CISSP Body of Knowledge (2024-2025)
- Olufunmilayo Owolabi
- May 27
- 4 min read
The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is one of the most respected credentials in the cybersecurity industry. To maintain its relevance and alignment with the current threat landscape and professional responsibilities, ISC2 periodically updates the CISSP Body of Knowledge (BoK). The 2024–2025 revision brings some notable changes that every candidate and security professional should be aware of.
Below is a breakdown of what’s changing and how it may affect your preparation.
When Do the Changes Take Effect?
The updated CISSP exam and Body of Knowledge will take effect on April 15, 2024. All candidates sitting for the CISSP exam on or after this date will be tested based on the new content outline.
Format: Did It Change?
The CISSP exam continues to use the Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) format for English-language exams, with 100–150 questions and a 3-hour time limit. Non-English versions of the exam still follow the linear format with 250 questions in 6 hours.
The exam will focus on the practical aspect of knowledge and ensuring that professionals who are certified can be able to respond to the changing security threats.
The passing score is 700 out of 1,000 to pass the exam. Once you‘re certified, you become a member of ISC2 and recertify every three years. Recertification is accomplished by earning Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits —40 credits recommended each year, and paying $135 for the annual maintenance fee (AMF).
Have the Domains Changed?
The eight domains of the CISSP remain the same.
Domain 1: Security and Risk Management
1.1 Understand, adhere to, and promote professional ethics
1.2 Understand and apply security concepts
1.3 Evaluate and apply security governance principles
1.4 Understand legal, regulatory, and compliance issues that pertain to information security in a holistic context
1.5 Understand requirements for investigation types (i.e., administrative, criminal, civil, regulatory, industry standards)
1.6 Develop, document, and implement security policy, standards, procedures, and guidelines
1.7 Identify, analyze, assess, prioritize, and implement Business Continuity (BC) requirements
1.8 Contribute to and enforce personnel security policies and procedures
1.9 Understand and apply risk management concepts
1.10 Understand and apply threat modeling concepts and methodologies
1.11 Apply supply chain risk management (SCRM) concepts
1.12 Establish and maintain a security awareness, education, and training program
Domain 2: Asset Security
2.1 Identify and classify information and assets
2.2 Establish information and asset handling requirements
2.3 Provision information and assets securely
2.4 Manage data lifecycle
2.5 Ensure appropriate asset retention (e.g., End of Life (EOL), End of Support)
2.6 Determine data security controls and compliance requirements
Domain 3: Security Architecture and Engineering
3.1 Research, implement and manage engineering processes using secure design principles
3.2 Understand the fundamental concepts of security models (e.g., Biba, Star Model, Bell-LaPadula)
3.3 Select controls based upon systems security requirements
3.4 Understand security capabilities of Information Systems (IS) (e.g., memory protection, Trusted Platform Module (TPM), encryption/decryption)
3.5 Assess and mitigate the vulnerabilities of security architectures, designs, and solution elements
3.6 Select and determine cryptographic solutions
3.7 Understand methods of cryptanalytic attacks
3.8 Apply security principles to site and facility design
3.9 Design site and facility security controls
3.10 Manage the information system lifecycle
Domain 4: Communication and Network Security
4.1 Apply secure design principles in network architectures
4.2 Secure network components
4.3 Implement secure communication channels according to design
Domain 5: Identity and Access Management
5.1 Control physical and logical access to assets
5.2 Design identification and authentication strategy (e.g., people, devices, and services)
5.3 Federated identity with a third-party service
5.4 Implement and manage authorization mechanisms
5.5 Manage the identity and access provisioning lifecycle
5.6 Implement authentication systems
Domain 6: Security Assessment and Testing
6.1 Design and validate assessment, test, and audit strategies
6.2 Conduct security control testing
6.3 Collect security process data (e.g., technical and administrative)
6.4 Analyze test output and generate report
6.5 Conduct or facilitate security audits
Domain 7: Security Operations
7.1 Understand and comply with investigations
7.2 Conduct logging and monitoring activities
7.3 Perform configuration management (CM) (e.g., provisioning, baselining, automation)
7.4 Apply foundational security operations concepts
7.5 Apply resource protection
7.6 Conduct incident management
7.7 Operate and maintain detection and preventative measures
7.8 Implement and support patch and vulnerability management
7.9 Understand and participate in change management processes
7.10 Implement recovery strategies
7.11 Implement disaster recovery (DR) processes
7.12 Test disaster recovery plans (DRP)
7.13 Participate in Business Continuity (BC) planning and exercises
7.14 Implement and manage physical security
7.15 Address personnel safety and security concerns
Domain 8: Software Development Security
8.1 Understand and integrate security in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)
8.2 Identify and apply security controls in software development ecosystems
8.3 Assess the effectiveness of software security
8.4 Assess security impact of acquired software
8.5 Define and apply secure coding guidelines and standards
While the core domains are still the same, their weights have been adjusted to reflect evolving priorities within the field of Security and Risk Management. Here are the updated domain weightings for 2024–2025:
Security and Risk Management – 16%
Asset Security – 10%
Security Architecture and Engineering – 13%
Communication and Network Security – 13%
Identity and Access Management (IAM) – 13%
Security Assessment and Testing – 12%
Security Operations – 13%
Software Development Security – 10%
Our Take on Some Changes
The 2024–2025 CISSP update strikes a smart balance between continuity and modernization. The core framework of eight domains remains intact, but with more relevance to the modern cyber landscape.
For experienced professionals, these updates may feel intuitive. But for new candidates, adjusting study materials and mock exams to include these newer topics is essential.
If you're preparing for the CISSP in 2025, make sure you're studying based on the latest BoK. The changes may not seem dramatic, but they signal an important evolution toward modern, proactive cybersecurity leadership. Being familiar with cloud-native technologies, software security, and privacy implications is no longer optional—it’s expected.
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