Career IT Pro Earns CISSP

After spending 5 years working overseas, Information Systems Security Professional graduate Abraham Okomanyi began looking to expand his knowledge in the information security field. With 20 years of experience in IT and 5 years of experience working in information security, he wanted a course that would help him pass the Certified Information Systems Security Professional exam. After going through the course requirement, objectives and testimonials, Abraham was convinced this course was for him.

“I was the [Chief Information Security Officer] at my last job and, as such, I understand the value of having the CISSP letters next to my name in terms of credibility and potential for career growth,” he said.

He was motivated to go into information security when he realized that with the growth in global ecommerce comes the challenges of cybercrime and the need for skilled professionals to ensure the critical assets of organizations are secured against attacks.

“You hear of data breaches almost on a daily basis, undermining the confidentiality of sensitive data with the attendant reputational damages and regulatory liabilities on the affected organization. This means that the need for security professionals will only continue to grow,” he said.

Once in the class he noticed that a mix of seasoned IT professionals and newcomers to the IT field were all there to learn. As a result, there were numerous opportunities for the students to learn from each other. The dynamic of this class allowed for open-ended discussions that helped to create a deep insight into the concepts and their applications in real life. The class project along with group activities gave the students an opportunity to apply what they were learning and participate in crafting solutions in a business scenario. He believes that the benefits of this course are much greater than if he had done a 5-day boot camp.

“The real-life examples that were relayed to us by the instructor to further hone in the learning objectives of each domain will surely continue to resonate with me. They came in handy when I sat for the CISSP exam,” Abraham said.

To prepare, he began studying six weeks beforehand. Between the notes from class, help from the instructor and multiple practice tests, Abraham was able to pass the CISSP exam on the first try.

“It was like a heavy load was lifted off my shoulder with an associated sense of relief,” he said. “I was excited and grateful.”

As for future students, Abraham says “Be open minded about this program and strive to learn as much they can from their colleagues and the instructor.”