Grandfathering Process for Associate C|CISO Certification

Eligibility Criteria and Application:

An applicant has two options to qualify for the Associate C|CISO certification under the grandfathering provision. The applicant can either hold an active CISM, CISSP, or CISA certificate or demonstrate five years of experience in the five domains.

The application form can be found on the Associate C|CISO grandfathering webpage. Applicants must submit an online form providing detailed information about their existing CISSP, CISM, or CISA certifications. If they do not possess the requisite certificates, they may nominate up to five individuals qualified to verify their work experience in the C|CISO domains. A verifier may include someone from their existing or former clients, employers, or co-workers. The application form can be found on the Associate C|CISO grandfathering webpage.

The grandfathering process will be available until December 1, 2024.

Application Fee:

The Associate C|CISO certification via the grandfathering provision involves a nominal, non-refundable application fee of USD 249. This fee, a fundamental component of the certification process, covers the processing of the application. It is important to note that the application fee remains payable, irrespective of the outcome of the certification verification process.

Review and Evaluation:

Validating an applicant’s eligibility is a critical step in ensuring the credibility of the Associate C|CISO program. The EC-Council certification team comprehensively reviews the submitted information to affirm an applicant’s eligibility based on their CISSP, CISM, or CISA certifications or the endorsements from their designated verifiers. When the validation process is completed, applicants will receive an approval email and a secure payment link to pay the certification processing fee.

If the initial verification process encounters difficulties, applicants receive timely communication requesting additional information pertinent to their CISSP, CISM, and CISA certifications or their nominated verifiers.

Certification Issuance:

The onboarding process for the Associate C|CISO certification will only commence after the applicant’s application has been approved and the applicable payment has been successfully processed. The certification process is expected to take up to three (3) weeks from the application approval date. Upon completing this process, recipients will be furnished with Aspen login credentials, granting them access to their digital Associate C|CISO certificate, badge, and logos. Candidates who need a physical copy of the certificate can request it here.

Renewal and Maintenance:

The Associate C|CISO certification is a part of EC-Council’s Continuing Education (ECE) program, signifying a commitment to ongoing professional development. The certification remains valid for three years from the date of certification issuance. During this period, certified individuals are required to adhere to the ECE policy.

To keep their certification in good standing and ensure the continued validity of their certification, members must pay an annual CE fee of $80 and complete their ECE credits as per policy. More information on the annual CE fee can be accessed here.

Code of Ethics:

All candidates must adhere to EC-Council’s Code of Ethics. Please visit the Code of Ethics page for more information.

Upgrade Process from the Associate C|CISO to the C|CISO under the Grandfathering Initiative:

Meet Experience Requirements: To achieve the full C|CISO status, individuals must fulfill the experience prerequisites by accumulating 5 years of work experience across all the 5 C|CISO domains. This requisite experience must be acquired while maintaining the Associate C|CISO certification.

Experience Validation: Upon gaining the necessary experience, Associate C|CISO certified members must complete the C|CISO eligibility application form. This information will further undergo a verification process to ensure accuracy.

Eligibility Approval and Voucher Purchase: Candidates proceed to the next step once their experience is reviewed and approved. All candidates are required to purchase the C|CISO exam voucher.

Take the C|CISO Examination: Candidates will undertake the C|CISO examination after receiving the exam voucher. It is advised to consider reviewing the exam blueprint before taking the exam.

Attain C|CISO Certification: Upon successfully passing the C|CISO examination, candidates will be granted the C|CISO certification.

Lapsed Associate C|CISO Certification: Should a candidate’s Associate C|CISO certification lapse, they must initiate the C|CISO application process again. This involves following the standard C|CISO application procedure from the initial stage.

Certified CISO Exam Voucher Offset Policy:

Candidates with an active Associate C|CISO Grandfathering certificate with 5 years of experience in all 5 Certified CISO domains are eligible to apply for the Certified CISO exam. You can use your investment of the grandfathering fee of USD 249 to offset the Certified CISO exam voucher cost (USD 999) if you do so within 9 months of achieving your Associate C|CISO certification. You need to pay the remaining amount, i.e., USD 750 only. However, you are required to pay the USD 100 eligibility application fee (non-refundable).