ISACA CISM Certification

The CISM curriculum covers four domains:

• Domain 1 - Information Security Governance (24%)
• Domain 2- Information Risk Management and Compliance (33%)
• Domain 3 - Information Security Program Development and Management (25%)
• Domain 4 - Information Security Incident Management (18%)

Domain 1 - Information Security Governance (24%)

Learn how to establish and maintain an information security governance framework and supporting processes to ensure that the information security strategy is aligned with organisational goals and objectives. You’ll also learn how to manage information risk and program resources responsibly.

Task Statements:

• Establish and maintain an information security strategy in alignment with organisational goals and objectives to guide the establishment and ongoing management of the information security program
• Establish and maintain an information security governance framework to guide activities that support the information security strategy
• Integrate information security governance into corporate governance to ensure that organisational goals and objectives are supported by the information security program
• Establish and maintain information security policies to communicate management’s directives and guide the development of standards, procedures and guidelines
• Develop business cases to support investments in information security
• Identify internal and external influences to the organisation (for example, technology, business environment, risk tolerance, geographic location, legal and regulatory requirements) to ensure that these factors are addressed by the information security strategy
• Obtain commitment from senior management and support from other stakeholders to maximise the probability of successful implementation of the information security strategy
• Define and communicate the roles and responsibilities of information security throughout the organisation to establish clear accountabilities and lines of authority
• Establish, monitor, evaluate and report metrics (for example, key goal indicators [KGIs], key performance indicators [KPIs], key risk indicators [KRIs]) to provide management with accurate information regarding the effectiveness of the information security strategy

Knowledge Statements:

• Methods to develop an information security strategy
• The relationship between information security and business goals, objectives, functions, processes and practices
• Methods to implement an information security governance framework
• The fundamental concepts of governance and how they relate to information security
• Methods to integrate information security governance into corporate governance
• Internationally recognised standards, frameworks and best practices related to information security governance and strategy development
• Methods to develop information security policies
• Methods to develop business cases
• Strategic budgetary planning and reporting methods
• The internal and external influences to the organisation (for example, technology, business environment, risk tolerance, geographic location, legal and regulatory requirements) and how they impact the information security strategy
• Methods to obtain commitment from senior management and support from other stakeholders for information security
• Information security management roles and responsibilities
• Organisational structures and lines of authority
• Methods to establish new or utilise existing, reporting and communication channels throughout an organisation
• Methods to select, implement and interpret metrics (for example, key goal indicators [KGIs], key performance indicators [KPIs], key risk indicators [KRIs])

Domain 2 - Information Risk Management and Compliance (33%)

Learn how to manage information risk to an acceptable level to meet the business and compliance requirements of the organisation.

Task Statements:

• Establish and maintain a process for information asset classification to ensure that measures taken to protect assets are proportional to their business value
• Identify legal, regulatory, organisational and other applicable requirements to manage the risk of noncompliance to acceptable levels
• Ensure that risk assessments, vulnerability assessments and threat analyses are conducted periodically and consistently to identify risk to the organisation’s information
• Determine appropriate risk treatment options to manage risk to acceptable levels
• Evaluate information security controls to determine whether they are appropriate and effectively mitigate risk to an acceptable level
• Identify the gap between current and desired risk levels to manage risk to an acceptable level
• Integrate information risk management into business and IT processes (for example, development, procurement, project management, mergers and acquisitions) to promote a consistent and comprehensive information risk management process across the organisation
• Monitor existing risk to ensure that changes are identified and managed appropriately
• Report noncompliance and other changes in information risk to appropriate management to assist in the risk management decision-making process

Knowledge Statements:

• Methods to establish an information asset classification model consistent with business objectives
• Methods used to assign the responsibilities for and ownership of information assets and risk
• Methods to evaluate the impact of adverse events on the business
• Information asset valuation methodologies
• Legal, regulatory, organisational and other requirements related to information security
• Reputable, reliable and timely sources of information regarding emerging information security threats and vulnerabilities
• Events that may require risk reassessments and changes to information security program elements
• Information threats, vulnerabilities and exposures and their evolving nature
• Risk assessment and analysis methodologies
• Methods used to prioritise risk
• Risk reporting requirements (for example, frequency, audience, components)
• Methods used to monitor risk
• Risk treatment strategies and methods to apply them
• Control baseline modelling and its relationship to risk-based assessments
• Information security controls and countermeasures and the methods to analyse their effectiveness and efficiency
• Gap analysis techniques as related to information security
• Techniques for integrating risk management into business and IT processes
• Compliance reporting processes and requirements
• Cost/benefit analysis to assess risk treatment options

Domain 3 - Information Security Program Development and Management (25%)

You’ll prove your ability to establish and manage the information security program in alignment with an information security strategy.

Task Statements:

• Establish and maintain the information security program in alignment with the information security strategy
• Ensure alignment between the information security program and other business functions (for example, human resources [HR], accounting, procurement and IT) to support integration with business processes
• Identify, acquire, manage and define requirements for internal and external resources to execute the information security program
• Establish and maintain information security architectures (people, process, technology) to execute the information security program
• Establish, communicate and maintain organisational information security standards, procedures, guidelines and other documentation to support and guide compliance with information security policies
• Establish and maintain a program for information security awareness and training to promote a secure environment and an effective security culture
• Integrate information security requirements into organisational processes (for example, change control, mergers and acquisitions, development, business continuity, disaster recovery) to maintain the organisation’s security baseline
• Integrate information security requirements into contracts and activities of third parties (for example, joint ventures, outsourced providers, business partners, customers) to maintain the organisation’s security baseline
• Establish, monitor and periodically report program management and operational metrics to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of the information security program.

Knowledge Statements:

• Methods to align information security program requirements with those of other business functions
• Methods to identify, acquire, manage and define requirements for internal and external resources
• Information security technologies, emerging trends, (for example, cloud computing, mobile computing) and underlying concepts
• Methods to design information security controls
• Information security architectures (for example, people, process, technology) and methods to apply them
• Methods to develop information security standards, procedures and guidelines
• Methods to implement and communicate information security policies, standards, procedures and guidelines
• Methods to establish and maintain effective information security awareness and training programs
• Methods to integrate information security requirements into organisational processes
• Methods to incorporate information security requirements into contracts and third-party management processes
• Methods to design, implement and report operational information security metrics
• Methods for testing the effectiveness and applicability of information security controls

Domain 4 - Information Security Incident Management (18%)

Learn how to plan, establish and manage the capability to detect, investigate, respond to and recover from information security incidents to minimise business impact.

Task Statements:

• Establish and maintain an organisational definition of, and severity hierarchy for, information security incidents to allow accurate identification of and response to incidents.
• Establish and maintain an incident response plan to ensure an effective and timely response to information security incidents
• Develop and implement processes to ensure the timely identification of information security incidents
• Establish and maintain processes to investigate and document information security incidents to be able to respond appropriately and determine their causes while adhering to legal, regulatory and organisational requirements
• Establish and maintain incident escalation and notification processes to ensure that the appropriate stakeholders are involved in incident response management.
• Organise, train and equip teams to effectively respond to information security incidents in a timely manner
• Test and review the incident response plan periodically to ensure an effective response to information security incidents and to improve response capabilities
• Establish and maintain communication plans and processes to manage communication with internal and external entities
• Conduct post-incident reviews to determine the root cause of information security incidents, develop corrective actions, reassess risk, evaluate response effectiveness and take appropriate remedial actions
• Establish and maintain integration among the incident response plan, disaster recovery plan and business continuity plan

Knowledge Statements:

• The components of an incident response plan
• Incident management concepts and practices
• Business continuity planning (BCP) and disaster recovery planning (DRP) and their relationship to the incident response plan
• Incident classification methods
• Damage containment methods
• Notification and escalation processes
• Roles and responsibilities in identifying and managing information security incidents
• Types and sources of tools and equipment required to adequately equip incident response teams
• Forensic requirements and capabilities for collecting, preserving and presenting evidence (for example, admissibility, quality and completeness of evidence, chain of custody)
• Internal and external incident reporting requirements and procedures
• Post-incident review practices and investigative methods to identify root causes and determine corrective actions
• Techniques to quantify damages, costs and other business impacts arising from information security incidents
• Technologies and processes that detect, log and analyse information security events
• Internal and external resources available to investigate information security incidents

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