CPP Exam Format | Course Contents | Outline | Syllabus | Objectives

CPP Exam Syllabus & Study Guide

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The information below reflects the 2026 syllabus defined by ASIS.

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ASIS CERTIFIED PROTECTION PROFESSIONAL (CPP) EXAMINATION CONTENT OUTLINE (DOMAINS, TASKS, KNOWLEDGE OF) Note: Domain weightings sum to 100% of the exam. ================================================================ DOMAIN ONE: SECURITY PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES (22%) ================================================================ TASK 1: Plan, develop, implement, and manage the organization's security program to protect assets. Knowledge of: - Principles of planning, organization, and control - Security theory, techniques, and processes (e.g., artificial intelligence, IoT) - Security industry standards (e.g., ASIS/ISO) - Continuous assessment and improvement processes - Cross-functional organizational collaboration - Enterprise Security Risk Management (ESRM) TASK 2: Develop, manage, or conduct the security risk assessment process. Knowledge of: - Quantitative and qualitative risk assessments - Vulnerability, threat, and impact assessments - Potential security threats (e.g., "all hazards," criminal activity, terrorism, consequential) TASK 3: Evaluate methods to improve security programs through auditing, review, and assessment. Knowledge of: - Cost-benefit analysis methods - Risk management strategies (e.g., avoid, assume/accept, transfer, spread) - Risk mitigation techniques (e.g., technology, personnel, process, facility design) - Data collection and trend analysis techniques TASK 4: Develop and manage professional relationships with external organizations. Knowledge of: - Roles and responsibilities of external organizations and agencies - Methods for creating effective working relationships - Techniques and protocols of liaison - Local and national public/private partnerships TASK 5: Develop, implement, and manage workforce security awareness programs. Knowledge of: - Training methodologies - Communication strategies, techniques, and methods - Awareness program objectives and program metrics - Elements of a security awareness program (e.g., roles and responsibilities, physical risk, communication risk, privacy) ================================================================ DOMAIN TWO: BUSINESS PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES (15%) ================================================================ TASK 1: Develop and manage budgets and financial controls. Knowledge of: - Principles of management accounting, control, audits, and fiduciary responsibility - Business finance principles and financial reporting - Return on investment (ROI) analysis - The lifecycle for budget planning purposes TASK 2: Develop, implement, and manage policies, procedures, plans, and directives. Knowledge of: - Principles and techniques of policy/procedures development - Communication strategies, methods, and techniques - Training strategies, methods, and techniques - Cross-functional collaboration - Relevant laws and regulations TASK 3: Develop procedures to measure and improve organizational productivity. Knowledge of: - Techniques for quantifying productivity/metrics/key performance indicators (KPI) - Data analysis techniques and cost-benefit analysis - Improvement techniques (e.g., pilot/beta testing programs, education, training) TASK 4: Develop, implement, and manage security staffing and personnel development programs. Knowledge of: - Interview techniques for staffing - Candidate selection and evaluation techniques - Job analysis processes - Pre-employment background screening - Principles of performance evaluations, 360 reviews, and coaching/mentoring - Interpersonal and feedback techniques - Training strategies, methodologies, and resources - Retention strategies and methodologies - Talent management and succession planning TASK 5: Monitor and ensure acceptable ethical climate. Knowledge of: - Governance standards - Guidelines for individual and corporate behavior - Generally accepted ethical principles - Confidential information protection techniques and methods - Legal and regulatory compliance TASK 6: Develop performance requirements and contractual terms for vendors/suppliers. Knowledge of: - Key concepts in the preparation of requests for proposals and bid reviews/evaluations - Service Level Agreement (SLA) terms, metrics, and reporting - Contract law, indemnification, and liability insurance principles - Monitoring processes to ensure organizational needs and contractual requirements are being met ================================================================ DOMAIN THREE: INVESTIGATIONS (9%) ================================================================ TASK 1: Identify, develop, implement, and manage investigative operations. Knowledge of: - Principles and techniques of policy and procedure development - Organizational objectives and cross-functional collaboration - Types of investigations (e.g., incident, misconduct, compliance, due diligence) - Internal and external resources to support investigative functions - Report preparation for internal/external purposes and legal proceedings - Laws pertaining to developing and managing investigative programs TASK 2: Manage or conduct collection, preservation, and disposition of evidence. Knowledge of: - Protection/preservation of crime scene - Evidence collection techniques - Requirements of chain of custody - Methods for preservation/disposition of evidence - Laws pertaining to the collection, preservation, and disposition of evidence TASK 3: Manage or conduct surveillance processes. Knowledge of: - Surveillance and countersurveillance techniques - Technology/equipment and personnel to conduct surveillance (e.g., Unmanned Aircraft Systems [UAS], robotics) - Laws pertaining to managing surveillance processes TASK 4: Manage and conduct investigations requiring specialized tools, techniques, and resources. Knowledge of: - Financial and fraud-related crimes - Intellectual property and espionage crimes - Crimes against property (e.g., arson, vandalism, theft, sabotage) - Cybercrimes (e.g., distributed denial of service [DDoS], phishing, ransomware) - Crimes against persons (e.g., workplace violence, human trafficking, harassment) TASK 5: Manage or conduct investigative interviews. Knowledge of: - Interview and interrogation techniques - Techniques for detecting deception - Nonverbal communication and cultural considerations - Rights of interviewees - Required components of written statements - Legal considerations pertaining to managing investigative interviews TASK 6: Provide support to legal counsel in criminal or civil proceedings. Knowledge of: - Statutes, regulations, and case law governing or affecting the security industry and the protection of people, property, and information - Criminal law and procedures - Civil law and procedures - Employment law (e.g., confidential information, wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment) ================================================================ DOMAIN FOUR: PERSONNEL SECURITY (11%) ================================================================ TASK 1: Develop, implement, and manage background investigation processes. Knowledge of: - Background investigations and personnel screening techniques - Quality and types of information sources (e.g., open source, social media, government databases, credit reports) - Screening policies and guidelines - Laws and regulations pertaining to personnel screening TASK 2: Develop, implement, manage, and evaluate policies to protect individuals against human threats. Knowledge of: - Protection techniques and methods - Threat assessment - Prevention, intervention, and response tactics - Educational and awareness program design and implementation - Travel security (e.g., flight planning, global threats, consulate services, route selection, contingency planning) - Industry/labor regulations and applicable laws - Organizational efforts to reduce employee substance abuse TASK 3: Develop, implement, and manage executive protection programs. Knowledge of: - Executive protection techniques and methods - Threat analysis - Liaison and resource management techniques - Selection, costs, and effectiveness of proprietary and contract executive protection personnel ================================================================ DOMAIN FIVE: PHYSICAL SECURITY (16%) ================================================================ TASK 1: Conduct facility surveys to determine current status of physical security. Knowledge of: - Security protection equipment and personnel (e.g., Unmanned Aircraft Systems [UAS], robotics) - Survey techniques (e.g., document review, checklist, on-site visit, stakeholder interviews) - Building plans, drawings, and schematics - Risk assessment techniques - Gap analysis TASK 2: Select, implement, and manage physical security strategies to mitigate risks. Knowledge of: - Fundamentals of security system design - Countermeasures (e.g., policies, technology, procedures) - Budgetary projection development process (e.g., technology, hardware, labor) - Bid package development and evaluation process - Vendor qualification and selection process - Testing procedures and final acceptance (e.g., commissioning, factory acceptance test) - Project management techniques - Cost-benefit analysis techniques - Labor-technology relationship TASK 3: Assess effectiveness of physical security measures by testing and monitoring. Knowledge of: - Protection personnel, hardware, technology, and processes - Audit and testing techniques (e.g., operation testing) - Predictive, preventive, and corrective maintenance ================================================================ DOMAIN SIX: INFORMATION SECURITY (14%) ================================================================ TASK 1: Conduct surveys to evaluate current status of information security programs. Knowledge of: - Elements of information security (e.g., physical security, procedural security, information systems security, employee awareness, and information destruction and recovery capabilities) - Survey techniques - Quantitative and qualitative risk assessments - Risk mitigation strategies (e.g., technology, personnel, process, facility design) - Cost-benefit analysis methods - Protection technology, security threats equipment, and procedures (e.g., interoperability) - Information security threats - Integration of facility and system plans, drawings, and schematics TASK 2: Develop policies and procedures to ensure information protection. Knowledge of: - Principles of information security management - Information security theory and terminology - Information security industry standards (e.g., ISO, PII, PCI) - Laws and regulations regarding records management including collection, retention, legal holds, and disposition practices (e.g., General Data Protection Regulation [GDPR], biometric information) - Practices to protect proprietary information and intellectual property - Information protection measures including security processes, physical access systems, and data management TASK 3: Implement and manage an integrated information security program. Knowledge of: - Information security including confidentiality, integrity, and availability - Information security systems methodology - Authentication techniques (e.g., multi-factor, biometrics) - Continuous evaluation and improvement programs - Ethical hacking and penetration testing techniques and practices - Encryption and data-masking techniques (e.g., cryptography) - Systems integration techniques (e.g., interoperability, licensing, networking) - Cost-benefit analysis methodology - Project management techniques - Budget review process (e.g., system development lifecycle) - Vendor evaluation and selection process - Final acceptance and testing procedures - Protection technology and forensic investigations - Training and awareness programs to mitigate threats and vulnerabilities (e.g., phishing, social engineering, ransomware, insider threats) ================================================================ DOMAIN SEVEN: CRISIS MANAGEMENT (13%) ================================================================ TASK 1: Assess and prioritize threats to mitigate potential consequences of incidents. Knowledge of: - Threats by type, likelihood of occurrence, and consequences - "All hazards" approach to assessing threats (e.g., natural disaster, chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosives [CBRNE]) - Cost-benefit analysis - Mitigation strategies - Risk management and business impact analysis methodology - Business continuity standards (e.g., ASIS ORM.1, ISO 22301) TASK 2: Prepare and plan how the organization responds to incidents. Knowledge of: - Resource management techniques (e.g., mutual aid agreements, MOUs) - Emergency planning techniques - Triage and damage assessment techniques - Communication techniques and notification protocols (e.g., interoperability, common operating terms, emergency notification system) - Training and exercise techniques (e.g., tabletop and full-scale exercises) - Emergency operations center (EOC) concepts and design - Primary roles and duties in an Incident Command Structure (ICS) (e.g., information dissemination, liaison, Public Information Officer [PIO]) TASK 3: Respond to and manage an incident. Knowledge of: - Resource allocation - Emergency operations center (EOC) management principles and practices - Incident management systems and protocols TASK 4: Manage incident recovery and resumption of operations. Knowledge of: - Resource management - Short- and long-term recovery strategies - Recovery assistance resources (e.g., mutual aid, employee assistance program [EAP], counseling) - Mitigation opportunities in the recovery process ================================================================ DOMAIN WEIGHT SUMMARY ================================================================ Domain 1 - Security Principles and Practices ....... 22% Domain 2 - Business Principles and Practices ....... 15% Domain 3 - Investigations ........................... 9% Domain 4 - Personnel Security ...................... 11% Domain 5 - Physical Security ....................... 16% Domain 6 - Information Security .................... 14% Domain 7 - Crisis Management ....................... 13% TOTAL = 100%