topics

Perform system security implementation and integration activities

Perform system security deployment activities and configurations

Perform system security verification against specified requirements

Validate security controls demonstrate they meet stakeholder security requirements

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ISSEP certification?

The ISSEP (Information Systems Security Engineering Professional) is an ISC2 CISSP concentration co-developed with the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA). It validates your ability to apply engineering principles to develop secure systems and incorporate security across all facets of business operations.

Who is eligible for the ISSEP?

Candidates must hold an active CISSP certification in good standing and have two years of cumulative paid work experience in one or more of the four ISSEP domains. It is ideal for Senior Systems Engineers, Information Assurance Officers and Security Analysts.

What makes ISSEP unique among ISC2 certifications?

ISSEP is the only ISC2 concentration co-developed with the U.S. National Security Agency. This gives it particular credibility in government, defence contracting and national security environments where security engineering rigour is critical.

What is the ISSEP exam format?

The ISSEP exam consists of 125 multiple choice questions to be completed within 180 minutes. A score of 700 out of 1000 is required to pass. The exam is administered through Pearson VUE.

What roles does ISSEP support?

ISSEP supports advanced engineering roles such as Senior Systems Engineer, Information Assurance Systems Engineer, Information Assurance Officer, Information Assurance Analyst and Senior Security Analyst — particularly in government and defence sectors.

How does ISSEP complement the CISSP?

While CISSP provides broad coverage across eight security domains, ISSEP is a deep-dive concentration in security engineering. It proves you can systematically apply engineering discipline to security throughout a system's complete lifecycle.

ISC2 Information Systems Security
Engineering Professional (ISSEP)

The Engineering Excellence Credential

ISC2 Information Systems Security Engineering Professional (ISSEP)

ISSEP — Information Systems Security Engineering Professional

ISSEP — Security Engineering Professional Exam Details

Complete ISSEP Curriculum

Frequently Asked Questions

Engineer Security Into Every System with ISSEP

ISC2 Information Systems SecurityEngineering Professional (ISSEP)

The Engineering Excellence Credential

ISC2 Information Systems Security Engineering Professional (ISSEP)

ISSEP — Information Systems Security Engineering Professional

ISSEP — Security Engineering Professional Exam Details

Complete ISSEP Curriculum

Frequently Asked Questions

Engineer Security Into Every System with ISSEP

ISC2 Information Systems Security
Engineering Professional (ISSEP)