LEXX Training Leads Answer Whether CISSP or CCSP Should Come First in 2026
COLUMBIA, MD – October 03, 2026 – Security professionals choosing between the CISSP and the CCSP are usually asking the wrong question first, according to the training leads at LEXX. The order that works depends on what the candidate’s next two years of work will look like, not on which credential carries more weight in the abstract.
Both certifications are issued by ISC2. The CISSP is the broad security credential, covering eight domains and requiring five years of paid work experience. The CCSP is the cloud security specialization. Candidates frequently treat the choice as a ranking exercise, and the roadmap LEXX teaches treats it as a sequencing one.
“Before anyone books a course, I encourage them to ask their manager where the team’s systems are heading over the next year,” said Ben Tchoubineh, chief executive officer of LEXX. “Most people can get the answer that settles this from their own team, and they haven’t asked for it yet.”
Where the decision actually sits
The distinction that matters is whether a candidate’s employer runs security across a mixed estate or has moved decisively to cloud infrastructure. A practitioner supporting on-premises systems, network security and identity across an enterprise will use CISSP material daily. A practitioner whose entire environment is cloud-hosted will reach for CCSP material first and find parts of the CISSP syllabus remote from their work.
Experience requirements also shape the order. ISC2’s published requirement for the CISSP is five years of cumulative paid work experience across its domains, and candidates who do not yet meet it can pass the exam and hold Associate status while they accumulate it. That route is well documented and frequently overlooked.
The concentrations change the calculation
For candidates who already hold the CISSP, LEXX notes that the three concentrations are a more direct route to specialization than a second broad credential. ISC2 offers ISSAP for security architecture, ISSEP for systems security engineering, and ISSMP for security management, and each requires a CISSP plus two years of relevant experience or seven years cumulative.
All three are accredited to ISO/IEC Standard 17024 and approved under U.S. Department of Defense Manual 8140, which is why they appear in federal role requirements where a general credential would not. The ISSEP was developed in conjunction with the U.S. National Security Agency.
LEXX Live delivers each of the three as a five-day instructor-led course, 40 hours, priced at $3,995 and carrying 33 NASBA continuing professional education credits. Course details, exam formats and current schedules are published at https://lexx.com/live/training-courses/cissp-issap/, https://lexx.com/live/training-courses/cissp-issep/ and https://lexx.com/live/training-courses/cissp-issmp/, where the price is listed against each scheduled session.
Reference material
LEXX maintains an existing comparison of the two credentials at https://lexx.com/news/cissp-vs-ccsp-which-certification-should-you-get-first/, which sets out the decision in full alongside the exam requirements for each. A study guide hub covering CISSP preparation materials is published at https://lexx.com/news/the-cissp-study-guide-hub-what-to-read-in-what-order-and-what-to-skip/.
LEXX also notes that neither credential substitutes for the other over a career. The CISSP remains the credential most senior security job descriptions name, and the CCSP is the specialization employers ask for when an environment has consolidated onto cloud infrastructure. Candidates who expect to hold both should still choose a starting point, because the first one shapes which roles are open while the second is being earned.
Certification requirements are set by ISC2 and change periodically. Candidates should confirm current exam and experience requirements with ISC2 directly before booking.
About LEXX
LEXX is a cybersecurity and information technology training provider. Its instructor-led arm, LEXX Live, operates a training center in Columbia, Maryland, and runs certification courses across security, cloud, networking and artificial intelligence. LEXX Online provides self-paced courses. LEXX states that its instructor-led training is used by government agencies and Fortune 500 companies and is delivered by more than 400 certified expert instructors.
Media Contact
LEXX Media Relations Columbia, Maryland For media inquiries, please contact Ned Snow at [email protected] or 888-330-9071.
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