ISSA Chicago
ISSA Chicago is a non-profit professional membership chapter, founded in 1989, that serves hundreds of cybersecurity professionals in the Chicago metro through monthly meetings, the annual Secure X cruise, CPE credits, a Student Initiative pipeline, and corporate sponsorships, operating under the ISSA International umbrella.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What ISSA Chicago does
ISSA Chicago is a non-profit professional membership association and one of the earliest local chapters of the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) International, established in 1989 and serving cybersecurity professionals in the Chicago metropolitan area and surrounding Illinois region. The chapter provides its hundreds of members with monthly chapter meetings held on the first Thursday of each month, an annual Secure X cruise event, holiday parties, career fairs, CPE (Continuing Professional Education) credits, networking, and leadership development, all operated by a volunteer Board of Directors of nine members including the President, Vice President, Treasurer, and functional directors for Membership, Meetings & Sponsorship, Student & Volunteer, Social Media, and Student Initiative.
The chapter's product surface is community and event-based rather than technology-based: there is no proprietary platform, app, or AI component, and membership enrollment is processed through ISSA International's website with the Chicago chapter selected from a dropdown. The Student Initiative program is a notable specialized offering that partners with local colleges, universities, technical schools, and area employers to connect students who have completed two or more semesters of information security coursework with internship and job-shadowing opportunities. The chapter also co-hosts the annual Chicago CISO of the Year Award with AITP Chicago, recognizing outstanding local security leadership.
ISSA Chicago's revenue model is built on two streams: membership dues, which are collected by ISSA International and partially allocated to the chapter, and a tiered corporate sponsorship program that is the chapter's primary monetized asset. Published sponsorship tiers are Platinum at $7,500 per year and Gold at $6,000 per year, with Platinum providing an exclusive 45-minute speaking slot, logo placement across all communications, and free event admission for two, and Gold providing speaking opportunities, SecureX event tickets, and dedicated logo placement. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the organization is volunteer-run, implying a small absolute operating budget.
ISSA Chicago firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ISSA Chicago
- Legal name
- Information Systems Security Association Chicago Chapter
- Website
- https://issa-chicago.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ISSA Chicago is a non-profit professional membership chapter, founded in 1989, that serves hundreds of cybersecurity professionals in the Chicago metro through monthly meetings, the annual Secure X cruise, CPE credits, a Student Initiative pipeline, and corporate sponsorships, operating under the ISSA International umbrella.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ISSA Chicago industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Association / Cybersecurity Community
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (81392)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Membership, Accreditation & Credentialing Registration Systems (THAHAFAG)
Keywords
Where ISSA Chicago is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ISSA Chicago business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Corporate Sponsorships: The chapter generates revenue through corporate sponsorships at multiple tiers. Platinum sponsorship ($7,500) provides maximum exposure including exclusive speaking opportunities, logo placement on all communications, free admission to events, and recognition at chapter meetings. Gold sponsorship ($6,000) includes speaking spots, event tickets, and logo placement.
- Membership Dues: Revenue is generated through membership dues collected via ISSA's international website. Members select the Chicago chapter from a dropdown menu and pay required dues based on membership level chosen.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Platinum Sponsorship: $7,500 - Premier sponsorship with maximum exposure and exclusive speaking opportunity |
| Subscription | Annual | Gold Sponsorship: $6,000 - Standard sponsorship tier with speaking opportunities |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
ISSA Chicago product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ISSA Chicago is a non-profit local chapter of the Information Systems Security Association International, selling professional membership to cybersecurity practitioners in the Chicago metropolitan area. The chapter delivers its core value through monthly in-person chapter meetings, an annual Secure cruise event, the Student Initiative program pairing students with employers, and corporate sponsorship packages that grant vendors speaking opportunities and brand exposure.
Product overview
ISSA Chicago is a non-profit professional membership organization serving the Chicago-area cybersecurity community. The organization offers a single core membership product providing access to the ISSA international network, with services including monthly chapter meetings, the annual Secure X cruise event, a Student Initiative program for grooming new cybersecurity professionals, and volunteer leadership opportunities. The organization generates revenue through Platinum ($7,500) and Gold ($6,000) sponsorship tiers, offering vendors marketing exposure and speaking opportunities. The chapter also runs a CISO of the Year award program in partnership with AITP Chicago.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ISSA Chicago Membership Professional membership in the Information Systems Security Association through the Chicago chapter, providing individuals access to the ISSA international network, monthly chapter meetings, CPE credits, career programs, and leadership opportunities. Applications are submitted through the ISSA International portal with the Chicago chapter selected via dropdown.
- Chapter Meetings and Events Monthly chapter meetings (1st Thursday of each month, 3:00–5:00 PM) and special events including the annual SecureX cruise event, delivering speaker presentations, sponsor exhibits, and networking opportunities to cybersecurity professionals.
- Student Initiative Program Program partnering with local colleges, universities, and technical schools to recruit student members and connect them with Chicago-area businesses for internships and job-shadowing programs. Students must have completed two or more semesters of information security coursework to participate.
Quantifiable outcome
- 35+ years of continuous operation serving the Chicago cybersecurity community
Companies that use ISSA Chicago
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ISSA Chicago technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ISSA Chicago partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- AITP ChicagocoreISSA Chicago collaborates with AITP Chicago on the annual CISO of the Year Award, combining resources to recognize outstanding cybersecurity leadership in the Chicago area. This partnership leverages both organizations' membership bases for broader reach and impact.
- Local Colleges, Universities and Technical SchoolscoreThe Student Initiative partners with local educational institutions to identify qualified students for membership, internships, and job shadowing programs. The program aligns students with area businesses to benefit both employers seeking entry-level talent and students seeking career entry.
- Area Businesses and EmployerscorePartnership with Chicago-area businesses to establish internship and job shadowing programs through the Student Initiative. The program pre-qualifies students as interns or junior analysts for participating employers.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
ISSA Chicago competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SANS Institute: Global cybersecurity training and certification provider; overlapping audience of security professionals seeking education and CPE credits, but operates as a paid training company rather than a volunteer-run membership chapter.
Emerging players
- IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals): Global professional association for privacy and data protection professionals; comparable membership, networking, and education model for an adjacent (overlapping) cybersecurity-adjacent profession.
- Cloud Security Alliance Chicago Chapter: Local chapter of the Cloud Security Alliance; serves a subset of Chicago cybersecurity professionals focused on cloud security, with overlapping meetup and educational formats.
- BSides Chicago: Community-driven cybersecurity conference series in Chicago; overlaps with ISSA Chicago's event and community-building function but is conference-focused rather than a year-round membership association.
Direct peers
- OWASP Chicago Chapter: Chicago chapter of the Open Worldwide Application Security Project; hosts free meetups and events for application security practitioners, directly competing for the same Chicago cybersecurity audience.
- InfraGard Chicago: FBI-affiliated public-private partnership serving Chicago-area cybersecurity and critical infrastructure professionals; competes for the same security practitioner audience with meetings, networking, and educational programming.
- ISACA Chicago Chapter: Local chapter of ISACA, a global association for IT governance, risk, and cybersecurity professionals; serves the same Chicago-area audience with membership, monthly meetings, CPE credits, and certification support.
- (ISC)² Chicago Chapter: Local chapter of (ISC)², the cybersecurity certification body behind CISSP; directly overlaps with ISSA Chicago's cybersecurity professional membership, networking, and continuing education mission.
- AITP Chicago: Association of Information Technology Professionals Chicago chapter; co-runs the CISO of the Year Award with ISSA Chicago and serves the same Chicago IT/cybersecurity professional community with overlapping networking and education events.
Regional players
- ChicagoCon: Regional Chicago-area cybersecurity conference; competes for audience attention and sponsorship dollars from the same Chicago cybersecurity vendor and practitioner community.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ISSA Chicago social profiles
Digital presenceISSA Chicago financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ISSA Chicago leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
ISSA Chicago funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ISSA Chicago M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ISSA Chicago
What does ISSA Chicago do?
ISSA Chicago is a non-profit local chapter of the Information Systems Security Association International, selling professional membership to cybersecurity practitioners in the Chicago metropolitan area. The chapter delivers its core value through monthly in-person chapter meetings, an annual Secure cruise event, the Student Initiative program pairing students with employers, and corporate sponsorship packages that grant vendors speaking opportunities and brand exposure.
Is ISSA Chicago a public or private company?
ISSA Chicago is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ISSA Chicago founded?
ISSA Chicago was founded in 1989. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ISSA Chicago based?
ISSA Chicago is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does ISSA Chicago make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Corporate Sponsorships are the primary driver. The others are membership Dues.
Who are ISSA Chicago's main competitors?
SANS Institute is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals), Cloud Security Alliance Chicago Chapter and BSides Chicago. Direct peers are OWASP Chicago Chapter, InfraGard Chicago, ISACA Chicago Chapter, (ISC)² Chicago Chapter and AITP Chicago. ChicagoCon is listed as a regional player.
Does ISSA Chicago have an API?
No public API is recorded for ISSA Chicago.
What industry is ISSA Chicago in?
ISSA Chicago's product category is Professional Association / Cybersecurity Community. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHAFAG, Membership, Accreditation & Credentialing Registration Systems. Its NAICS code is 81392 and its SIC code is 8600.