Course overview
ISTQB Advanced Security Tester (CTāSEC) is a 4āday accredited course designed for experienced testers and security professionals seeking to expand their expertise in comprehensive security testing across the software lifecycle.
This programme focuses on policy-based, risk-based, and vulnerability-based testing, as well as human factors, tools, and standards. Delivered by certified industry experts, the course is ideal for those aiming to pass the ISTQB Advanced Security Tester certification and apply robust security strategies in real-world environments.:
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Course highlights
- Duration: 4āday intensive training (9āÆam ā 5āÆpm)
- Format: available as live virtual classroom or Selfāpaced eālearning (3 months access)
- Content: based on the latest ISTQB CTALāSEC syllabus; includes security testing strategies across human, process, system, and software dimensions; risk-based testing; social engineering; test tools and standards; and security test evaluation and reporting
- Exam preparation: mock exam practice, structured revision, and exam voucher included (Pearson VUE or local provider option)
- Accreditation: UKITBāaccredited, aligned to ISTQB Advanced Level Security Tester syllabus
- SFIAplus level: rated at LevelāÆ5 by BCS (consistent with other CTAL modules)
- Assessment: 45 multipleāchoice questions in 120 minutes (150 minutes for non-native English speakers); 60% pass mark required for certification
Why you should attend
- Earn the globally recognised ISTQB Advanced Security Tester qualification
- Gain practical insight into protecting systems from human, procedural, and technical vulnerabilities
- Learn from ISTQB-certified trainers who authored or helped shape the syllabus
- Build confidence in applying security test strategies across Agile, DevOps, and traditional lifecycles
- Strengthen your role in QA and security governance with tools, evaluation methods, and standards knowledge
Who should attend
- Security Testers, Technical Testers, Security Coordinators, and Security Managers
- Test analysts and engineers seeking specialist security testing credentials
- QA professionals preparing to integrate security testing within test plans or project lifecycles
- Developers or project managers aiming to understand security risks and test effectiveness
- Candidates with ISTQB Foundation level certification and at least three years of testing experience
Next steps in your testing career
Holders of this certification may choose to progress to other pathways, including Core Advanced Level certifications such as Test Manager or Technical Test Analyst, Agile certifications like Agile Technical Tester (CTAL-ATT), or Specialist streams such as Test Automation Engineer and domain-specific testing qualifications.
Customer review
“I thought ISTQB Advanced Security Tester was an excellent course that covered the syllabus well and in an interesting and engaging way. Having one of the authors of the ISTQB syllabus (Randall Rice) present the training content that he personally developed was a great bonus of course, and his enthusiasm for the topic was refreshing. The syllabus and course are a good bridge between the worlds of testing (as taught by ISTQB) and the technical world of penetration testing, without going in to the depths required by a pure security qualification like CISSP. I would certainly be looking to put other people through the course in the future”Chris Jones, Senior Managing Consultant, IBM
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Exam
To qualify as an internationally-recognized Certified Advanced Level Security Tester and be issued with an ISTQBĀ®Ā Advanced Level Certificate, delegates must successfully pass the exam administered by the relevantĀ National BoardĀ or Examination Provider.
The 2-hour exam contains 45 questions, of which 60% must be answered correctly for a pass to and certificate to be awarded.
If English is not your first language, you can apply for an additional time.
TSG Training will issue Peaarson VUE exam voucher after the course and you can use this to sit your exam at a local test centre.
An exam consisting of 40 multiple choice questions is sat over an hour at the end of the course and (25% extra time is available for non-native speakers or those who primary business language is not English). Delegates are awarded a pass if they answer 65% of the questions correctly.
Course objectives
This course is aimed at the softer-side of security testing and addresses the following key elements and how we manage them from a testing perspective through the life cycle from inception to delivery, including:
- Human lapses
- Malicious insiders
- Malicious outsiders
- Lack of adequate defenses and testing of the defenses thatĀ areĀ in place
- Defective software in general
- A limited view of security and testing
- Placing too much trust in technology
- Security is an afterthought in most development projects
- Lack of awareness at the executive level. Everybody knows cybersecurity is a problem, but very few people know how to deal with the risks and challenges.
Syllabus – key points
Module 1 – The Basis of Security Testing
- Security Risks
- Information Security Policies and Procedures
- Security Auditing and Its Role in Security Testing.
Module 2 – Security Testing Purposes, Goals and Strategies
- Introduction
- The Purpose of Security Testing
- The Organizational Context
- Security Testing Objectives
- The Scope and Coverage of Security Testing Objectives.
- Security Testing Approaches
- Improving the Security Testing Practices
- ISTQB Advanced Security Tester Certification Course.
Module 3 – Security Testing Processes
- Security Test Process Definition
- Security Test Planning
- Security Test Design
- Security Test Execution
- Security Test Evaluation
- Security Test Maintenance.
Module 4 – Security Testing Throughout the Software Lifecycle
- Role of Security Testing in a Software Lifecycle
- The Role of Security Testing in Requirements
- The Role of Security Testing in Design
- The Role of Security Testing in Implementation Activities
- The Role of Security Testing in System and Acceptance Test Activities
- The Role of Security Testing in Maintenance.
Module 5 – Testing Security Mechanisms
- System Hardening
- Authentication and Authorization
- Encryption
- Firewalls and Network Zones
- Intrusion Detection
- Malware Scanning
- Data Obfuscation
- Training.
Module 6 – Human Factors in Security Testing
- Understanding the Attackers
- Social Engineering
- Security Awareness.
Module 7 – Security Test Evaluation and Reporting
- Security Test Evaluation
- Security Test Reporting.
Module 8 – Security Testing Tools
- Types and Purposes of Security Testing Tools
- Tool Selection.
Module 9 – Standards and Industry Trends
- Understanding Security Testing Standards
- Applying Security Standards
- Industry Trends.
Melissa Ellis| Tester| Capgemini –
Very informative, knowledgeable
Bailey Clarke| SoftwareTester| Storefeeder –
John delievered the content great. Easy to understand the course content with it being delivered in digestable chunks with context and explanations alongside real life examples instead of just from slides.
Lakshmi Pochampally | Test Lead | Capgemini –
Really good course. Very informative. Only downside is it could have been more interactive like doing some exam questions to promote discussion.
miroslav melkner | test lead | solargis –
good explanations, nice examples, thumbs up
Dukhbhanjan Jutla | Assoc. Delivery Director – QAT | NTT DATA –
Informative with lots of useful information and examples derived from previous projects