The CISSP Prep Guide: Mastering the CISSP and ISSEP Exams, Second Edition [Paperback]

Ronald L. Krutz (Author), Russell Dean Vines (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 076455915X | ISBN-13: 978-0764559150 | Publication Date: April 30, 2004 | Edition: 2

• This updated bestseller features new, more focused review material for the leading computer security certification-the Certified Information Systems Security Professional, or CISSP
• The first book on the market to offer comprehensive review material for the Information Systems Security Engineering Professional (ISSEP) subject concentration, a new CISSP credential that's now required for employees and contractors of the National Security Agency (NSA) and will likely be adopted soon by the FBI, CIA, Department of Defense, and Homeland Security Department
• The number of CISSPs is expected to grow by fifty percent in 2004
• The CD-ROM includes the Boson-powered interactive test engine practice sets for CISSP and ISSEP

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) rating is difficult to earn and rare in the marketplace, which means you're a valuable commodity if you've proven your skills by passing the exam. The CISSP Prep Guide, one of only a handful of books on its subject, does a good job of giving readers a feel for the scope of the test and the style of its questions. It's ideal for use either as a preliminary survey of the CISSP subject areas (the test's publisher and the authors of this book call them "domains") for relative newcomers to computer security, or as a pure study guide to help more experienced professionals zero in on the weak spots in their knowledge. Don't expect to do well on the CISSP exam having only read this book. You'll want to have some practical experience and some specialized reading under your belt.

Ronald Krutz and Russell Vines are good writers and fine teachers; they explain the wide-ranging CISSP domains (which have to do with everything from cryptographic algorithms to fire-suppression techniques to legal principles). They take care to explain potentially unfamiliar terms--there's a good glossary in the back of this book--and employ conceptual diagrams well. However, the answer keys for the sample questions that conclude each chapter aren't annotated and some readers will wish for more references to specialized sources. --David Wall

Topics covered: The subjects covered by the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) exam published by the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, including cryptography, access control, security policy, legal matters, and the physical safety of information, equipment, and people. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"...fulfils its purpose well and forms a good introduction to the concepts and jargon used in all areas of IT security...worth having as a reference dictionary..." (Computer Bulletin, September 2002) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 1056 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 2 edition (April 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076455915X
• ISBN-13: 978-0764559150
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.4 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #804,888 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This IS the Book to buy FIRST!, September 10, 2001

By 

Kurt Steiner, CISSP - See all my reviews

This review is from: The CISSP Prep Guide: Mastering the Ten Domains of Computer Security (Hardcover)

It's been said many times that the vast ocean of the CISSP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) is fifty miles wide and two miles deep and preparing for it can be quite an overwhelming endeavor. Various on-line study groups and web sites have numerous suggestions and links where freely available materials and helpful hints may be found. Individuals share there study guides and suggest the best books to procure for the study quest. I myself have participated and contributed in these vibrant forums. It's been said many times over that NO one book can effectively cover the CBK and to prepare the CISSP candidate for the exam. I too have amassed a large collection of the most suggested tomes. Well The CISSP Prep Guide almost negates this statement. The CISSP Prep Guide is now the FIRST place to start! I wish it had been in print a year ago when I began my quest for the CISSP. It is a complete and affordable textbook covering the MEAT of the CBK. This book completely defines and explains the major points of the CBK. It is an extremely readable and understandable text. If you can't afford attending the ISC2 CISSP Seminar either because of cost or time away from work this book is for you. If you have already attended the CISSP Seminar this book is for you. I was blessed by having the opportunity in attending the CISSP Seminar yet I am still finding that The CISSP Prep Guide is building upon the materials presented in the seminar. I can see where my copy of The CISSP Prep Guide will quickly become a dog-eared reference text that I use to refer to while carrying out my duties as an Information Systems Security Officer with the U.S. Government.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars for CISSP, start here, September 15, 2001

By 

kgab (northwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The CISSP Prep Guide: Mastering the Ten Domains of Computer Security (Hardcover)

This book is exactly what CISSP candidates need to prepare for the exam. The authors make sure to cover the CISSP Common Body of Knowledge in enough detail, give pointers along the way, and include sample questions to practice for the exam.

Since this is a study guide, the emphasis is on breadth, not depth of coverage, and that's the way it should be.

Several inaccuracies and typos should be corrected in the second edition (e.g. the description of lattice-based control on p. 34, or sample question 9 in Chapter 10 and its answer).

So is this now my favorite survey of computer and information security? Not quite. I still prefer "Secure Computing" by Rita C. Summers, even though it is already 4 years old. Unfortunately it is out of print, and it is a mystery why McGraw Hill wouldn't print a few thousand copies to satisfy the demand.

Another CISSP prep book is coming soon (Mandy Andress, "CISSP Exam Cram"). Let's hope it will be as good as the Prep Guide.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Scholarly Presentation - Keeps Reader Focused, November 21, 2001

By 

James W. S. Ludwig, CISSP (San Diego, Ca USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The CISSP Prep Guide: Mastering the Ten Domains of Computer Security (Hardcover)

I studied this work 30-days before taking the CISSP November 2001 examination. You don't pass the CISSP exam from just reading; broad experience is mandatory. The 'Prep Guide' helped me pull my experience into focus for the exam; the book does not give you the answers on the test, it helps you understand the concepts, thus, it helps the reader understand the exam questions which in turn allows the exam taker to go quickly into deep memory and find the answer that most resembles those on the exam. Of all the thousands of dollars of "security" books that I have purchased, read, and studied, the 'Prep Guide' is the only one that extensively covers the broad spectrum of topics emphasized in the exam.

Main plusses of the book:
(1)It keeps you focused in your study,
(2) The scholarly writing is a good preparation for the way the examination questions are stated,
(3) It will continue to be a solid reference book in my security practioners library (the added HIPAA information may have been filler but I find it useful in the profession if not for the exam), and
(4) Best price of any prepration security book for the focused information that it provides.

Oh, yes, and it helped me receive my CISSP certification in November. Buy the book and study the book, you will not go wrong.