Preparing For An Exciting Career With A CISM Boot Camp

If you work in IT security and want to move towards a more advanced role, you should sign up for a CISM boot camp. Gaining a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification qualifies you for managerial roles. Taking place over 3 or 5 days, a CISM boot camp will teach how to effectively manage enterprise information security.

Boot camps focus on four key areas. These areas are:

  • Information Security Governance
  • Information Security Program Development and Management
  • Information Risk Management and Compliance
  • Information Security Incident Management

A CISM certification proves to employers that you’re more than capable of handling an IT security team effectively.

In this guide, we’ll explain all you need to know about the boot camps and the CISM exam.

Registration Information

CISM is an IT certification developed by ISACA (the Information Systems Audit and Control Association). The boot camp is offered by many universities and colleges. It’s recommended for those who want to sit the official CISM examination.

The registration process is different depending on where you enroll in the CISM boot camp. You can register for the boot camp and the CISM exam separately. The best place to register for the CISM exam would be the ISACA website.

Once you pass the CISM exam, you’ll also have to submit a CISM Certification Application to verify your CISM qualification.

Upon registering for the boot camp, you can choose between in-class and live online training. You can make your decision based on whether you’d prefer more hands-on or more flexible training.

The price you pay for the CISM boot camp depends on where you buy from. Some websites sell registration for the boot camp plus the CISM exam as one package. Other websites offer discounts for CISM exam registration.

You can register for the boot camp on ExitCertified and Cprime for the price of $1,595.

Who Should Enroll?

Anyone who already works in information security could benefit from enrolling in this boot camp. Are you an information risk or information security officer who would like to ascend toward a managerial position? Then you should enroll in this boot camp.

If you’re already in an information security manager role and want to climb the ladder further, this certification exam can help you as well.

Of course, it’s designed for those looking to sit the CISM exam. However, the information provided is highly valuable in its own right.

These boot camps are not for those who are new to the world of information security. Not only are prior qualifications required, but you also need a few years of professional experience behind you.

What You Will Learn

You’ll learn all you need to know to become a certified information security manager (CISM). The boot camps normally split the CISM examination into four key areas and focus on these subjects individually. Normally, these four areas will be split up over the four-day course, with one area focused on per day.

The four main topics are:

Information Security Governance

This part of the boot camp focuses on key information security concepts. Students learn about the relationship between business operations and information security. Another area this module deals with is how to encourage senior management commitment to your security strategy.

Information Risk Management and Compliance

Risk Management deals primarily with information resource valuation methodologies. These methodologies are applied to example business processes. Students will also learn about information classifications and baseline development. Emphasis is put on baseline development and its relationship to risk-based assessments.

Information Security Program Development and Management

This is a considerably big topic and is sometimes split over 2 days. However, if your boot camp only takes place across 4 days, it will be condensed into a single day of learning.

This module details approaches to project management. It demonstrates how to introduce security measures and best practices to a team. By team, we don’t just mean the immediate information security team – we mean the entire body that makes up the enterprise.

The second half of this module focuses on information security administration procedures. It also looks at how to implement information security through third parties. Third parties include security service providers and trading partners. Lastly, it shows you how to effectively monitor your information security strategy.

Information Security Incident Management

This is the last and shortest module. It teaches you how to respond to emergencies and breaches in your IT security. It shows you how to develop a computer emergency response team and how to make disaster recovery plans. You’ll also learn how to test your disaster recovery initiatives.

How You Will Benefit

The CISM boot camp is primarily designed to prepare you for the CISM exam. Yet, the information it provides won’t just help you pass the exam. It’ll also assist you in managing an information security team. It can be seen as a more cohesive boot camp on the topic of information risk management, as opposed to just examination prep.

Still, the boot camp can be described as succinct – everything discussed is relevant and useful.

Firstly, the boot camp helps you qualify. Secondly, it provides you with additional knowledge and experience. Plus, there’s plenty of room for open discussion. You can have your burning questions answered by experienced information security managers.

After taking the CISM boot camp, you’ll be able to:

  • Prepare an information security strategy. You’ll also be able to create a plan of action for the successful execution of this strategy.
  • Manage information security risks.
  • Design policies to use when destructive security events occur.
  • Create an information security plan and maintain it.

Not only will the boot camp give you advanced knowledge, but it guarantees that you’ll pass the CISM examination. Several suppliers of the boot camp offer ‘Our Exam Pass Guarantees.’ If you fail the exam, you can retake the program for no additional charge until you eventually pass.

Job prospects

Not only will the training program give you a wider understanding of information security governance. It will also increase your job prospects in the long run. The CISM certification is widely recognized by employers. Holders of this qualification are highly sought-after, and it can land you senior roles within major companies.

Common job opportunities include Information Security Manager and Information/Privacy Risk Consultant.

Requirements

There’s no official requirement for this boot camp in terms of degree attainment. Generally, those who enroll in this course have at least a bachelor’s degree. This degree is normally in cyber security, computer science, or information security.

The main requirement for this boot camp is verifiable evidence of information security management experience.

It also helps if you’re a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). Or a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).

Prerequisites

To enroll in a CISM boot camp, you’ll need at least five years of information security work experience.

Appropriate former positions include the following:

  • Information security practitioners
  • Security consultants
  • Security auditors
  • Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs)
  • Security administrators
  • Privacy officers
  • IT managers

This work experience needs to have been completed within 10 years of applying for the CISM certification boot camp.

Alternatively, these five years can also be the result of your education and work experience added together.

Where Can You Enroll In A CISM Certification Boot Camp?

The following universities and institutions offer ISACA-accredited training:

Cprime CISM boot camp

Cprime host online CISM boot camps every second month of the year. This course consists of 24 hours worth of learning split up over 3 days. This makes it one of the fastest ways to get the required knowledge for your CISM certification.

Training Camp’s CISM Certification Boot Camp

Training Camp offers a CISM boot camp that takes place over the standard four days. It dedicates a full day to each of the four main topics, from Information Security Program Development to Information Security Incident Management.

INFOSEC’s ISACA CISM Training Boot Camp

INFOSEC’s CISM certification camp takes place over five days, making it one of the longer options. It’s also one of the more frequent boot camps, with programs sometimes taking place twice per month. A big benefit of this CISM certification boot camp is that it provides you with 90 days’ worth of access to its training materials. It also provides an ‘Exam Pass Guarantee.’

FAQs

How long does the CISM certification take?

The exam itself lasts four hours. Within this time, you have to complete 150 questions. In terms of how long you’ll need to study the exam materials, boot camps normally run from 3-5 days.

Is the CISM exam difficult?

Yes, the CISM exam is very difficult. Only around half of first-time sitters pass the exam. This is why it’s essential to enroll in a boot camp for the exam. It’s also why many of these training programs offer an ‘Exam Pass Guarantee.’

What score do you need to pass the CISM exam?

800 is considered a perfect score for the ISACA CISM examination. However, the official pass mark is 450. A score of 450 or higher demonstrates a consistent knowledge of the information security program.

Final Thoughts

To summarize, this training prepares you for the four core areas covered in the examination. This includes Information Risk Management and Information Security Governance. To apply, you need to submit verified evidence of at least five years’ worth of employment in a relevant field.

https://www.infosecinstitute.com/courses/cism-boot-camp/

https://www.cprime.com/learning/courses/cism-exam-boot-camp/

https://trainingcamp.com/training/cism-certification-bootcamp/

https://ce.arizona.edu/classes/certified-information-security-manager-cism-certification

https://www.isaca.org/credentialing/cism#register-now

https://cybersecurityguide.org/bootcamps/cism-bootcamps/