Welcome to the Unofficial FITSP-Manager Exam Self-Practice Review Questions, a book carefully prepared for professionals pursuing the Federal IT Security Professional – Manager credential, a certification that validates your knowledge of federal IT security requirements necessary to successfully oversee and govern the management, operational, and technical IT security controls for systems owned by or operated on behalf of the federal government, whether you are a Chief Information Security Officer, an Information Security Manager, an Information Assurance Manager, a System Owner, an Authorizing Official, a Chief Information Officer, a Senior Agency Information Security Officer, or a program or functional manager with IT security responsibilities, and this collection of practice questions is designed to be an essential part of your exam preparation journey.
The FITSP-Manager certification is administered by the Federal IT Security Institute, a non-profit certification body accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board under ISO 17024:2012, and it is targeted specifically at federal workforce personnel, both federal employees and contractors, whose role is primarily focused on the management and oversight of IT security. The Manager role deals with high-level, cost-effective, risk-based IT security management and oversight functions that assure program value is achieved within ever-changing risk and evolving threat environments, and candidates for this role are usually CISOs, CIOs, system owners, program managers, and other senior officials who act in an oversight capacity concerning IT security. This book is not intended to be a theoretical textbook as its sole purpose is practical and focused: to help you apply your knowledge, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and build the confidence and stamina needed to succeed on the official exam.
The FITSP-Manager exam is comprehensive and rigorous, as candidates are tested on a comprehensive Federal Body of Knowledge which consists of a library of federal statutes, regulations, standards, and guidelines. The content of this practice book is meticulously aligned with the official Body of Knowledge, and the questions reflect the types of topics that you will encounter on the actual exam including laws, regulations, and policy such as FISMA, OMB guidance, and HSPD, the NIST Risk Management Framework seven-step process, security controls from NIST SP 800-53 and their assessment, continuous monitoring and incident response, cryptography and key management including FIPS algorithms and PKI, system protection and access control including network, VPN, and authentication, configuration and change management, and organizational risk and strategic governance. By working through these questions you will enhance your understanding of the specific publications, themes, and topical areas relevant to the Manager role, and you will gain valuable practice in answering the scenario-based questions that characterize the actual certification exam.
While this book is a powerful tool to help you prepare, it is important to remember that it is an unofficial publication not produced by or affiliated with the Federal IT Security Institute, and its goal is to supplement your study materials and provide a platform for rigorous practice, so we encourage you to also read the FITSI Certification Candidate Handbook both available on the FITSI website to ensure a comprehensive preparation strategy. We wish you the best of luck in your studies and on your path to becoming a Certified Federal IT Security Professional – Manager.
