@jmpffff0000 wrote:
So, I've been in the industry a few decades, started with cracking software copy protection back in the BBS days, spent some years in the military (mostly infosec, sigint etc related), started a few technology companies and am running a couple companies now, including an MSSP, with security consulting on the side.
Back when I became a CISSP (2004) I was in a bit of a similar boat. The hardest part is codifying what you know into the language of the (ISC)2. You will also come across subjective things that people can insist are objective. Heck even the term "cybersecurity" rankles some people. A small example are the definitions of "data," "information," and "intelligence." How the (ISC)2 uses those words vs CompTIA, vs, say, the military can vary. You'll even find cases within their own materials that a certifying body may be very insistent on a word, and then a chapter later, they're using terms interchangeably.
That's where I think the Official Study Guide is helpful. Know the vocabulary. The other thing too is that you do realize that you really don't know it all. For example, you're going to be tested on anything from governance, to software development, to fire suppression systems in data centers. That was really the cool thing about the CISSP and the (ISC)2 - it was a very comprehensive exam, and you really felt your experience was being tested as much your ability digest study materials.
On that note, I see endless threads about people fretting over the exam or trying find tricks to it. They miss the whole point. It is a certification exam. Your ability to pass it should come somewhat naturally because you've been doing this stuff and doing it right for a while. Just as you shouldn't want to game the system to pass a pilot's exam, no one should look to just barely or cleverly become a CISSP - your wellbeing and that of others depends on your ability to perform, not be clever.
You need practice exams to condition your brain for the exercise. However, certainly in my time, and I think it is still this way, if you know the material, you will have ample time to complete the exam. There are some really bad practice tests/questions sets out there -- remember these are not written by the people who write the exam.
