Eleventh Hour Cissp: Study Guide

by Eric Conrad, Seth Misenar, Joshua Feldman

Eleventh Hour CISSP Study Guide serves as a guide for those who want to be information security professionals. The main job of an information security professional is to evaluate the risks involved in securing assets and to find ways to mitigate those risks. Information security jobs include firewall engineers, penetration testers, auditors, and the like. The book is composed of 10 domains of the Common Body of Knowledge. In each section, it defines each domain. The first domain provides information about risk analysis and mitigation, and it discusses security governance. The second domain discusses techniques of access control, which is the basis for all security disciplines. The third domain explains the concepts behind cryptography, which is a secure way of communicating that is understood only by certain recipients. Domain 5 discusses security system design, which is fundamental in operating the system and software security components. Domain 6 is one of the critical domains in the Common Body of Knowledge, the Business Continuity Planning and Disaster Recovery Planning. It is the final control against extreme events such as injury, loss of life, or failure of an organization. Domain 7, Domain 8 and Domain 9 discuss telecommunications and network security, application development security, and the operations domain, respectively. Domain 10 focuses on the major legal systems that provide a framework for determining laws about information system. The only guide you need for last-minute studyingAnswers the toughest questions and highlights core topicsCan be paired with any other study guide so you are completely prepared

Genres: Technology, Computer Science, Audiobook, Technical, Nonfiction, Business, Computers

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 27, 2010

Reviews

[Vagabond of Letters, DLitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10.

This book is too superficial to be a refresher for a competent practitioner while also being too superficial for a neophyte to grasp the concepts without quite a bit of disparate background information (from physical building security to software development to cryptography) that's generally learned by practice.

The target market seems to be either (1) security professionals who have not kept at all up-to-date or have been out of the field for years - though this book has definite signs of having been derived by light revision from something written circa 2005 - and are not yet CISSP-certified so need to learn the jargon, (2) people cramming for the CISSP, though if you can pass the exam on the basis of this book either CISSP accreditation has become so watered down as to mean little, or you could have passed it anyways, or (3) people sold this by the money-leeches at (ISC)2 to have the privilege of paying for CPE to pay to maintain accreditation.

Why such a high rating, you ask? Because I was able to knock out over a year of CPE credits in one night and I need to maintain accreditation which I've had longer than the cloud has existed.

I should write one of these.

For those in other situations, 2.5/5.

[Michael Amann · Rating 3 out of 5]

📘 LISTEN TO IF...
You're either starting on your CISSP Learning or you're close to the end of it. This Audible Book will provide a refresher on different topics. It does NOT cover any topic sufficiently for you to pass the exam. However, it serves well in giving you a refresher on some issues or provides a good, general overview of all the topics you need to get covered. It has not been updated in a while so some parts of it are outdated. However, the majority of the content is still relevant today.

🙅‍♂️ STAY AWAY IF...
You’re expecting comprehensive study material.

⏳ WHEN TO READ IN YOUR STUDIES
I passed the CISSP exam in October 2024 and found this book most helpful in the final month of prep. It’s best used as a supplement after you have all the content absorbed already.

💡 MY TAKEAWAY
Good "executive summary" type of content to add to your study plan. Do NOT rely solely on this book.

⭐ RATING: 3/5
Useful material. Nothing more, nothing less. Outdated sections at this point.

[Michael Amann · Rating 3 out of 5]

📘 READ IF...
If you're at the end of your CISSP Studies and want a general refresher before the exam. The book does NOT cover any topic sufficiently for you to pass the exam. It has not been updated in a while so some parts of it are outdated. If you read this at the beginning of your studies you will not be able to tell which parts are outdated. However, the majority of the content is still relevant today.

🙅‍♂️ STAY AWAY IF...
You’re expecting comprehensive study material.

⏳ WHEN TO READ IN YOUR STUDIES
I passed the CISSP exam in October 2024 and found this book most helpful in the final month of prep. It’s best used as a supplement after you have all the content absorbed already.

💡 MY TAKEAWAY
Good "executive summary" type of content to add to your study plan. Do NOT rely solely on this book.

⭐ RATING: 3/5
Useful material. Nothing more, nothing less. Outdated sections at this point (especially around data laws - for example, GDPR did not exist when the book was written).

[Vici Fox · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book to give a high level overview of the domains covered by the CISSP. Don't expect to come out of this book with a depth of knowledge but it is useful to give you a high level overview of what to expect in each domain

[Max Pietsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Halfway through, and I enjoy listening to this audiobook. I've learned a number of useful things, and this book could be a decent, but not great, listen, even if I weren't interested in passing the CISSP exam.

[Maxwell Zhou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cram book for the CISSP exam. You most definitely need to have a solid grasp of the foundational material, otherwise you will have a hard time understanding the information. Use this book as a tool after you’ve done the bulk of your study for the CISSP.

[Jared Schwager · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent last minute prep tool, however I'd caution readers to not get too caught up with how well you do with the practice questions. I did worse on the questions in this book than I did on the actual exam.

[Olmo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty useful for CISSP preparations.

Recommended to be read after finishing your main study guide.

[Suliman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick review

Yes shortly and clear language still not cover every thing deeply but good for how looking to start in CISSP

[Platano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outdated, has old European laws that are no longer valid. Overall, great review.

[Big Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good overview of all domains of the CISSP exam. Does not incorporate the 2020 update by ISC2, but that is just a reshuffling of exam % coverage of each domain in its simplicity.

[Charles Bowles Jr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great follow up book to other Cissp study guide

Could not be used as a stand alone study guide but a very good refresher on cissp content. Overall excellent read.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good overview.

[Britt Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is a good review book before the exam even if it is a bit dated.

[Zane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this a lot more helpful that the larger reference books for CISSP.

[Jeremy Lincoln · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 Stars. This CISSP guide will give you a succinct roadmap through the knowledge domains and prepare you to tackle the labyrinth of an exam that is ISC^2’s CISSP.

[Jack]

Clear and straightforward. It was a lot of information but this was the best way to start

[Elwin Kline · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was waiting until I passed the CISSP before I wrote this review for this book.

Honestly, the whole mantra of "you get what you pay for" really applies here. The Shon Harris book is 1,400+ pages and the Sybex book is 1,500+ pages... whereas this book sits at less than 300. With page count representing currency, I really felt shorted with this book. I've heard from others that this book saves you time and effort and avoids the painful 1,000+ page reads of the other two books... but you are really missing out a ton of content by thinking you can cut corners with this book.

The CISSP exam is tough, mainly because of how broad this test is. The exam truly is "a mile wide and an inch deep" and this book just doesn't cover enough to pass the exam. I finished this book in 1 day, about a week or two before my exam was scheduled. It was a decent supplemental study material source, but again - I really felt shorted. The whole "5 hardest questions" at the end of each chapter are I'm sad to say a joke. Lastly, the author seems to have a serious crush on Bruce Schneier, because he is referenced numerous times throughout the book, along with other various website plugs, and very weak references for chapters as well made me laugh.. they were practically "google.com."

If you have access to this book through your company or a public library, it would be worth the quick 1 day read to brush up on bare bone basics. I am so, so thankful that I did not purchase this book and spend any actual money on it.

Accept the fact that you have to work hard and invest time to earn this certificate ... and go pick up the All-in-One or the Sybex book, or better yet .. both. It will pay off in the end when you see "Congratulations!" on your end of exam print off.

[Inward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good no fluff study guide. It is written like its meant to be read cover to cover unlike other CISSP books. At around 200 pages this book can be read in a weekend and then re-read. I hear good things about the thoroughness of the book from others who have passed the exam.

I wouldn't study with only this text but I would strongly recommend using this book to learn all the basics and then review unfamiliar subjects in the thousand page study guide of your choice.

[Nita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a good book to read in the last few days prior to the exam. It was concise but covered what was relevant and certainly easier to hold and read than some of the other books. Obviously not something to use for initial, in-depth studying, especially if you are a novice in some of the domains but a helpful review tool.

[Gajendra Choudhary]

Only usefulf or revisions and to be frank it doesnt cover all topics even in high level. So its better to go through it but can't be trusted on face value. Still I appreciate that author has compiled a useful list of topics to go through.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good CISSP prep guide.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book saves the fluff and gets to the point. A good pre-test review after using other material.

[Wes Stahler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this two days before passing the CISSP exam. Not a lot of material (
like the Shon Harris book) but helped validate at a high level the more relevant material.

[TJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great study guide. I believe this was a huge factor in my passing of the CISSP exam.

[Chris Ballance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview, but not comprehensive. Read this in 8 hours while cramming for the exam after reading the official study guide for the CISSP. Helpful overview with a decent amount of depth.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d recommend this book to read the day before your exam. Comprehensive and does a great job of reminding you of all 8 domains.

[A.J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not find it helpful toward passing the exam.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect read for right before the exam. Used this and passed...