Become the ISSO your authorizing official trusts.
A free course on federal information system security, from IT fundamentals to a full authorization package. Built by a federal security program manager, taught with fictional systems you can practice on safely.
What you will learn
- How the federal framework works: what is binding law and policy, what is guidance, and who decides what.
- The Risk Management Framework, step by step: categorize a system, select and tailor controls, document them, assess them, and prepare an authorization decision.
- The work after the signature: continuous monitoring, the Plan of Action and Milestones, change, vulnerabilities, cloud services, and vendors.
- What is changing now: Zero Trust, post-quantum cryptography, logging, and artificial intelligence inside authorized systems.
How it works
- Start with IT Fundamentals, or take the diagnostic and skip ahead if you already know the basics.
- Work through each module in order. Every lesson explains why it matters, shows a worked example, and ends with a short self-check.
- Pass each module quiz to unlock the next. The pass mark is 80 percent.
- Finish with a capstone: reauthorize a fictional system from evidence, under a deadline, and brief the authorizing official.
Who it is for
Recent graduates, early-career IT staff, and career changers heading into federal cybersecurity roles, and anyone who wants a clear map of how system authorization actually works.
What it is not
This is an independent training resource. It is not official guidance and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any federal agency. Every system, person, and scenario in the course is fictional. Always follow your own agency's policy.