https://www.reddit.com/r/cissp/comments/91kjzk/mnemonics_and_memorization_techniques_how_did_you/

With the sheer volume of stuff to know to pass this exam, mnemonics are critical (to me, at least). I've seen some great examples in this forum (23BRAIDS/DEREK) and figured I'd list some of them here, as well as ask you:

What mnemonics did you use? What other memorization techniques did you use?

Here are some that I have put together over the last few days - some borrowed from this community and others I created myself. There are some others that may sound weird, and even gross (I know, I'm sorry) - but if they help you remember just ONE thing, that could be the difference between a pass and fail. Now, you still need to actually understand the concepts as just knowing that RSA is asymmetric will only go so far. Hopefully, this can assist us CISSP preppers with passing this exam.

OSI Model: Patty Does Not Throw Sausage Pizza Away (Physical, Data-link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation, Application). If you don't know this like the back of your hand, you are probably not ready for the exam.

TCP/IP Model: NITA (Network, Internet, Transport, Application)

Asymmetric = DEREK

D=Diffie-Hellman E=ElGamal R=RSA E=ECC K=Knapsack

Symmetric = 23BRAIDS

2=Twofish 3=3DES B=Blowfish R=RC5 A=AES I=IDEA D=DES S=SAFER

Other memorization Tips:

  1. ISC Code of Ethics Canons are in order from longest to shortest.

Protect society, the common good, necessary public trust and confidence, and the infrastructure. Act honorably, honestly, justly, responsibly, and legally. Provide diligent and competent service to principles. Advance and protect the profession.

  1. Biba contains the letter I for Integrity. I also think of Biba as "Viva!" and picture someone in spanish saying "Viva, Integrity!"

  2. Bell-Lapdula - I made a little one-liner jingle for this. I say it like this: Bell, LA PA DU LA - CON FI DEN SHI AL IT E. I've repeated this many times in my head, and in fact, I recall this from my SSCP studies 4 years ago.

  3. Running key (or “book”) ciphers often use a passage from a commonly available book as the encryption key. I remember this because in IT, we use a "Run book", so anytime I see a practice question asking How a Running key works, I remember "Run Book".

  4. Patent = 20 years. Notice there is the word "ten" in Patent. 10 fits better into 20, than it does 70 (Copyright).

  5. SkipJack has 8 letters. Key size is "80 bits".

  6. Is Iris or Retinal scan more intrusive? Remember that the last 4 letters of Retinal are "inal", which sounds like "anal" (this is the gross one I mentioned earlier). We all know anything that looks into your, let's say 'passages', are more intrusive in nature. Thus, Retinal is the most intrusive.