International Security Organization - ISO KLG (ISO-SEC)

What International Security Organization - ISO KLG (ISO-SEC) does

International Security Organization - ISO KLG (ISO-SEC) is a Swiss nonprofit association (Verein) registered in Rietheim, Canton of Aargau, under Articles 60-79 of the Swiss Civil Code (CHE-422.223.378), founded in 2017 by Dr Nikolaos Fokianos. The organization operates as a global accreditation and standards body for the private security industry, anchored by its published ISO-SEC Protocols framework (ISBN-13: 979-8267152938), which operationalizes the International Code of Conduct (ICoC) and Montreux Document into actionable procedures across five domains: physical security, cybersecurity, personnel security, supply chain assurance, and governance/audit. ISO-SEC also operates the ISO-SEC Link platform for cross-border verification of security operatives between national licensing authorities and a biometric International Security License product, alongside an AI-powered Knowledge Base chatbot ("Sofia") and a 30+ module curriculum scaling from Security Guard to Chief Security Officer.

The organization's technology stack centers on four interconnected digital portals (iso-sec.com, .org, .ngo, .link) covering education/certification, membership, philanthropy, and government cooperation respectively. Supporting infrastructure includes regional missions across six continents (Athens, Accra, Bengaluru, Dubai, Boston, Georgetown), IT Labs in Cham/Zug, and excellence centers in Crete (self-defence) and India (forensic graphology). Membership requires social media engagement and references community-led, referral-driven acquisition through digital channels and word-of-mouth within the security professional community.

ISO-SEC's business model is fundamentally nonprofit: education and certification are free, with revenue derived from modest membership and accreditation fees — $50/year individual membership, $300/year educator membership, $1,000/year institutional membership, $150+ per course accreditation, $20 identity verification, and CHF 30/20 registration fees, plus donations. Distribution relies on direct digital onboarding through self-serve portals, supplemented by a global network of accredited education providers. First governmental protocol adoption occurred in Portugal's Azores region in 2019, and the organization formally aligned with ICoC and Montreux Document frameworks as of October 1, 2025, positioning itself as a neutral Swiss-mediated standards body serving individual security professionals, security companies, training institutes, academic institutions, and national licensing authorities.

Name

International Security Organization - ISO KLG (ISO-SEC)

Legal name

International Security Organization (ISO-SEC)

Website

https://iso-sec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ISO-SEC is a Swiss nonprofit (Verein) founded in 2017 that sets, accredits, and certifies global standards for the private security industry through its published Protocols framework, ICoC/Montreux alignment, and cross-border verification platform, serving security professionals, companies, and government licensing authorities worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Security Accreditation & Certification

NAICS

Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621), Educational Services (611)

akta.pro primary industry

Access Control & Identity Systems Integration (Badge, Biometrics, Mobile) (BPAKAGAB)

Keywords

• Security accreditation
• Private security standards
• Security certification
• Security protocol training
• Professional security credentials

Headquarters

HQ city

Rietheim

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Dues: Annual membership fees charged to individual security professionals worldwide. Revenue supports the nonprofit's mission, protocol development, certification programs, and operations. No portion is distributed as profit.
2. Educator Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for educators/trainers seeking ISO-SEC accreditation, structured in phased payments during the first year.
3. School/Institutional Membership Fees: Annual fees charged to further education schools and academic institutions for membership and accreditation within the ISO-SEC network.
4. Course Accreditation Fees: Fees charged for accreditation of individual courses and course materials under ISO-SEC protocols.
5. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Donations accepted to support the organization's mission. All donations are used strictly for statutory purposes, with full financial transparency.
6. ISO-SEC Registration Fees: Identity verification fee ($20) and initial registration fee (CHF 30, valid 2 years; renewal CHF 20) required for course admission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

ISO-SEC is a Swiss nonprofit accreditation and certification body for the global private security industry. It publishes and maintains the ISO-SEC Protocols (ISBN-13: 979-8267152938), a five-domain standards framework aligned with the ICoC and Montreux Document, and delivers free education and certification through a 30-module curriculum. The organization also operates the ISO-SEC Link Platform for cross-border verification of security operations, issues biometric International Security Licenses, and provides organizational accreditation and AI-powered knowledge support through the Sofia chatbot.

Product overview

ISO-SEC operates as a Swiss nonprofit organization offering a unified ecosystem of security standards, accreditation, and professional development for the global private security industry. The core offering is the ISO-SEC Protocols framework, which provides comprehensive standards building on the International Code of Conduct (ICoC) and Montreux Document. This is supported by the ISO-SEC Link platform for international license verification and the AI-powered Knowledge Base (Sofia) for information access. The education portfolio includes courses such as the ISO-SEC Protocols Course, Certified Security Supervisor's Course, Certified Security Manager's Course, Plantation Security Operations, and Central Monitoring Station Operators' Basics. ISO-SEC also provides organizational protocol certification, individual membership at $50/year, and educator accreditation at $300/year. All offerings are designed to professionalize the private security sector through competency-based evaluation rather than payment-based certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ISO-SEC Protocols A comprehensive framework of security standards (ISBN-13: 979-8267152938) organized across five domains (PROT-SEC-100 through 500) that operationalizes the ICoC and Montreux Document principles into actionable procedures for the private security industry.
• ISO-SEC Knowledge Base (AI Assistant - Sofia) An AI-powered chatbot that provides instant, verified information about ISO-SEC standards, compliance requirements, and organizational structure by consolidating data from the Fokianos Group ecosystem (ISO-SEC, ISA, WBA, Kingston International Group).
• ISO-SEC Link Platform A secure, decentralized infrastructure connecting national security licensing authorities for verification of cross-border security operations, secure data exchange, and issuance of temporary international security licenses while preserving national data sovereignty.
• ISO-SEC Protocols Course The foundational course covering ISO-SEC Protocols with 6 lectures spanning approximately 10 hours, providing members-only access to comprehensive training on ethical security protocols.
• ISO-SEC Certified Security Supervisor's Course A webinar course designed for security officers advancing into supervisory roles, covering leadership skills and operational knowledge needed for team management in the private security industry.
• Certified Security Manager's Course An advanced webinar program for experienced supervisors and aspiring leaders covering strategic planning, risk management, team leadership, and operational oversight for executive-level security positions.
• Plantation Security Operations A classroom-based specialized course focusing on security operations for plantation and agricultural facilities, providing sector-specific training for security personnel.
• Central Monitoring Station Operators' Basics An online, self-paced course with live components covering 10 lectures and approximately 50 hours of training for operators of central monitoring and security surveillance stations.
• ISO-SEC International Security License A biometric passport-style booklet with security features for verified security operatives, QR-coded for real-time verification through the ISO-SEC Link platform, with endorsement pages for national security licensing authorities.
• ISO-SEC Individual Membership Annual membership program at $50/year offering digital membership card, certificate, monthly webinars, access to member directory, conference discounts, and use of 'M.ISO-SEC' post-nominal credentials for security professionals worldwide.
• ISO-SEC Educator/Facilitator Accreditation Accreditation pathway for individual trainers and lecturers requiring annual membership ($300), completion of ISO-SEC Protocols Accreditation Training covering human rights, gender equality, and Swiss neutrality principles.
• ISO-SEC Protocol Certification (Organizational) Organizational compliance certification with ISO-SEC Ethical Security Protocols, including curriculum approval for training providers, staff knowledge verification, and competitive differentiation services for security companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Certified in as little as 1 month
• +3 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

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Montreux Document ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025ISO-SEC formally adopted the Montreux Document on Pertinent International Legal Obligations and Good Practices for States related to Operations of Private Military and Security Companies during Armed Conflict since October 1st, 2025. The Montreux Document (adopted September 17, 2008) is endorsed by 59 states and 3 international organizations (EU, OSCE, NATO) as the cornerstone of private security regulation.
• ISO-SEC FG Ghana LTDminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025An accredited education provider offering ISO-SEC Certified Security Supervisor's Course and Certified Security Manager's Course as webinar programs. Listed on the authorized education providers registry.
• Fokianos Group Entities (ISA, WBA, Kingston International Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025ISO-SEC is part of the Fokianos Group, a virtual group led by Dr Nikolaos Fokianos that includes: ISA (nonprofit association dedicated to security science), WBA (specialized membership for close protection services), and Kingston International Group GmbH (corporate and compliance insights). All entities are autonomous and independent, sharing the same leader.
• National Security Licensing AuthoritiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Governmental authorities worldwide that issue the ISO-SEC International Security License through the ISO-SEC Link platform. These authorities use the ISO-SEC template to produce biometric passport-style booklets and provide national endorsements for international operations.
• ICoCA (International Code of Conduct Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025ICoCA is an independent multi-stakeholder oversight body established in Geneva in 2013 that certifies companies, monitors compliance, and handles complaints related to the ICoC. ISO-SEC recommends members join ICoCA and aligns its protocols with ICoCA's three-pillar assurance system (Certification, Monitoring & Reporting, Complaints & Grievance Mechanism).
• Municipal Authority in Portugal (Azores)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The first governmental adoption of ISO-SEC Protocols was by a Municipal Authority in Portugal's Azores region in 2019, demonstrating the organization's standards being adopted at the local government level.
• Swiss International Code of Conduct (ICoC) / ICoCAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017ISO-SEC built its protocols upon the Swiss International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers and adopted the ICoC as foundational to its operations since October 1st, 2025. ICoCA (International Code of Conduct Association) serves as the official expression of ICoC law, providing certification, monitoring, and complaint handling for member companies.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Security Institute of Ireland (SII): Ireland's professional body for security practitioners, providing education, certification, and continuing professional development — directly comparable to ISO-SEC's professional certification mission but focused on the Irish market.

Direct peers

• International Code of Conduct Association (ICoCA): Geneva-based multi-stakeholder oversight body that certifies, monitors, and handles complaints for private security service providers under the ICoC — the same instrument ISO-SEC operationalizes. Directly comparable as a private-security accreditation and oversight body.
• (ISC)²: Global nonprofit issuing the CISSP and other cybersecurity professional certifications — comparable to ISO-SEC's role as a credentialing body for security professionals, particularly in the cybersecurity and information assurance domain.
• The Security Institute (SyI): UK-based chartered professional body for security practitioners offering chartered status, certifications, and continuing professional development across physical, cyber, and operational security — directly comparable as a security professional credentialing organization.

Broad incumbents

• International Organization for Standardization (ISO): The world's largest developer of voluntary international standards (including ISO 28000 for supply chain security and ISO 18788 for private security operations) — directly relevant as the dominant private security and management systems standards body that competes for similar governmental and enterprise adoption.
• ISACA: Global nonprofit association for IT governance, risk, cybersecurity, and audit professionals offering certifications (CISA, CISM, CRISC) — comparable to ISO-SEC in the cybersecurity and information assurance accreditation niche, but at much greater scale.
• BSI Group (British Standards Institution): National standards body and certification services provider offering security management certifications and standards adoption — comparable to ISO-SEC as a certification and accreditation services organization for the security industry, with broader commercial scope.
• ASIS International: The largest global association for security management professionals, offering certifications (CPP, PSP, PCI) and standards for physical, cyber, and operational security practitioners — overlapping ISO-SEC's professional credentialing role but with far greater scale and incumbency.
• Security Industry Authority (SIA): UK statutory regulator licensing individuals and businesses in the private security industry — directly comparable to ISO-SEC's organizational and individual accreditation mandate, though operating as a government regulator rather than a nonprofit standards body.

Others

• International Association of Security and Investigative Regulators (IASIR): Global association of government regulators of the security and investigative industry — comparable as an international governance and standards-setting counterpart to ISO-SEC's government-facing compliance mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ISO-SEC
• Facebookfacebook.com/isosec.swiss
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-security-organization-iso-sec
• Instagraminstagram.com/dr.nicolaos

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Security Organization - ISO KLG (ISO-SEC)