I recently passed the Systems Security Certified Practitioner certification exam from ISC2. I actually wanted to get an ISC2 certification earlier in my career, before I left the “enterprise” side of IT. So the SSCP exam was the first certification I started studying for upon my return.
Funny thing is….I ended up getting two other certifications before this one. So yeah, I took a couple of breaks in preparing for this, but I’m actually glad I did, I feel like my other exam prep helped me here as well. Yes, there is a lot of overlap between this and the Cisco CyberOps Exam, which I’m sure also has plenty of overlap with the current Security+, but it also comes at security from a totally different angle I think. Even though it is more of a “technician” type of exam than the CISSP, I think it has a similar mindset…at least from what I can tell.
It definitely focuses more on the theory, policy, framework, guidelines, and high level view of security overall. Along with the technical implementation of security. So yes, it’s still technical in nature, it just requires a more broad understanding of information security and the overall purpose of it, not just how security tools work.
I had a few reasons for going after the SSCP certification. I figured I had the experience and knowledge in the domains covered, it would be a good way to get prepared for the ISC2 style of exams. I also wanted to be a part of the ISC2 organization due the various resources they have for professional development. I feel this will be helpful in various areas of my journey, not just for their own certifications.
So overall I definitely think the SSCP is a great security certification that tests your knowledge in various areas of security. Be familiar with the domains, and make sure you really understand what is being covered. It isn’t so much about memorizing answer to specific things, it is about understanding how to apply knowledge to the questions being asked.
Again, I took the 2018 version, so keep that in mind as you prepare, the exam topics for the 2021 version are available on the ISC2 site already. I believe the new exam launches in November 2021.
If you’re interested in the SSCP certification here’s the info: https://www.isc2.org/Certifications/SSCP
Personally I try to get as many different looks at the material as I can when I study for an exam or specific topic. So I tried to list most of the resources I used below. There may be a few I forgot to mention in the video but tried to include everything in this list.
Courses/Videos:
- percipio/skillsoft sscp course – https://www.skillsoft.com/meet-skillsoft-percipio
- itpro.tv sscp course – https://app.itpro.tv/course/sscp-2019?tagcategory=certification&tag=sscp
- linkedin learning sscp course – https://linkedin-learning.pxf.io/sscp_course
- pluralsight sscp course – https://app.pluralsight.com/paths/certificate/sscpr-systems-security-certified-practitioner
Books/Guides:
- sscp all in one exam guide – https://amzn.to/3vFl6Y0
- official sscp study guide – https://amzn.to/3uBqqdV
- official sscp cbk – https://amzn.to/3wXMnWb
- mike chappel last minute sscp review guide – https://www.certmike.com/sscp/
Practice Tests:
- official sscp practice tests
- linkedin sscp course quizzes
- totaltester practice questions from AIO book
- official SSCP study app
- kaplan practice questions through pluralsight
Labs:
- cissp labs (percipio/skillsoft) – https://www.skillsoft.com/meet-skillsoft-percipio
- wiresharek labs (percipio/skillsoft) – https://www.skillsoft.com/meet-skillsoft-percipio
Other:
- cisco cyberops exam – https://jkstechlab.com/passed-the-cisco-cyberops-associate-exam-my-thoughts-and-how-i-prepared-for-it/
- nist sp-800 documents – https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/sp800
- fips publications – https://www.nist.gov/itl/publications-0/federal-information-processing-standards-fips
*This post contains Amazon & Linkedin affiliate links. Using my affiliate links when you make purchases helps the site/channel. I only share resources I personally recommend. Prices are the same for you but I get a small percentage for any sales I refer, thanks!
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