Certified Authorization Professional (CAP) Certification and Training

This official ( ISC ) 2 ® Certified Authorization Professional ( CAP ) course prepares you for the CAP exam.

The Certified Authorization Professional (CAP®) is an information security practitioner who advocates for security risk management in pursuit of information system authorisation to support an organisation’s mission and operations in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements.

CAP Training Delivery Methods

• In-Person

• Online

CAP Training Course Information

• CAP Training Course Benefits

  • Information Security Risk Management Program
  • Scope of the Information System
  • Selection and Approval of Security and Privacy Controls
  • Implementation of Security and Privacy Controls
  • Assessment/Audit of Security and Privacy Controls
  • Authorisation/Approval of Information System
  • Continuous Monitoring

• CAP Training Course Prerequisites

  To qualify for the CAP certification, you must have a minimum of two years of cumulative, paid, full-time work experience in one or more of the seven domains of the CAP Common Body of Knowledge ( CBK )

• CAP Training Course Exam Information

  To maintain certification, you must:

  • Earn and post a minimum of 20 (ISC) 2 CPE credits per year
  • Comply with (ISC) 2 's Code of Professional Ethics

  As one of only 12 (ISC) 2 CPE submitters worldwide, Learning Tree can submit courses on your behalf to (ISC) 2 for CPE credit. (ISC) 2 members can earn Group A credits for attending any of our cybersecurity courses and Group B General Education credits for any other Learning Tree course they attend.

  Or (ISC) 2 members can submit CPE credits directly to the CPE portal in the Members section of the (ISC) 2 website .

CAP Certification Course Outline

Domain 1: Information Security Risk Management Program

1.1 Understand the foundation of an organisation's information security risk management program » Principles of information security

• Risk management frameworks (e.g., National Institute of Standards and Technology ( NIST ), cyber security framework, Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology ( COBIT ), International Organization for Standardization ( ISO ) 27001, International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 31000)
• System Development Life Cycle ( SDLC )
• Information system boundary requirements
• Security controls and practices
• Roles and responsibilities in the authorisation/approval process

1.2 Understand risk management program processes

• Select program management controls
• Privacy requirements
• Determine third-party hosted information systems
• Understand regulatory and legal requirements
• Familiarise with governmental, organisational, and international regulatory security and privacy requirements (e.g., International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27001, Federal Information Security Modernization Act ( FISMA ), Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program ( FedRAMP ), General Data Protection Regulation ( GDPR ), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ( HIPAA ))
• Familiarise with other applicable security-related mandates

Domain 2: Scope of the Information System

2.1 Define the information system

• Determine the scope of the information system
• Describe the architecture (e.g., data flow, internal and external interconnections)
• Describe information system purpose and functionality

2.2 Determine categorisation of the information system

• Identify the information types processed, stored, or transmitted by the information system
• Determine the impact level on confidentiality, integrity, and availability for each information type (e.g., Federal Information Processing Standards ( FIPS ) 199, International Organization for Standardization/ International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/ IEC ) 27002, data protection impact assessment)
• Determine information system categorisation and document results

Domain 3: Selection and Approval of Security and Privacy Controls

3.1 Identify and document baseline and inherited controls 3.2 Select and tailor controls to the system

• Determine applicability of recommended baseline and inherited controls
• Determine appropriate use of control enhancements (e.g., security practices, overlays, countermeasures)
• Document control applicability

3.3 Develop a continuous control monitoring strategy (e.g., implementation, timeline, effectiveness)

3.4 Review and approve security plan/Information Security Management System ( ISMS )

Domain 4: Implementation of Security and Privacy Controls

4.1 Implement selected controls

• Determine mandatory configuration settings and verify implementation in accordance with current industry standards (e.g. appropriate organisation entities (e.g., physical security, personnel security, privacy)

Domain 5: Assessment/Audit of Security and Privacy Controls

5.1 Prepare for assessment/audit

• Determine assessor/auditor requirements
• Establish objectives and scope
• Determine methods and level of effort
• Determine necessary resources and logistics
• Collect and review artefacts (e.g., previous assessments/audits, system documentation, policies)
• Finalise the assessment/audit plan

5.2 Conduct assessment/audit

• Collect and document assessment/audit evidence
• Assess/audit implementation and validate compliance using approved assessment methods (e.g., interview, test, and examine)

5.3 Prepare the initial assessment/audit report

• Analyse assessment/audit results and identify vulnerabilities
• Propose remediation actions

5.4 Review initial assessment/audit report and perform remediation actions

• Determine risk responses
• Apply remediations
• Reassess and validate the remediated controls

5.5 Develop final assessment/audit report

5.6 Develop a remediation plan

• Analyse identified residual vulnerabilities or deficiencies
• Prioritise responses based on risk level
• Identify resources (e.g. financial, personnel, and technical) and determine the appropriate timeframe/ schedule required to remediate deficiencies

Domain 6: Authorisation/Approval of Information System

6.1 Compile security and privacy authorisation/approval documents

• Compile required security and privacy documentation to support authorisation/approval decision by the designated official

6.2 Determine information system risk

• Evaluate information system risk
• Determine risk treatment options (i.e., accept, avoid, transfer, mitigate, share)
• Determine residual risk

6.3 Authorise/approve information system

• Determine terms of authorisation/approval

Domain 7: Continuous Monitoring

7.1 Determine the impact of changes to information systems and the environment

• Identify potential threats and impacts to the operation of information systems and environments
• Analyse risk due to proposed changes accounting for organisational risk tolerance » Approve and document proposed changes (e.g., Change Control Board ( CCB ), technical review board)
• Implement proposed changes
• Validate changes have been correctly implemented
• Ensure change management tasks are performed

7.2 Perform ongoing assessments/audits based on organisational requirements

• Monitor network, physical, and personnel activities (e.g., unauthorised assets, personnel, and related activities)
• Ensure vulnerability scanning activities are performed
• Review automated logs and alerts for anomalies (e.g., security orchestration, automation, and response)

7.3 Review supply chain risk analysis monitoring activities (e.g., cyber threat reports, agency reports, news reports)

7.4 Actively participate in response planning and communication of a cyber event

• Ensure response activities are coordinated with internal and external stakeholders
• Update documentation, strategies, and tactics incorporating lessons learned

7.5 Revise monitoring strategies based on changes to industry developments introduced through legal, regulatory, supplier, security, and privacy updates

7.6 Keep designated officials updated about the risk posture for continuous authorisation/approval

• Determine ongoing information system risk
• Update risk register, risk treatment, and remediation plan

7.7 Decommission information system

• Determine information system decommissioning requirements
• Communicate decommissioning of information system
• Remove information system from operations