Prepare for CISM Certification Examination with these Resources

CISM Certification, which international clients and organizations widely acknowledge. It enables professionals to do security audits, risk analyses, and security system design to maintain secure networks and protect corporate data.

About CISM certification

If you’re looking for information about CISM certification or just browsing about it, your quest may end right now since this post will cover all information about CISM certification.

This post will cover the CISM exam curriculum, exam pattern and preparation tips, benefits of CISM certification, and much more to assist you in becoming CISM certified.

Let’s get started.

CISM (Certified Information Security Manager) certification, offered by ISACA (Information System Audit and Control Association), is a globally recognized credential in the IT industry.

It signifies proficiency in designing and developing secure infrastructure, deploying and managing information security, and securing architecture in terms of incident and risk management.

The CISM examination details are in the below video.

Roles and Responsibilities of CISM

The roles and responsibilities of CISM are many. Still, there are a few specific duties that are all related to the organization’s objective of offering world-class security and protection, such as:

• Protecting corporate data from cyber-attack, unauthorized access, and theft is one of the primary responsibilities of CISM Security specialists.
• To protect the company’s information, they must also create and implement the necessary security measures and monitor, manage, and check all aspects of infrastructure security.
• Assess threats to strengthen current security measures or build new ones per emerging trends.
• Assess security products, test them for security breaches, and develop disaster recovery plans in case of major incidents.
• Test infrastructure for security holes and create a disaster recovery strategy in significant disasters.
• Maintain a network’s infrastructure per national and international standards.

Who can pursue the CISM certification?

The CISM certification is a widely recognized certificate for information security management in businesses of all sizes, from small and medium-sized companies to giant corporations.

CISM certification is possible for those who hope to build, implement, and evaluate an organization’s information security program.

It would benefit from experts with knowledge and experience in IT, such as network engineers, security directors, IT managers, security professionals, IT auditors, etc.

To advance their careers, IT workers can look forward to pursuing their interests in information security (InfoSec) and associated topics, including cyber-attack, business continuity, disaster recovery, risk, and incident management.

Criteria to pursue CISM certification

In particular, CISM requires professionals to understand IT infrastructure security from a business perspective and not just a technical standpoint.

Professionals must meet two criteria to become CISM certified:

• Need to pass the CISM exam, and
• You need to have at least five years of job experience

Since information security requires a high level of ability, ISACA requires five years of experience in the field within ten years before you apply for certification.

The professionals can get a waiver in job experience for up to two years if they meet the requirements listed below.

Professionals who possess any of the following qualifications can acquire a two-year waiver:

• CISA certification
• CISSP certification
• Postgraduate degree in information security or business administration, information systems, and information assurance.

For one year waiver, professionals should possess any of the following qualifications:

• One year of experience in information systems management
• One year of experience in general security management
• Certifications such as GIAC, MCSE, CompTIA Security , Disaster Recovery Institute Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP), and ESL IT Security Manager

Benefits of CISM certification

Certain privileges come with the title, and it is true with CISM.

CISM accreditation offers several advantages regarding the present job and improving career opportunities.

• CISM certification can improve your interactions with internal and external stakeholders, colleagues, and regulators by demonstrating your compliance and trustworthiness.
• It assures senior management that people who have earned CISM certification have the knowledge and expertise necessary to provide sound security management and guidance.
• CISM can validate an organization’s dedication to compliance, security, and integrity, which can aid businesses in retaining their existing clientele and increasing the customer base. 
• According to the InfosecInstitute, CISM-certified professionals are highly compensated executives in the IT business.
• CISM certification from ISACA lends credibility to your company, enabling it to carry out its information security program and achieve its broader aims and objectives.

Growth prospects for CISM professionals

In today’s world, cyber defense is a necessity, not an option. Due to the tremendous market growth, security professionals are in demand to protect business data and information.

Every small or large business in every sector – BFSI, IT, Telecom, Retail, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Travel, Energy, and more – needs professionals like CISM, CISSP, CRISC, and CISA.

CISM-certified candidates can apply for various roles based on their skills, education, and qualifications. The positions such as security manager, security administrator, security analyst, security architect, security software developer, and security consultant are available for CISM-certified professionals.

According to one study, the global cyber security market is predicted to increase by 13.4% between 2022 and 2029, from USD 155.83 billion to USD 376.32 billion.

The International Social Security Association (ISSA) report found that the shortage of cybersecurity professionals is getting worse, affecting 70% of organizations.

Between 2019 and 2029, US statistics predict a 31% increase in employment for cybersecurity professionals, a rate well above the average for all other occupations.

CISM Examination details

ISACA certification exams are computer-based and given at accredited PSI testing facilities worldwide or through remote proctoring. Candidates may sign up for exams at any time of the year.

After registering, candidates have 365 days to appear for the test; otherwise, the exam fee is forfeit. The exam duration is 4 hours, and one needs to attain 150 multiple choice questions, and the passing score is 450.

The candidate will be informed within ten days about the outcome of the examination, and after that, they have five days to apply for the CISM certification.

For more information, visit the ISACA pdf. The certification is valid for three years and can be renewable after that.

How to prepare for the CISM examination?

There are four distinct ways to prepare for the CISM certification: a boot camp, an online course, a recorded webinar class, and self-study. The ISACA website will give you some suggestions for your independent study.

Most courses described below will include a curriculum based on the standard ISACA CISM examination. Therefore, only highlights are mentioned.

The following are other top resources that would help you to prepare for the CISM examination.

Udemy CISM course

Udemy is one of the most popular online learning platforms that offers thousands of courses on various subjects.

It is well-liked since it provides significant training discounts, making it one of the more cost-effective solutions for online learning.

Udemy CISM webinar course covers vital parts of the CISM curriculum, including:

• Information security policies and procedures
• IT security and data protection requirements
• Building an information security program
• Security management information
• Risk and incident management

The entire course is divided into ten sections and includes 565 lectures. At the time of writing, 6,900 candidates have completed this course.

Simplilearn CISM training

Simplilearn is a boot camp that prepares students to pass the CISM exam. The training for 90 days with support and assistance is available to learners around the clock.

The program offers virtual labs with real-world data sets so that students may obtain first-hand experience. The training provides a 100 percent exam pass guarantee or money refund policy.

Some of the course strengths are 16 CPS (Continuing Professional Education) units, ISACA Accredited Instructor, ISACA Kit, and 8X higher interactivity in live online classrooms.

The course includes risk management, IT frameworks, incident management, security governance, security architecture, and security programs.

Mercury Solutions CISM certification training

Mercury Solutions is a recognized ISACA (Information System Audit and Control Association) partner. It provides online CISM training that lasts eight days and includes 32 hours of instructor-led live training.

The CISM training strives for a 90–95% passing rate and involves lengthy research papers and recorded class sessions for later viewing.

Candidates that enroll will have access to the LMS (learning management system), which will send mock exams, study guides, and a training timetable. The training course is divided into four sections that follow ISACA guidelines.

Linkedin CISM course

Linkedin is another online learning platform growing among technology learners and has more than 10,000 courses, most of which are taught by practicing professionals. 

The CISM course has been delivered by instructor Mike Chapple using recorded videos on the Linkedin platform. Through his best-selling books and videos, he assisted hundreds of thousands of students in obtaining security certificates, including the CISM, CISSP, and CySA .

In this course, he introduces the fundamentals of the CISM certification, provides resources for registering and practicing exams, and offers advice on how to pass the exam.

Cloudacademy CISM foundation

Cloudacademy offers a CISM foundation course that makes it easier to pass the CISM exam. 

This learning path includes seven modules that include material regarding certification, evaluation, exam requirements, security foundation, procedures, risk management, and related topics, among others.

Anyone who wants to understand information security better or to prepare for the CISM exam should attend this course.

Coursera IBM Cybersecurity Analyst

The online learning platform Coursera has 4,400 courses, many of which connect to more than 200 institutions and businesses. For online learning of accredited and non-accredited IT-focused courses, more than 6,000 schools use Coursera.

The IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Certificate is a professional credential offered by Coursera that will improve your technical proficiency and give you access to content on cyber-attacks and cybersecurity capstone, among others.

This course also covers critical factors: network security, database vulnerabilities, a framework for compliance, incident response, etc.

IBM Global Subject Matter Experts lead the training. Despite not covering the entire CISM curriculum, this certificate program does cover portions of it.

Coursera Managing Cybersecurity Specialization

Coursera’s Managing Cybersecurity Specialization course will teach you security management, network security, security governance, risk management, cyber security, vulnerabilities, and other related topics.

You will be able to create cybersecurity policies and recognize and manage risks within the organization after completing this course.

Understanding the fundamentals of managing cybersecurity in enterprises is aided by this training and designed for IT or cybersecurity experts. Its curriculum includes some CISM-related material.

If you are looking for free resources to start, it is worth looking at cybrary courses, certification preparation, and assessments. 

Conclusion

The global IT network revolves around every day. It is vulnerable to risks, breaches, threats, attacks, etc., so SACA’s CISA, CRISC, CISM, and CGEIT certifications are highly valued.

It takes a lot of work to become certified in CISM. Some candidates may enroll in classes, read literature, and pass tests the first time. Other candidates must repeat the course and continue to study the material to prepare for the next exam.

The most important thing to remember is to be motivated and work towards your goals if you want to get CISM certification or any certification.