ISMS Forum

What ISMS Forum does

ISMS Forum Spain, legally Asociación Española para el Fomento de la Seguridad de la Información, is a non-profit professional association founded in January 2007 and headquartered in Madrid. It operates as Spain's largest active network of organizations and experts committed to information security, bringing together over 370 member companies, more than 1,850 associated professionals, public institutions, and academia around a shared agenda of cybersecurity, data protection, and regulatory compliance (GDPR, NIS2). The association explicitly positions itself as a neutral, plural forum for debate and collaboration between the public and private sectors.

Its core "products" are organized knowledge and community assets rather than software: a library of studies, guides, and white papers covering cloud security, GDPR, AI governance, and cyber resilience; a semi-annual magazine; five specialized chapters (Data Privacy Institute, Cloud Security Alliance Spain, Cyber Security Center, Cyber Resilience Forum, and the cross-cutting AI Working Group GIA); recurring international events and conferences; and a catalog of professional training and certification courses. There is no software product, API, or proprietary technology platform; the underlying technology stack is a standard association website with cookie-based session management (PHPSESSID), payment processing via Stripe, and content delivery through Prezi and standard CMS infrastructure.

ISMS Forum generates revenue primarily through recurring membership fees from corporate and individual members, supplemented by training and certification programs, and likely event sponsorships (undisclosed). Its go-to-market is community-led: content marketing via publications and a magazine, LinkedIn and Twitter/X presence, and in-person events drive top-of-funnel member acquisition. Carlos Saiz is listed as Vice President. The association maintains strategic alliances with the Cloud Security Alliance (it operates the CSA Spain Chapter), ENISA, Stop.Think.Connect, and Privacy Laws (International), reinforcing its regulatory and ecosystem position in the Spanish and broader European information security market.

Name

ISMS Forum

Legal name

Asociación Española para el Fomento de la Seguridad de la Información

Website

https://ismsforum.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

ISMS Forum Spain is a Madrid-based non-profit association founded in 2007 that serves as the country's largest professional community for information security, with 370+ member companies and 1,850+ professionals. It delivers publications, training, certifications, and events through chapters covering data privacy, cloud security, cyber resilience, and AI governance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services - Information Security

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAFAF

Privacy, Data Protection & Cyber Governance (GRC)

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Risk, Compliance & Governance Advisory

SECONDARYHDAEADAG

Data Privacy, Consent & Compliance Management

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Enterprise Platforms & Databases/Master Data Management (MDM) & Data Governance Platforms

SECONDARYBPADANAB

Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/International Standards, Policy & Regulatory Cooperation

Keywords

• Information security association
• Data protection certification
• Cybersecurity training programs
• Privacy compliance education
• Cyber resilience research

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: ISMS Forum generates revenue through membership fees from over 370 associated companies and 1850+ professionals. Members gain access to the association's knowledge resources, events, training, certifications, and professional network.
2. Training and Certification Programs: Revenue from specialized courses including Data Protection continuation course, Cybersecurity specialization course, IT Risk Management in Supply Chain course, and Cyber Compliance course.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ISMS Forum Spain is a non-profit association that promotes the practice of information security in Spain by delivering a structured ecosystem of training programs (cursos), professional certifications including the blockchain-verified DPC Data Protection Certification, analytical studies and industry publications (such as the CS Magazine), and a portfolio of international events such as the Spain Cyber Security Summit and the Stirixx congress. It serves 370+ member companies and 1,850+ information security professionals, coordinating working groups (DPI, CSA Spain Chapter, CSC, CRC, GIA) and serving as a recognized voice on information security regulation and governance in Spain.

Product overview

ISMS Forum Spain is a non-profit professional association (founded January 2007) that serves as Spain's largest active network of organizations and experts committed to Information Security. The Association does not offer a software product or technology platform. Its offerings consist of professional initiatives (Data Privacy Institute, Cloud Security Alliance Spain Chapter, Cyber Security Center, Cyber Resilience Forum, and AI Working Group), research publications (studies and reports on cloud security, GDPR, AI governance, and cyber resilience), training programs (cybersecurity, data protection, and compliance courses), events and conferences, and a semi-annual magazine. These initiatives support member organizations with knowledge sharing, best practices, and professional development in information security and data protection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Data Privacy Institute (DPI): Initiative focused on data privacy topics within the association
• Cloud Security Alliance (CSA)
• Cyber Security Center (CSC)
• Cyber Resilience Forum (CRC)
• Grupo de Inteligencia Artificial (GIA)

Products and services

• DPC (Data Protection Certification) Professional certification in data protection built on a blockchain verification system, designed for information-security professionals who need a recognized credential to demonstrate data-protection competence to employers and clients.
• Training Programs (Cursos) Structured paid courses delivered by ISMS Forum Spain covering information-security and data-protection subject matter, targeted at practitioners and corporate teams seeking to upskill and stay current with regulatory and technical change.
• International Events (Stirixx, Spain Cyber Security Summit) Flagship international events convened by ISMS Forum Spain to bring together the information-security community for networking, knowledge exchange, and visibility, with paid attendance and sponsorship.
• CS Magazine and Industry Studies Industry magazine and analytical studies authored by ISMS Forum Spain that provide ongoing authoritative content on information security and data protection to members and subscribers.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Cloud Security Alliance (CSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSA Spain Chapter is operated by ISMS Forum, conducting joint research on cloud security, organizing the annual SOTA (State of the Art) study on cloud security, and hosting specialized cloud security events including the XVI Cloud Security Alliance Spain Encounter.
• ENISA (European Union Agency for Cybersecurity)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with ENISA on cybersecurity initiatives and shares European regulatory guidance and threat intelligence with the Spanish professional community.
• Stop.Think.ConnectminorGTM or Marketing PartnerParticipates in the global cybersecurity awareness campaign to promote safe online practices among Spanish users and professionals.
• Privacy Laws (International)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership for sharing best practices and trends in privacy and data protection regulation across jurisdictions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• SANS Institute: Global commercial cybersecurity training and certification provider. Competes with ISMS Forum's Oferta Formativa (training programs) at the upper end of the market with global credentials and instructor-led courses.
• ISACA: Global non-profit association for IT governance, risk, audit and cybersecurity professionals (CISA, CISM, CRISC). Overlaps directly with ISMS Forum's GRC and cyber compliance remit at a much larger international scale.
• IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals): Global non-profit association for privacy and data protection professionals offering CIPP/E, CIPM and CIPT certifications. Closely parallels ISMS Forum's Data Privacy Institute (DPI) but at global scale.
• (ISC)²: International non-profit membership association for cybersecurity professionals, known for the CISSP credential. Operates a much larger global version of what ISMS Forum does at the national level.

Direct peers

• Cloud Security Alliance (CSA): Global not-for-profit organization dedicated to cloud security standards, research and certifications. ISMS Forum operates the CSA Spain chapter, making it the Spanish national counterpart and closest structural peer.

Regional players

• INCIBE (Instituto Nacional de Ciberseguridad): Spanish national cybersecurity institute dependent on the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation. Operates as the Spanish public-sector counterpart to ISMS Forum, focused on awareness, training and talent development in Spain.
• CLUSIT (Associazione Italiana per la Sicurezza Informatica): Italian non-profit association for information security, analogous in structure and remit to ISMS Forum but serving the Italian market. Useful comparable for benchmarking the national-association model in Southern Europe.
• CCI (Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium): Belgian national cybersecurity center. Another European national-level peer institution whose existence alongside ISMS Forum illustrates the fragmented European cybersecurity association landscape.

Others

• AEPD (Agencia Española de Protección de Datos): Spanish data protection authority with which ISMS Forum collaborates closely. Not a peer in the competitive sense but a key institutional partner whose regulations drive member demand for ISMS Forum services.
• ENISA (European Union Agency for Cybersecurity): EU agency that ISMS Forum actively partners with on cybersecurity initiatives. Not a direct competitor but a strategic ally and the supranational counterpart in EU cybersecurity community building.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCz0gJDt654po6WZImPLWbhA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/isms-forum-spain
• Xx.com/ismsforumspain

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about ISMS Forum