ISC2 Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional

The CSSLP is ideal for those working in roles such as:

• Software Architect
• Software Engineer
• Software Developer
• Application Security Specialist/Manager/Architect
• Software Program Manager
• Quality Assurance Tester
• Penetration Tester/Testing Manager
• Software Procurement Analyst
• Project Manager
• Security Manager

Candidates must have a minimum of 4 years’ cumulative work experience in 1 or more of the 8 domains of the CSSLP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK), or 3 years of experience as an SDLC professional with a 4-year degree or regional equivalent in Computer Science, Information Technology or a related field.

A candidate who doesn’t have the required experience may become an Associate of (ISC)² by successfully passing the CSSLP examination. The Associate of (ISC)² will then have 5 years to earn the 4 years of required experience.

• Understand the core concepts of software security and the foundational principles that drive construction of resilient software.
• Recognize the importance of security requirements and understand the techniques for elicitation and specification of software security requirements.
• Recognize privacy requirements and their impact on the selection of safeguards and countermeasures.
• Understand threat modeling, attack surface evaluation, and architectural risk assessment.
• Recognize secure design principles and patterns.
• Understand secure coding practices, common application vulnerabilities and their mitigation strategies.
• Understand various code analysis techniques using automated and manual techniques.
• Recognize risks of third-party software components and libraries, malicious code and mitigation strategies.
• Describe security testing strategy and techniques and identify functional and non-functional testing methods.
• Describe defect tracking and risk scoring methods.
• Identify secure software methodologies, standards and frameworks.
• Understand Governance, Risk, and Compliance and recognize regulations and compliance requirements, Inc. NIST 800-218
• Describe risks during deployment and understand security relevant issues during the operations and maintenance phase of the lifecycle.
• Understand vulnerability management, security monitoring, incident response, and root cause analysis.
• Recognize software supply chain risks and attacks.

Domain 1: Secure Software Concepts

• Core Concepts
• Security Design Principles

Domain 2: Secure Software Requirements

• Define Software Security Requirements
• Identity and Analyze Compliance Requirements
• Identify and Analyze Data Classification Requirements
• Identify and Analyze Privacy Requirements
• Develop Misuse and Abuse Cases
• Develop Security Requirement Traceability Matrix (STRM)
• Ensure Security Requirements Flow Down to Suppliers/Providers

Domain 3: Secure Software Architecture and Design

• Define the Security Architecture
• Performing Secure Interface Design
• Performing Architectural Risk Assessment
• Model (Non-Functional) Security Properties and Constraints
• Model and Classify Data
• Evaluate and Select Reusable Secure Design
• Perform Security Architecture and Design Review
• Define Secure Operational Architecture (e.g., deployment topology, operational interfaces)
• Use Secure Architecture and Design Principles, Patterns, and Tools

Domain 4: Secure Software Implementation

• Adhere to Relevant Secure Coding Practices (e.g., standards, guidelines and regulations)
• Analyze Code for Security Risks
• Implement Security Controls (e.g., watchdogs, File Integrity Monitoring (FIM), anti-malware)
• Address Security Risks (e.g. remediation, mitigation, transfer, accept)
• Securely Reuse Third-Party Code or Libraries (e.g., Software Composition Analysis (SCA))
• Securely Integrate Components
• Apply Security During the Build Process

Domain 5: Secure Software Testing

• Develop Security Test Cases
• Develop Security Testing Strategy and Plan
• Verify and Validate Documentation (e.g., installation and setup instructions, error messages, user guides, release notes)
• Identify Undocumented Functionality
• Analyze Security Implications of Test Results (e.g., impact on product management, prioritization, break build criteria)
• Classify and Track Security Errors
• Secure Test Data
• Perform Verification and Validation Testing

Domain 6: Secure Lifecycle Management

• Secure Configuration and Version Control (e.g., hardware, software, documentation, interfaces, patching)
• Define Strategy and Roadmap
• Manage Security Within a Software Development Methodology
• Identify Security Standards and Frameworks
• Define and Develop Security Documentation
• Develop Security Metrics (e.g., defects per line of code, criticality level, average remediation time, complexity
• Decommission Software
• Report Security Status (e.g., reports, dashboards, feedback loops)
• Incorporate Integrated Risk Management (IRM)
• Promote Security Culture in Software Development
• Implement Continuous Improvement (e.g., retrospective, lessons learned)

Domain 7: Software Deployment, Operations and Maintenance

• Perform Operational Risk Analysis
• Release Software Securely
• Securely Store and Manage Security Data
• Ensure Secure Installation
• Perform Post-Deployment Security Testing
• Obtain Security Approval to Operate (e.g., risk acceptance, sign-off at appropriate level)
• Perform Information Security Continuous Monitoring (ISCM)
• Support Incident Response
• Perform Patch Management (e.g. secure release, testing)
• Perform Vulnerability Management (e.g., scanning, tracking, triaging)
• Runtime Protection (e.g., Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP), Web Application Firewall (WAF), Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR))
• Support Continuity of Operations
• Integrate Service Level Objectives (SLO) and Service Level Agreements (SLA) (e.g., maintenance, performance, availability, qualified personnel)

Domain 8: Supply Chain

• Implement Software Supply Chain Risk Management
• Analyze Security of Third-Party Software
• Verify Pedigree and Provenance
• Ensure Supplier Security Requirements in the Acquisition Process
• Support contractual requirements (e.g., Intellectual Property (IP) ownership, code escrow, liability, warranty, End-User License Agreement (EULA), Service Level Agreements (SLA))