Grandfather with EC-Council’s Associate C|CISO Program to Advance Your Infosec Leadership Career

A successful C-suite career in information security requires candidates to demonstrate excellent leadership competence in driving an organization’s information security program. Considering the complexities of today’s threat landscape, modern CISOs must wear many hats and undertake roles as strategists, critical thinkers, decision-makers, communicators, transformation managers, and more. To help information security professionals take the next step toward a leadership career, EC-Council has launched an exclusive grandfathering program to help professionals with a minimum 5 years of cumulative experience in the Associate C|CISO domains or holding valid Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certificates unlock a golden opportunity to obtain the sought-after Associate C|CISO title without taking the exam. Through this initiative, qualified candidates gain professional recognition of their expertise in this field and improve their eligibility for various cyber security leadership roles within a CISO’s office. Gaining the Associate C|CISO title will help qualified candidates add a new credential to their portfolio and further acquire the Certified Chief Information Security Officer (C|CISO) title.

This blog will discuss the benefits of the Associate C|CISO program, how this differs from other information security certifications, and why grandfathering with it will boost your information security leadership career.

Advantages of Earning the Associate C|CISO Title

The Associate C|CISO validates the expertise of experienced information security professionals in the following crucial domains:

• Governance and Risk Management
• Information Security Controls and Audit Management
• Program Management and Operations
• Information Security Core Competencies
• Strategic Planning, Finance, Procurement, and Vendor Management

The Associate C|CISO validates the expertise of individuals with requisite information security certifications as competent for transitioning to leadership roles and also serves as a stepping stone to becoming a chief information security officer (CISO). The various benefits of earning the Associate C|CISO credential are discussed below:

• A path to C-suite leadership: The Associate C|CISO empowers candidates with the skills required to undertake leadership positions in a CISO’s office. Emerging security officers and managers can leverage this program to create a pathway to executive leadership by acquiring a comprehensive understanding of the various roles and responsibilities a CISO assumes.
• Join the elite Certified CISO community: Obtaining the Associate C|CISO credential empowers candidates with skills to support and collaborate with CISOs in strategic decision-making and planning. It serves as a stepping stone to obtaining EC-Council’s highly respected C|CISO title and joining the elite Certified Chief Information Security Officer community at EC-Council.
• Broad career scope: By offering candidates an enhanced understanding of information security management, the Associate C|CISO opens new career opportunities and helps candidates pursue roles as information security leaders in the ever-evolving information security domain.
• A step towards becoming a C|CISO: Directly derived from the Certified Chief Information Security Officer (C|CISO) program, the Associate C|CISO enables candidates to leverage knowledge from the C|CISO program and get one step closer to earning the globally recognized Certified Chief Information Security Officer credential.
• Adding value to your existing credentials: Earning the Associate C|CISO title helps C-suite leaders add credibility to their professional profiles by utilizing the full potential of their CISSP, CISM, or CISA certifications under the grandfathering initiative.

How will the Associate C|CISO Grandfathering Program Benefit your Infosec Leadership Career?

By grandfathering with Associate C|CISO, aspiring C-suite leaders gain a ready recognition of their skill sets and take a step forward in undertaking influential positions in a CISO’s office, thereby building experience to pursue the Certified CISO certification. EC-Council’s unique grandfathering initiative guides candidates to advance into a leadership career path with a critical understanding of a CISO’s role. Certified candidates gain credibility to undertake roles of information security managers and acquire the professional experience required to pursue their careers as CISOs.

Becoming a Chief Information Security Officer is a step-by-step process. To qualify for this position, candidates must acquire an in-depth understanding of areas critical to information security management and have real-world experience in handling the complex challenges of this field. Modern CISOs must prove their merit in security, effective risk management, and business leadership. Compared to their traditional roles, CISOs today have become an integral part of business

If you are an aspiring CISO with a valid CISSP, CISM, or CISA credential, grandfathering with the Associate C|CISO will enhance your portfolio for leadership roles and help you gradually build the eligibility you’ll need to undertake a CISO course like the Certified Chief Information Security Officer (C|CISO) and progress to a successful C-suite career. In a nutshell, earning the Associate C|CISO title will help you accomplish the following:

• Gain recognition and credibility: The Associate C|CISO helps leaders get better professional profile recognition when it comes to handling the responsibilities in the office of a CISO. By grandfathering into the Associate C|CISO, you will be empowered with a fresh validation of your knowledge and experience in crucial cybersecurity domains.
• Increase employability: By obtaining the Associate C|CISO title, candidates will better demonstrate their foundational knowledge and ability to handle the complexities of evolving information security challenges to prospective employers, thereby boosting their profiles for various job roles in the infosec leadership domain.
• Gain a competitive edge: The Associate C|CISO title offers candidates an upper hand for being considered for the crucial roles within a CISO’s office by re-validating their experience, skills, and expertise in infosec management.
• Pursue CISO training: By grandfathering into the Associate C|CISO, eligible candidates step into the C-suite leadership path and improve their eligibility to pursue credible and advanced CISO training courses.

EC-Council acknowledges the need for qualified senior-level management professionals possessing the competence to assist CISOs in effectively performing their duties. By grandfathering its Associate C|CISO program, EC-Council provides eligible candidates an excellent chance to earn recognition in pursuing leadership roles in a CISO’s office and gain competence in shaping a rewarding career in executive leadership.

To register for the Associate C|CISO grandfathering program, visit: https://associate-cciso.eccouncil.org/

Disclaimer: “CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) is a trademark owned by ISC2, while CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) and CISM (Certified Information Security Manager) are trademarks owned by ISACA. EC-Council does not claim any ownership over these trademarks or assert any claims of endorsement, affiliation, connection, or sponsorship with ISC2 and ISACA.