Issa-Nova

What Issa-Nova does

Issa-Nova (ISSA-NOVA, legal name: Information Systems Security Association Northern Virginia Chapter) is a nonprofit professional association chapter chartered in August 2002 as the Northern Virginia affiliate of ISSA International, the parent cybersecurity professional body. The chapter serves cybersecurity professionals, federal employees, and federal contractors operating in the Northern Virginia technology corridor, delivering value through monthly hybrid meetings (in-person at Microsoft Reston, Marymount University Ballston Center, and Broadcom offices, with simultaneous virtual attendance via Microsoft Teams and Zoom), a recurring slate of paid workshops, certification preparation, and continuing professional education (CPE) credits.

Its core products are educational programs organized into a CISSP Certification Prep Course ($500 for ISSA members, $650 for non-members), a monthly ISSA-NOVA Cyber Workshop Series awarding 7 CPE credits per session, and a portfolio of topic-specific workshops covering CMMC, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), NIST CSF 2.0, FedRAMP, post-quantum cryptography, and an expanding AI curriculum (Generative AI for Cyber Operators, Agentic AI for Cybersecurity Professionals, AI for Cyber Auditors, AI for Cyber Managers, and Python & Machine Learning Programming). Membership is priced at $120/year (international $95 + chapter $25), with student memberships at $30/year and trial memberships allowing up to three free meetings. The organization is member-funded and supplemented by a three-tier corporate sponsorship program (Platinum $5,000, Gold $3,000, Silver $1,500) and a scholarship endowment administered through George Mason University's Volgenau School of Engineering.

ISSA-NOVA is governed by an elected board of directors (the 2026 board is led by President Jim Wiggins) and operated as a volunteer-driven chapter, with administrative and educational execution supported by partners including Microsoft, Broadcom, Battelle, and Marymount University. The chapter's media footprint extends through the 'Cybersecurity Today' television show launched in 2020 and a YouTube presence. ISSA-NOVA is a member of the broader ISSA International network, which is recognized as one of the world's largest and oldest cybersecurity professional associations; the chapter itself was the first in the network to receive both the Chapter of the Year and Communication Program of the Year awards in the same year (2004), and continues to receive recognition for leadership (FISSEA Educator of the Year 2011, Federal 100 2019, ISSA Distinguished Fellow and Fellow awards in 2025).

Name

Issa-Nova

Legal name

Information Systems Security Association Northern Virginia Chapter

Website

https://issa-nova.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

ISSA-NOVA is a nonprofit professional association chapter serving cybersecurity professionals, federal employees, and federal contractors in Northern Virginia through monthly hybrid meetings, certification prep courses (notably CISSP), paid compliance and AI-focused workshops, and corporate sponsorship programming under the ISSA International umbrella.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association - Cybersecurity Education and Training

NAICS

Computer Training (61142), Computer Training (611420)

akta.pro primary industry

Information Technology & Cybersecurity Certification Prep (CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft, AWS, ISC2/ISACA) (EDANAIAF)

Keywords

• Cybersecurity professional association
• Information security training
• CISSP certification preparation
• Cybersecurity workshops
• Professional networking events

Headquarters

HQ city

Annandale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: International Membership at $95 per year plus chapter dues of $25 per year (total $120/year), with student memberships at $30 per year. Transfer members pay $25 to cover chapter membership until national renewal.
2. Sponsorship Revenue: Annual sponsorships at three tiers: Platinum ($5,000), Gold ($3,000), and Silver ($1,500) with corresponding benefits including demo tables, email mentions, and speaking opportunities at monthly meetings.
3. Workshop and Training Fees: Educational workshops offered free to ISSA-NOVA members, $50 for members of other ISSA chapters, and $150 for non-members. CISSP certification prep courses at $500 for members and $650 for non-members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ISSA-NOVA is a regional nonprofit professional association chapter that delivers cybersecurity education and professional development through monthly hybrid chapter meetings, multi-week certification preparation courses (notably CISSP), and a portfolio of paid workshops covering AI, CMMC, CUI, NIST CSF 2.0, FedRAMP, and Python/ML. It earns revenue from individual membership dues, tiered corporate sponsorships, and workshop/training fees.

Product overview

ISSA-NOVA is a professional association providing cybersecurity education and professional development through multiple workshop series and certification prep courses. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio including CISSP Certification Prep Courses, specialized AI-focused workshops (Generative AI for Cyber Operators, Agentic AI for Cybersecurity Professionals, Generative AI for Cyber Auditors, Generative AI for Cyber Managers), compliance workshops (CMMC, CUI, NIST CSF 2.0, FedRAMP), technical training (Python & Machine Learning Programming, Python for Non-Developers), and the monthly ISSA-NOVA Cyber Workshop Series. Additional offerings include the Cybersecurity Today TV show and scholarship endowments for students. The organization operates the ISSA-NOVA Cyber Workshop Series providing 7 CPE credits per session across 12 monthly workshops covering topics from AI risk management to ISO/IEC 42001:2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CISSP Certification Prep Course Multi-week instructor-led certification preparation course covering all 8 domains of the CISSP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK), designed for experienced security professionals seeking CISSP certification validation.
• Generative AI for Cyber Operators Workshop Two-evening virtual workshop providing foundational understanding of generative AI for cyber operators, covering LLMs, prompt engineering, threat actor use of AI, and secure AI integration (7 CPE credits).
• Agentic AI for Cybersecurity Professionals Workshop Two-evening virtual workshop delivering foundational understanding of agentic AI systems that transform cybersecurity operations through autonomous reasoning, planning, and decision-making (7 CPE credits).
• Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Workshop Workshop covering CMMC requirements, alignment with NIST-based cybersecurity practices, scoping, gap analysis, remediation planning, and documentation preparation for DoD contractor certification.
• Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) Workshop Two-evening foundational workshop delivering practical understanding of the Federal CUI Program established under Executive Order 13556, covering identification, marking, safeguarding, dissemination, storage, and disposal of Controlled Unclassified Information (7 CPE credits).
• Generative AI for Cyber Auditors Workshop Workshop on applying generative AI in audit processes to enhance efficiency, analytical depth, and documentation accuracy, aligned with NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022.
• Generative AI for Cyber Managers Workshop Manager-focused workshop on leveraging generative AI for strengthening cyber defense, threat detection, incident response, and governance/risk management.
• NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0 Workshop Workshop providing practical understanding of NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 structure, functions, and real-world applications.
• Python & Machine Learning Programming Workshop Five-session introductory program providing foundational knowledge in Python-based Machine Learning for security professionals with little to no programming experience.
• Python for Non-Developers: Practical Programming & AI Integration Workshop Eight-week professional development program teaching practical programming skills and AI integration fundamentals for non-developers.
• ISSA-NOVA Cyber Workshop Series Monthly recurring workshop series covering cybersecurity topics including FedRAMP, DTEF, ISO/IEC 42001:2023, and NIST AI RMF, each providing 7 CPE credits.
• Cybersecurity Today TV Show Television show on cybersecurity launched by Jim Wiggins in 2020, broadcast in the Washington DC area and streamed online, covering cybersecurity topics and interviews with industry experts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 CPE credits per chapter meeting for CISSP holders
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrosoft serves as Platinum Sponsor and provides meeting venue at Microsoft Reston location (11955 Freedom Dr.) for monthly chapter meetings. Offers Azure Storage and cloud security expertise through speaker presentations.
• BroadcomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBroadcom serves as Silver Sponsor and provides meeting venue at their Reston office (12100 Sunset Hills) for chapter meetings, enabling access to cybersecurity professionals in the defense contractor space.
• Marymount UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarymount University Ballston Center serves as meeting venue for chapter events, providing educational institution partnership in the Northern Virginia cybersecurity community.
• BattelleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBattelle Crystal City Office serves as meeting venue for some chapter events, with staff participating as board members and meeting organizers.
• IEEE Women in Engineering Northern VirginiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister association partnership facilitating global recruitment and retention of women in technical disciplines. ISSA-NOVA refers members to WIE events and programs.
• ISSA International Women in Security (WIS) Special Interest GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational SIG under ISSA focused on developing women leaders globally in cybersecurity. ISSA-NOVA partners to provide leadership programs and services.
• George Mason University College of Engineering and ComputingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEd Hetsko Laurie McQuillan ISSA-NOVA Scholarship Endowment administered through George Mason University for full-time graduate students pursuing information assurance degrees at Volgenau School of Engineering.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals): Global nonprofit for privacy professionals offering CIPP/US, CIPP/E, CIPM, and CIPT certifications. Comparable nonprofit association structure, certification prep focus, CPE-bearing events, and federal-contractor member base in the NoVA area.
• ISACA: Global nonprofit association for IT governance, risk, and cybersecurity professionals (CISA, CISM, CRISC). Operates local chapters similar to ISSA-NOVA, delivers CPE-bearing events, and offers certification prep — a direct peer in mission and member profile.
• AFCEA International: Nonprofit association serving defense, intelligence, and homeland security professionals with strong NoVA chapter presence. Comparable audience (federal/contractor cyber and IT professionals), chapter-based membership model, and event-driven education programs.
• ISSA International: Parent organization of ISSA-NOVA, the worldwide Information Systems Security Association. Operates other chapters globally with similar local chapter models, education programs, and member dues structures — a direct governance and program peer.
• InfraGard: FBI-affiliated nonprofit partnership for sharing intelligence and protecting critical infrastructure, with local chapters aligned to FBI field offices. Comparable in serving cybersecurity professionals in the federal ecosystem with chapter-based membership and educational events.

Emerging players

• OWASP Foundation: Open-source community producing cybersecurity tools, documentation, and educational chapters worldwide. Partial overlap with ISSA-NOVA's cybersecurity professional development mission, but focused on application security rather than credentialing.
• Cybrary: Online cybersecurity training platform offering certification prep including CISSP, hands-on labs, and skill assessments. Competes with ISSA-NOVA's CISSP prep course on convenience and price, serving similar cybersecurity professional learners.

Broad incumbents

• SANS Institute: Leading cybersecurity training and certification provider offering courses across cyber defense, penetration testing, and cloud security. Competes with ISSA-NOVA's CISSP prep and workshops on technical training depth, but at substantially higher price points.
• (ISC)²: Global nonprofit that administers the CISSP certification and other credentials; directly comparable as the parent credentialing body whose curriculum ISSA-NOVA's prep courses teach against. Overlaps in cybersecurity professional community-building and CPE programs.
• EC-Council: Certifying body for CEH, CHFI, and other cybersecurity credentials with global training partner network. Comparable as a cybersecurity certification prep provider serving professionals seeking credentials like ISSA-NOVA's members.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@issa-nova

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Issa-Nova