Certified CISSP exists because most CISSP resources online fall into two categories: dry official documentation or thinly-veiled sales pitches for expensive bootcamps. We wanted something different.
Our team has collectively spent decades working in information security—building security programs, responding to incidents, passing audits, and yes, preparing for and passing the CISSP exam. We write the guides we wish existed when we were studying.
Our Contributors
Morgan Reyes
Strategic Security Leadership
Morgan spent 12 years with the Department of Defense before moving into private sector security leadership. She’s built security programs from scratch at two Fortune 500 companies and currently advises boards on cybersecurity governance. Her articles focus on risk frameworks, compliance programs, and executive communication.
Christine Mills
GRC Specialist
Christine has spent her career making compliance understandable. She’s led GRC programs at healthcare organizations, financial services firms, and a major retailer. When regulations like HIPAA, PCI DSS, or SOX seem overwhelming, Christine breaks them into practical steps.
Elias Ward
Technical Security Specialist
Elias is the quietest person in any room and usually the most technically capable. He’s worked as a penetration tester, security architect, and incident responder across defense contractors and tech companies. When something needs to be explained at the packet level, Elias writes it.
Rick Dalton
Security Mentor
Rick retired from IT after 30 years but couldn’t stay away from security. He earned his CISSP in 2008 and has mentored dozens of professionals through the certification process. His articles focus on practical study advice and career guidance—written the way he talks, with the occasional bad joke thrown in.
Why We Built This
The CISSP exam costs $749. Study materials can add another $500 or more. Bootcamps run $3,000 to $5,000. For many security professionals, especially those early in their careers, these costs create real barriers.
We’ve seen talented analysts stuck at entry-level roles because they couldn’t afford test prep. We’ve watched people fail the exam not because they lacked knowledge, but because they didn’t understand what the exam was actually testing.
Certified CISSP provides free, comprehensive resources written by people who understand both the exam and the profession.
What Guides Our Work
Editorial Standards
We don’t accept paid placements or sponsored content. When we recommend a study guide or training program, it’s because one of us has used it or seen it work for others.
Our external links point to official sources: ISC2 for certification details, NIST for frameworks, Bureau of Labor Statistics for salary data, and Cyberseek for workforce analytics.
Questions or Feedback?
Reach us at contact@certifiedcissp.com