Home Site Map Contact
Membership Events Sponsors Contact

Membership Criteria

CISO Forum Membership Criteria: The CISO Executive Forum is a peer-to-peer event. The unique strength of this event is that members can feel free to share concerns, successes and feedback in a peer only environment.

Membership is by invitation only and subject to approval. Membership criteria below will act as a guideline for approval.

Invitations can be made by a CISO Members or ISSA Management. Trial, renewing, and new members are all subject to approval.

Membership Criteria

  1. CISO Membership applicants should be executive/senior-level information security professionals reporting directly to the CEO, CFO, CIO or equivalent in either the public or private sectors. Individuals should be responsible for information security at the corporate or enterprise level within their organizations, be interested in discussing sensitive security issues with their peers, and be willing to share professional experiences.

    Members will be asked to certify that they are not involved with the sales or marketing of security products or offerings. Each new member will be asked to complete an application stating their company size, number of direct reports, and industry sector, to determine the significance of their security portfolio.

  2. CISO membership is also open to the senior most security managers (as referenced in the above criteria) in organizations that offer security services or products if the company has a clear separation between the internal security practitioner and those involved in sales and marketing. The organization must have a minimum of 500 employees and the individual must clearly act as the senior most internal security officer and must certify that he or she is not involved with the sales or marketing of security products or offerings.

    Any sales activity within the CISO Forum, by non-sponsors, is expressly forbidden and grounds for cancellation of membership.

  3. Emeritus membership will be available and approved on an individual basis by the Advisory Council.

  4. If a CISO Member should be unable to attend a Forum after submitting a RSVP, substitution of staff will be permitted. This substitute will be subject to the above criteria, but may be the direct report of the qualified member.

  5. Members may invite peers and direct reports within their organization as guests to the CISO Executive Forums. Guest will be asked to submit the same completed non-disclosure agreement and certify that they are not involved in the sales and marketing of security offerings. CISO Members’ guests will be invited on space available basis, and subject to approval.

    An example of a CISO Guest might be, a divisional security executive (direct report), CIO, CFO or other internal constituent who the CISO Member may wish to involve in the Forum. At this time there will be no charge for a CISO Guest to participate in the Forum, though ISSA will not provide rooming for these guests. A maximum of two guests will be allowed per event, per member.

The ISSA reserves the right to accept or reject any applicants based on their qualifications (see above) and the current capacity of the CISO Executive Membership. The ISSA may revoke the membership status of any participant if required, to maintain the integrity of the program. The ISSA does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age or sexual orientation.

Membership Cost

$995 per 12-month period.

For more information please contact us at ISSA headquarters at or call (503) 213-4632

Member Benefits

Signup Page