Author Interview: Susan Hansche
CoAuthor of The Official (ISC)2 Guide to the CISSP Exam
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GoCertify: How much does it cost to earn the CISSP certification?
Hansche:
The financial cost [(ISC)2 exam fee] is $499 for early registration. The "emotional" cost is based on the candidate's ability to dedicate time to studying and feeling prepared to take the exam.
GoCertify: How is your book different from other CISSP preparation books?
Hansche:
The first differentiator is Peer Review. When I first approached (ISC)2 about making it the Official book, I stressed the importance of having peer reviews. (I think this reflects my academic background where peer review is an important acceptance criterion.) Thus, one or two individuals (CISSPs) reviewed each domain, and several CISSPs read all of the domains. The second difference is the depth of the material. Many CISSP study guides provide high-level overviews of the topics that are intended as "refreshers" for those with more experience. We wanted to provide a little more about the topics, thus if CISSP candidates were not familiar with a topic, our book would have enough information to gain an understanding, but not too much to get distracted.
GoCertify: What is the SSCP and how does it relate to the CISSP?
Hansche:
The Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) focuses on the telecommunications and network administration aspect of the field. Junior administrators or help desk personnel might find taking the SSCP exam the first step in expanding their security knowledge. As their job responsibilities expand to managing the security of the network, such as forming policy and planning for policy implementation (i.e., configuration management, contingency planning, system security planning), they will gain experience and get an understanding in some of the CISSP domains.
GoCertify: Do you feel the CISSP would be especially valuable in combination with one or more other IT certifications? If so, which ones?
Hansche:
Yes, there are several concentration certifications for the field, (ISC)2 recently announced three new concentrations to provide further distinction among the CISSPs. For example, my concentration is the Information System Security Engineering Professional (ISSEP), which focuses on securing the U.S. Government's information and information systems. In fact, I am working on my second book (expected publication date Summer 2004), which will be a study guide for the ISSEP exam.
GoCertify: What other tips and advice do you have for CISSP candidates?
Hansche:
- Take the exam seriously and be prepared to study.
- Take practice tests so you are familiar with how to answer exam questions and you are in the right frame of mind to take the exam.
- If you get stuck on a subject, explore it further until you have a basic understanding, such as reading additional reference material or discussing it with colleagues.
- Challenge yourself to be the best information system security professional in the field - become dedicated to the field and to what you can achieve in the field - becoming a CISSP is just one part of the career experience.
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