CISO Alliance e.V.

What CISO Alliance e.V. does

CISO Alliance e.V. is a registered German nonprofit association (eingetragener Verein) headquartered in Braunschweig, operating as the only dedicated professional association (Berufsverband) for Chief Information Security Officers and CISO-adjacent professionals in the DACH region. Founded around 2018–2019, the association serves four membership tiers — personal (EUR 220/year), student (EUR 90/year), institutional (EUR 1,800–12,200/year depending on member revenue), and supporting/Fördermitglied (minimum EUR 1,800/year, individually negotiated) — with VIP members admitted fee-free by unanimous board decision. A 15% cap on members from any single company is enforced to preserve diverse representation.

The association does not develop or sell proprietary software. Its portfolio consists of community and knowledge services: a community platform, regional roundtables, approximately 60-minute webinars, CISO-specific and expert trainings, and four Facharbeitskreise (professional working groups — Berufsbilder, ISMS Best Practices & Standards, Public Relations, CISO Award) plus sector-specific Branchenarbeitskreise. Knowledge outputs include the Berufsbild CISO v1.0 professional profile, the '10 häufigsten Stolperfallen in TISAX-Projekten' guide, and policy positions on the EU AI Act, NIS2, and IT-SiG 2.0. The annual CISO Award, hosted at secIT by Heise in Hannover since 2018, is the association's flagship visibility initiative.

CISO Alliance is governed by a three-person Vorstand — Ron Kneffel (First Chairman, re-elected 2025), Ralf Kleinfeld (Deputy Chairman, elected 2024), and Robert Hellwig (Treasurer, re-elected 2024) — supported by a seven-person staff. Revenue is generated through membership fees, CISO Award sponsorship, and event partnerships; no revenue figure is publicly disclosed. The association's go-to-market is community-led: it operates its own stand at it-sa Expo&Congress (Nuremberg) as the sole official Berufsverband partner, and is plugged into the DACH cybersecurity event ecosystem via partnerships with Heise, TeleTrusT, Bitkom, eco, DQS, Bredex, and eurobits e.V. Recent strategic moves include the 2025 launch of the KI & Cybersecurity working group and the Ausbildungsinitiative vocational training advocacy, signaling a deliberate broadening of the association's mandate into AI policy and talent pipeline development.

Name

CISO Alliance e.V.

Legal name

CISO Alliance e.V.

Website

https://ciso-alliance.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CISO Alliance e.V. is a German nonprofit professional association (Berufsverband) serving CISOs and information security professionals across the DACH region through tiered memberships, working groups, trainings, the annual CISO Award, and policy advocacy on EU cybersecurity regulation and IT-security vocational training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Transnational Accreditation & Recognition Bodies (EDADACAG)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Cybersecurity community network
• Information security training
• CISO professional development
• Cybersecurity event management

Headquarters

HQ city

Braunschweig

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: CISO Alliance generates revenue through annual membership fees. Personal members pay EUR 220/year, student members EUR 90/year, institutional members (professional organizations) EUR 1,800/year, economic/industry associations pay between EUR 3,200 and EUR 12,200/year depending on member revenue volume, and supporting members pay a minimum of EUR 1,800/year negotiated individually. One-time admission fees also apply (EUR 75 for personal members, EUR 300–1,500 for institutional members). VIP members are fee-exempt.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CISO Alliance e.V. is a registered nonprofit professional association (eingetragener Verein) for CISOs and CISO-adjacent information security professionals in the DACH region. It sells tiered annual memberships (Personal, Student, Institutional, Supporting/Fördermitglied) that grant access to working groups, training programs, community roundtables, webinars, and the annual CISO Award. It additionally offers CISO-specific and Expert Training programs as standalone paid educational services.

Product overview

CISO Alliance e.V. operates as a professional association (Berufsverband) for CISOs and information security professionals in the DACH region, offering a bundled community platform as its primary product. The portfolio comprises community networking and participation (Community Platform, Community Roundtables, Webinars), professional development (CISO-specific and Expert Trainings, working groups producing guidelines and position papers), an annual CISO Award recognizing innovation, and an advocacy Training Initiative to establish a recognized IT security vocational profession. Membership is structured in four tiers (Personal, Institutional, Supporting/Fördermitglied, Student) providing graduated access to the full portfolio. All offerings are delivered through member-centric services, working groups, and events rather than a standalone software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Membership Annual subscription for individual CISOs, Information Security Officers, IT Security Officers, Data Protection Officers, and Compliance Managers providing access to working groups, community roundtables, webinars, training, and the CISO Award.
• Student Membership Annual subscription for students enrolled in CISO-related degree programs at EUR 90/year, providing access to community events, webinars, and mentoring. Full personal membership rate applies from the year after graduation.
• Institutional Membership Annual subscription for trade associations, industry organizations, professional bodies, and scientific institutions. Pricing ranges from EUR 1,800/year (professional organizations) to EUR 12,200/year (industry associations with member turnover over EUR 10B), plus one-time admission fees.
• Supporting / Fördermitglied Membership Annual subscription for organizations that sponsor CISO Alliance's mission and gain visibility within the CISO community through logos and communications. Minimum EUR 1,800/year with fee negotiated individually with the board; no admission fee.
• CISO-spezifische Trainings (CISO-Specific Trainings) Training programs tailored specifically to CISO tasks and professional practice, available exclusively to CISO Alliance members. Includes access to the CISO Master Class management seminar.
• Expert Trainings Broad competency training in core technical information security topics, offered both exclusively for members and through partnerships with education providers.

Quantifiable outcome

• CISO Award has been awarded annually since 2018
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• TeleTrusT (Bundesverband IT-Sicherheit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeleTrusT (Bundesverband IT-Sicherheit e.V.) is a key strategic partner. The two organizations co-hosted a workshop on 'Stand der Technik in der IT-Sicherheit' in Berlin (May 2023), jointly addressing information security standards and practices.
• DQS (Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Zertifizierung von Managementsystemen)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerDQS is listed as a partner of the CISO Alliance. The organizations offer joint activities including the 'DQS Praxistag ISO 27001:2022' with CISO Alliance members receiving special discount codes.
• Heise mediencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHeise is a key partner for the annual CISO Award, which is presented at secIT by Heise in Hannover. Heise and CISO Alliance co-organize the CISO Award and Heise events (secIT, Horizons, IT-Summit, IT-Sicherheitstag) feature CISO Alliance involvement.
• it-sa Expo&CongresscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCISO Alliance is the only professional association (Berufsverband) serving as an official partner of it-sa Expo&Congress in Nuremberg, Europe's leading trade fair for IT security. The association has its own stand (Hall 7A, Stand 7A-300 in 2025) and actively recruits members at the event.
• DACHsec SummitsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCISO Alliance is listed as a partner of the DACHsec Summit, which takes place in Frankfurt. Members receive special conditions for attendance.
• secIT by HeisecoreGTM or Marketing PartnersecIT by Heise in Hannover is the primary venue for the annual CISO Award presentation. CISO Alliance and Heise co-host this award ceremony, which is a central element of the association's annual activities.
• Bredex GmbHsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerBredex GmbH is listed as a partner and has co-hosted CISO Alliance at the Bitkom joint stand at it-sa. Bredex also hosted the 2nd IT-Grundschutz-Tag (BSI) with CISO Alliance members in Hamburg (April 2023).
• MCTTP (Munich Cyber Tactics, Techniques and Procedures)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMCTTP is listed as a partner. CISO Alliance members participate in the MCTTP conference in Munich, with members receiving special conditions for attendance.
• Cybersecurity SummitsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCybersecurity Summit is listed as a partner of CISO Alliance. The event takes place in Hamburg. Members receive free entry to the summit.
• eco – Verband der InternetwirtschaftsupportingGTM or Marketing Partnereco Verband partners with CISO Alliance for the Internet Security Days event in Cologne. CISO Alliance is a partner of Internet Security Days, and members benefit from discounts of up to 50%.
• Internet Security DayssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerInternet Security Days (hosted by eco) is a partner event where CISO Alliance participates as a partner. Members receive discounts of up to 50% on attendance.
• Marktplatz IT-SicherheitminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarktplatz IT-Sicherheit is listed as a partner of CISO Alliance on the association's website.
• eurobits e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCISO Alliance collaborates with eurobits e.V. on the 'Ausbildungsinitiative' (vocational training initiative), advocating for the creation of a recognized IT security apprenticeship ('Fachinformatiker:in Fachrichtung IT-Sicherheit / Informationssicherheit') in Germany. This is a formal advocacy partnership.
• DIGITAL.SICHER.NRWsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCISO Alliance partners with DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW on the Ausbildungsinitiative for IT security vocational training. DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW is a state-level initiative in North Rhine-Westphalia supporting digital security.
• Bitkom e.V.supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCISO Alliance participates at it-sa Expo&Congress on the Bitkom joint stand (Gemeinschaftsstand). Bitkom is Germany's digital association.
• TÜV HessenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTÜV Hessen was a sponsor of the CISO Award 2019.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• ISACA: Global professional association for IT governance, risk, and cybersecurity with CISM/CISA certifications and DACH chapters; directly comparable as a peer professional body serving CISOs and information security leaders, but at much larger global scale.
• Bitkom e.V. Germany's largest digital industry association covering cybersecurity among many other topics; comparable as a peer association representing digital and security professionals in DACH, but with vastly broader scope and resources.
• (ISC)²: International nonprofit membership association for cybersecurity professionals (CISSP, CCSP certifications); competes for the same CISO/security-leader audience with credentialing power CISO Alliance lacks.

Direct peers

• eco – Verband der Internetwirtschaft e.V. German internet industry association that co-organizes Internet Security Days with CISO Alliance; comparable as a peer industry body serving DACH digital and security professionals, with overlapping membership base.
• Information Security Forum (ISF): Independent, not-for-profit international association for information security professionals and CISOs; directly comparable in mission (CISO-focused information-sharing community) and nonprofit member-funded model.
• TeleTrusT – Bundesverband IT-Sicherheit e.V. German IT security industry association that is both a strategic partner and a peer body; addresses overlapping topics (IT security standards, Vertrauenszeichen 'IT Security made in Germany') for DACH security professionals.

Regional players

• SANS Institute: Global cybersecurity training and certification organization with strong DACH presence; partially comparable as a peer delivering CISO/security training, but operates as a commercial training company rather than a nonprofit membership association.

Emerging players

• Cloud Security Alliance (CSA): Industry organization promoting cloud security best practices and certifications (CCSK, CCSP co-sponsor); comparable as a peer body serving security professionals, but with a narrower cloud-security focus.
• FIRST – Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams: Global association of incident response and security teams with DACH members; comparable as a peer professional community serving security practitioners, but narrower in focus on incident response.
• IAPP – International Association of Privacy Professionals: Global professional association for privacy professionals with adjacent CISO-relevant content (privacy/security convergence); comparable as a specialized professional membership body, but focused on privacy rather than information security.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ciso-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 CISO Alliance e.V.