Why Apply for the CPP?

A certification being pursued by security professionals worldwide is the Certified Protection Professional (CPP). Administered by ASIS, CPP proves the knowledge and management skills of a person in all areas of security management. CPP Certification of ASIS is considered to be the gold standard for security management professionals which demonstrates the knowledge and competency in seven key domains of security. Globally recognized as the standard of excellence for security management professionals.

What's on the Exam?

The CPP exam consists of 200 scored multiple-choice questions and may contain 25 randomly distributed pre-test (unscored) questions for a total of up to 225 questions. The four hours allowed takes into consideration the review of pre-test items. The exam covers tasks, knowledge, and skills in seven broad domains. That have been identified by CPPs as the major areas involved in security management includes:

SECURITY PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES (22%)

• Plan, develop, implement, and manage the organization's security program to protect the organization's assets
• Develop, manage, or conduct the security risk assessment process
• Evaluate methods to improve the security program on a continuous basis through the use of auditing, review, and assessment
• Develop and manage external relations programs with public sector law enforcement or other external organizations to achieve security objectives
• Develop, implement, and manage employee security awareness programs to achieve organizational goals and objectives

DOMAIN II: BUSINESS PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES (15%)

• Develop and manage budgets and financial controls to achieve fiscal responsibility
• Develop, implement, and manage policies, procedures, plans, and directives to achieve organizational objectives
• Develop procedures/ techniques to measure and improve organizational productivity
• Develop, implement, and manage security staffing processes and personnel development programs in order to achieve organizational objectives
• Monitor and ensure a sound ethical climate in accordance with regulatory requirements and the organization's directives and standards to support and promote proper business practices
• Provide advice and assistance to management and others in developing performance requirements and contractual terms for security vendors/suppliers

DOMAIN III: INVESTIGATIONS (9%)

• Identify, develop, implement, and manage investigative functions
• Manage or conduct the collection and preservation of evidence to support investigation actions
• Manage or conduct surveillance processes
• Manage and conduct investigations requiring specialized tools, techniques, and resources
• Manage or conduct investigative interviews
• Provide coordination, assistance, and evidence such as documentation and testimony to support legal counsel in actual or potential criminal and/or civil proceedings

DOMAIN IV: PERSONNEL SECURITY (11%)

• Develop, implement, and manage background investigations for hiring, promotion, or retention of individuals
• Develop, implement, manage, and evaluate policies, procedures, programs and methods to protect individuals in the workplace against human threats (e.g., harassment, violence)
• Develop, implement, and manage executive protection programs

DOMAIN V: PHYSICAL SECURITY (16%)

• Conduct facility surveys to determine the current status of physical security
• Select, implement, and manage physical security strategies to mitigate security risks
• Assess the effectiveness of physical security measures by testing and monitoring

DOMAIN VI: INFORMATION SECURITY (14%)

• Conduct surveys of information asset facilities, processes, systems, and services to evaluate current status of information security program
• Develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure information is evaluated and protected against all forms of unauthorized/ inadvertent access, use, disclosure, modification, destruction or denial
• Develop and manage a program of integrated security controls and safeguards to ensure information asset protection including confidentiality, integrity, and availability

DOMAIN VII: CRISIS MANAGEMENT (13%)

• Assess and prioritize threats to mitigate potential consequences of incidents
• Prepare and plan how the organization will respond to incidents
• Respond to and manage an incident
• Recover from incidents by managing the recovery and resumption of operations

Eligibilty

To be eligible for induction into the cpp program, you need to have a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institution, along with at least nine years of security experience which shall include at least three years investigative experience in security management function.

Candidates can apply for the CPP certification online through the ASIS website. The application asks for basic biographical information, such as name, date of birth and address. It also asks for in-depth information on education and previous experience. Additionally, the candidate must provide three professional references on the application. Along with the application, the candidate must pay the exam fee, with ASIS members receiving a discount.