88%

of security professionals have faced at least one significant consequence of a skills gap in their team. ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study 2025.

ISC2 Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) certification

Skills Gaps Leave Systems Exposed.

Nearly nine in ten teams have paid for a skills gap, from misconfigured systems to under-secured networks. SSCP proves you can run security hands-on, every day.

HRD Corp claimableYayasan Peneraju: may be eligibleKL or online

Exam

ISC2 SSCP

Course

5 days

Course fee

RM9,000

Exam fee

Included

Next intake

15 Feb 2027

Quick answer

What is SSCP?

The Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) is ISC2’s certification for hands-on security practitioners. It proves you can implement, monitor and administer IT infrastructure securely, from access controls and network security to incident response and cryptography. The exam is adaptive, 100 to 125 items in two hours, and you need one year of experience to be certified.

Exam facts verified against isc2.org on 23 Oct 2026

FOR

Systems, network and security administrators in operational roles

ROLES

Security administrator, systems engineer, network security engineer, security analyst

SKIP IF

You are new to IT. Start with ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC)

01

The Credential

What you study, practise and sit to earn it.

Pass the SSCP exam, show one year of experience in an SSCP domain, and get endorsed. It is the hands-on step between ISC2 CC and CISSP.

COURSE

5 days, 7 domains

FOCUS

Hands-on security operations

EXAM

CAT, 2 hrs

CREDENTIAL

ISC2 SSCP

Awarded by

ISC2

Exam outline

Effective 1 Oct 2025

Experience

1 year in an SSCP domain

Substitutions

A relevant degree can cover the year

No experience yet?

Pass and become an Associate of ISC2

Upkeep

60 CPE per 3 years, US$135 a year

02

Decide in 60 Seconds

Four options people weigh against each other.

If you want to

Choose

Why

Run security hands-on in an IT operations role

→

SSCP

Seven practical domains, from access control to incident response

Start in cybersecurity with no experience

→

ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity

Entry-level credential from ISC2

Analyse threats and alerts as a SOC analyst

→

CompTIA CySA+

Vendor-neutral detection and response

Lead security programmes

→

CISSP

ISC2’s senior security credential

One year of experience to certify. Are you ready?
0/4

Tick what applies. 3 or 4: you are ready for this course. Fewer: start with ISC2 CC.

03

What the Exam Covers

Seven domains from ISC2’s October 2025 SSCP exam outline. Bars to scale.

7 domains, 100 to 125 itemsLargest: Security Concepts and Network Security, 16% each

Security Concepts and Practices 16%
Network and Communications Security 16%
Access Controls 15%
Risk Identification, Monitoring and Analysis 15%
Systems and Application Security 15%
Incident Response and Recovery 14%
Cryptography 9%

Source: ISC2 SSCP Certification Exam Outline, effective 1 Oct 2025.

04

What the Course Covers

Eight chapters across the seven exam domains.

Five days of instructor-led SSCP training. You start with security concepts and risk, then work through the controls you run day to day, and finish with incident response and resilience.

Ch 1 to 2

Concepts and Risk

  • Security concepts and aligning asset management with risk management
  • Risk management options and access controls

Ch 3

Cryptography

  • Cryptography, PKI and key management

Ch 4

Systems and Data

  • Securing software, data and endpoints

Ch 5 to 6

Networks, Cloud and Wireless

  • Network and communications security
  • Cloud and wireless security

Ch 7 to 8

Respond and Mature

  • Incident detection and response
  • Maturing risk management: change, physical security, awareness, BCP and DR

7

exam domains covered end to end, with AI security topics built into each one under the October 2025 outline.

05

Why Now

What skills gaps cost, why it matters, and why train with us.

88%

have faced at least one significant cybersecurity consequence of a skills gap

ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study 2025

72%

agree that cutting cybersecurity staff significantly increases the risk of a breach

ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study 2025

24%

report misconfigured systems as a result of skills shortages

ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study 2025

6 hrs

Six Hours to Report. Who’s Watching the Alerts?

Malaysia’s Cyber Security Act 2024 (Act 854) came into force on 26 August 2024. Critical infrastructure entities must report a cyber security incident within six hours, and managed SOC monitoring services now need a licence. Meeting it depends on practitioners who keep systems secure every day.

NACSA; Cyber Security (Notification of Cyber Security Incident) Regulations 2024

ISC2 Official Training Preferred Partner

Training aligned to the ISC2 SSCP exam outline

Exam included

One fee covers training and your exam

HRD Corp registered

This course is HRD Corp claimable

KL or online

Instructor-led in class or live online

06

The Cost, All In

Every figure per person, in ringgit.

Fees

Five-day courseIncluded

SSCP exam voucherIncluded

Funding

HRD Corp claim for employersClaimable

Yayasan Peneraju financing (Bumiputera)May be eligible

Course with exam

RM9,000

Dates

Where

Fee

Mon 15 to Fri 19 Feb 2027

Kuala Lumpur or online

RM9,000 incl. exam

Mon 12 to Fri 16 Apr 2027

Kuala Lumpur or online

RM9,000 incl. exam

Mon 21 to Fri 25 Jun 2027

Kuala Lumpur or online

RM9,000 incl. exam

Mon 23 to Fri 27 Aug 2027

Kuala Lumpur or online

RM9,000 incl. exam

Mon 11 to Fri 15 Oct 2027

Kuala Lumpur or online

RM9,000 incl. exam

Mon 13 to Fri 17 Dec 2027

Kuala Lumpur or online

RM9,000 incl. exam

Training a team? We run private intakes on dates that suit your organisation, with HRD Corp claims handled alongside you.

07

Exam and Renewal

What exam day looks like, and what happens after you pass.

Certification

Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)

Format

Computerised Adaptive Testing (CAT)

Items

100 to 125, multiple choice and advanced item types

Duration

2 hours

Passing score

700 out of 1,000

Delivery

Pearson VUE test centre

Exam outline

Effective 1 Oct 2025

Exam fee

Included in the course fee

KEEP IT ACTIVE

Earn 60 CPE credits

Earn 60 continuing professional education credits over each three-year cycle, about 20 a year.

ANNUAL FEE

US$135 a year

ISC2 members pay one annual maintenance fee of US$135, however many ISC2 certifications they hold.

FAQ

Questions People Ask

What is SSCP?

The Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) is ISC2’s certification for hands-on security practitioners in operational IT roles. It covers seven domains, from access controls to incident response and cryptography.

At Trainocate Malaysia the five-day SSCP course is RM9,000 per person, including the exam. The course is HRD Corp claimable, and Malaysian Bumiputera learners may be eligible for Yayasan Peneraju funding.

It uses adaptive testing: 100 to 125 multiple choice and advanced items in two hours, at a Pearson VUE test centre. You need 700 out of 1,000 to pass.

One year of full-time experience in one of the seven SSCP domains. A relevant degree can cover that year. Without it you can pass and become an Associate of ISC2, with two years to earn the experience.

SSCP suits practitioners who run security day to day and needs one year of experience. CISSP suits senior and leadership roles and needs five. Many people earn SSCP first.

CC is for people new to cybersecurity, with no experience needed. SSCP is for practitioners who already work hands-on in IT or security.

Earn 60 CPE credits every three years and pay the US$135 annual maintenance fee.

Prove You Run Security Hands-On

Pick an intake. An advisor confirms fees, HRD Corp claims and Yayasan Peneraju eligibility with you.

  • Next intake: 15 to 19 Feb 2027
  • RM9,000, exam included

Sources

  1. ISC2: SSCP certification
  2. ISC2: SSCP exam outline, effective 1 Oct 2025
  3. ISC2: Member policies (CPE requirements)
  4. ISC2: Annual maintenance fees
  5. ISC2: 2025 Cybersecurity Workforce Study
  6. Trainocate: SSCP course page
  7. NACSA: Cyber Security Act 2024 (Act 854)
  8. MAICSA: Act 854 regulations summary