Information Systems Security Association
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| Information Systems Security Association | |
|---|---|
| Name | Information Systems Security Association |
| Abbreviation | ISSA |
| Formation | 1970s |
| Type | Professional association |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Region served | International |
| Membership | Cybersecurity professionals |
Information Systems Security Association
The Information Systems Security Association is a global professional association for cybersecurity practitioners and information assurance professionals. It connects practitioners involved with National Institute of Standards and Technology, Internet Engineering Task Force, SANS Institute, ISACA, and (ISC)² through local chapters, conferences, and standards-oriented programs. The association engages with stakeholders such as Department of Homeland Security, European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Bank, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization to influence practices and policy.
History
The association originated in the 1970s as a practitioner-driven network responding to emerging concerns highlighted by incidents involving Morris worm, Codasyl, and early ARPANET security debates. During the 1980s and 1990s it expanded alongside milestones like the enactment of Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the publication of FIPS 140-2, and the rise of commercial vendors such as RSA Security, Symantec, and McAfee. In the 2000s, energy was focused on responses to events including the Stuxnet operation, the 2007 cyber attack on Estonia, and the Sony Pictures hack, aligning the association with initiatives from European Commission, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Australian Signals Directorate. Recent decades have seen the association collaborate with academic institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University, and policy bodies like Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Organization and Governance
Governance is carried out by a board and volunteer committees that mirror structures in organizations including Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, American National Standards Institute, and International Organization for Standardization. Executive leadership typically engages with leaders from Cisco Systems, Microsoft, Oracle Corporation, Google, and IBM Security while committees liaise with regulators such as Federal Trade Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission. Financial oversight and nonprofit compliance draw on practices used by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and United Way affiliates. Advisory relationships have been maintained with think tanks like RAND Corporation and policy research centers such as Brookings Institution.
Membership and Chapters
Membership comprises practitioners from firms ranging from large enterprises like Goldman Sachs, Amazon Web Services, JPMorgan Chase, and Bank of America to consultancies such as Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, and Ernst & Young. Local chapters are organized in metropolitan areas similar to chapter models used by Toastmasters International and Association for Computing Machinery. International chapters operate across regions represented by Association of Southeast Asian Nations, African Union, and European Union member states with volunteers who coordinate programs with universities like University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, National University of Singapore, and Tsinghua University.
Programs and Certifications
The association offers professional development programs that complement certifications from (ISC)² Certified Information Systems Security Professional, ISACA Certified Information Security Manager, CompTIA Security+, and SANS GIAC. Training partnerships echo collaborations seen with Coursera, edX, Pluralsight, and corporate training from Cisco Networking Academy. The association’s mentoring and continuing education models are comparable to programs at American Bar Association and Project Management Institute.
Conferences and Events
Annual conferences attract speakers from institutions including Harvard University, Yale University, Johns Hopkins University, and agencies such as National Security Agency and Central Intelligence Agency. Regional symposiums mirror formats used by Black Hat, DEF CON, RSA Conference, and Gartner Symposium/ITxpo. Events often feature panels with representatives from corporations like Apple Inc., Facebook, Twitter, and Alibaba Group alongside public sector officials from European Parliament and U.S. Congress.
Publications and Research
The association publishes white papers, practitioner guides, and newsletters that cite standards like NIST SP 800-53, ISO/IEC 27001, and guidance from ENISA. Research outputs are shared with academic journals and conferences such as IEEE Security & Privacy, ACM CCS, USENIX Security Symposium, and NDSS Symposium. Collaborative research projects have involved institutions like University of California, Berkeley and Georgia Institute of Technology and have referenced incidents cataloged by Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report and analyses from Mandiant.
Advocacy and Community Impact
Advocacy efforts align the association with legislative and policy dialogues involving Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, General Data Protection Regulation, and standards development at Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. Community impact initiatives include workforce development programs modeled after Girls Who Code and Code.org, veterans transition programs similar to Hiring Our Heroes, and partnerships with nonprofit organizations like Electronic Frontier Foundation and Teaching Tolerance. The association’s influence is visible in collaborations with international development agencies such as United Nations Development Programme and International Telecommunication Union.