ISACA's Membership Reaches 75,000 - Up 15 Percent From 2007

CISA Has Been Earned by 60,000 Professionals Since Inception

(19.05.08) - ISACA membership reached 75,000 this year - a 15 percent increase from its 65,000 members in 2007. A nonprofit, independent association of IT governance, control, security and assurance professionals, ISACA has members in more than 160 countries. All regions experienced a significant increase in membership in 2008:

· Europe/Africa: 21 %

· Latin America: 16 %

· Oceania: 15 %

· North America: 12 %

· Asia: 12 %

ISACA members belong to one of more than 175 chapters worldwide and receive benefits such as free access to ISACA and IT Governance Institute (ITGI) publications, discounted conference and certification fees, and complimentary webinars and newsletters on industry hot topics.

Founded in 1969, ISACA sponsors international conferences, publishes the Information Systems Control Journal, and develops international information systems auditing and control standards. It also administers the globally respected Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) designation, the Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) designation and the new Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT) designation.

"Certifications fill a critical need for employers in this competitive business environment," said Steve Thorsted, chair of ISACA’s Membership Board. “They offer a way to identify highly qualified, experienced professionals who can add significant value to their organizations.”

Along with its membership growth, ISACA has experienced a significant increase in its population of certified professionals:

· CISA has been earned by 60,000 professionals since inception, up 5,000 from the previous year

· CISM has been earned by 9,000 professionals, up 2,000 from the previous year

· More than 500 professionals have applied for the brand-new CGEIT designation through the grandfathering provision, and 200 certificates have been awarded.

The CISA designation is for information systems (IS) audit, control and security professionals. Since its inception 30 years ago, CISA has been recognized by many enterprises as the standard for IS auditors; recently, it was approved by the US Department of Defense (DoD) for its information assurance professionals. CISA has repeatedly earned the prestigious ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation from the International Organization of Standardization’s (ISO’s) US representative, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

CISM, established in 2002, is designed for experienced information security mangers. CISM recognizes professionals who manage, design, oversee and assess an enterprise’s information security. It was recently named a finalist in the SC Magazine US Awards program for outstanding achievement in information technology (IT) security in the Professional Awards category and was found to be the second-highest paying IT certification in Certification Magazine’s 2007 salary survey. CISM is also ANSI-accredited and approved by the DoD.

The CGEIT designation, introduced in 2007, is designed for professionals who have had a significant management, advisory and/or assurance role in the governance of IT. Currently, the credential is available through a grandfathering provision, which allows highly experienced professionals to apply for the CGEIT designation without taking the examination. The first CGEIT exam will be administered 13 December 2008. (ISACA: ra)