CISOs Connect™ exists because the people doing the work needed a place to convene that was theirs — not built around them by parties with a different agenda.
The cybersecurity field is full of analysts, advisors, and vendors with views about what CISOs should be doing. CISOs Connect™ is built on the opposite premise: that the most useful thing senior security leaders can produce for each other is the unvarnished, peer-reviewed, CISO view.
Every editorial decision — what to research, how to frame it, who judges the recognition panels — is made by working CISOs. There are no analysts dictating relevance. There are no vendors with editorial veto. The community is, structurally, accountable to itself.
This is not a soft commitment. It is the operating model.
We do not publish what we cannot stand behind in front of a working security leader. — Bob Turner · Head of Research
CISOs Connect™ was founded in 2012, at a defining moment in the evolution of the cybersecurity profession. At the time, the role of the Chief Information Security Officer was still emerging — many CISOs operated with limited budgets, often reporting through IT organizations, with cybersecurity frequently viewed as a compliance requirement rather than a strategic business function.
We believed the profession could, and should, become much more. From the beginning, our mission has been to help elevate the role of the CISO from a technical expert to a trusted business executive and strategic advisor — someone who understands business strategy, corporate governance, enterprise risk, and how to help organizations innovate securely, alongside a trusted community of peers who could openly share experience and mentor future leaders.
Today, cybersecurity leadership stands at another defining moment. Artificial intelligence, quantum computing, geopolitical instability, and rapidly evolving cyber threats are reshaping the responsibilities of every security leader. Our mission remains as relevant today as it was in 2012: to strengthen cybersecurity leadership by helping executive leaders grow, helping the profession continue to evolve, and bringing together a global community committed to shaping the future of cybersecurity leadership.
Since our founding in 2012, CISOs Connect™ has grown from a small network of executive security leaders into one of the cybersecurity profession's most respected executive communities. Over the past decade, we have worked with more than 1,500 enterprise and government CISOs, creating opportunities for executive leaders to learn from one another and collectively navigate an increasingly complex threat landscape.
Today, CISOs Connect™ extends well beyond North America through executive relationships, ambassadors, advisors, judges, members, speakers, and strategic collaborations — with meaningful engagement throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, and Australia.
While our programs have expanded, our purpose has remained unchanged: bringing together exceptional leaders who are willing to share their experiences, challenge one another, mentor future generations, and help shape the future of cybersecurity leadership.
The challenges facing today's security leaders are global: cyber threats, artificial intelligence, supply chain risk, geopolitical instability, privacy regulation, and digital transformation affect organizations regardless of geography or industry. For that reason, CISOs Connect™ has always believed that meaningful executive collaboration should extend beyond national borders.
Our community includes members, ambassadors, advisors, award judges, speakers, moderators, contributors, and strategic partners with active engagement across:
Our international presence is not defined by offices or regional franchises — it is built through relationships. Executive ambassadors strengthen local communities, members share regional perspectives, award judges recognize excellence across industries, and advisors help shape the future direction of our programs.
Every research initiative begins with conversations among practicing executive leaders — through executive roundtables, industry surveys, working groups, executive interviews, Security Shark Tank®, and Quantum Connect™ — rather than relying solely on market trends or analyst observations.
CISOs Connect™ is headquartered in Tenafly, NJ. Operating leadership and the editorial desk:
Aimee leads CISOs Connect™'s strategy, member curation, and the recognition-programs portfolio. She has been the operating leader of the community through its expansion from regional CISO convening into the multi-program organization it is today.
David is President of CISOs Connect™ and serves as the active CISO at Keyrock. A senior security executive with deep experience across financial services and the cryptoeconomy, he also serves as adjunct faculty in Harvard University's cybersecurity master's program and previously held senior security leadership roles at the Federal Reserve. His background includes expert-witness work and public-company board service, alongside contributions to the CISOs Investigate research series — including chapters on the executive overview, the field's 2028 horizon, and quantum risk — and a long-standing voice in CISO-to-CISO community building.
Bob leads the research function, including the CISOs Investigate series and the annual survey programs. A seasoned cybersecurity executive himself, he sets editorial standards, runs the CISO review process, and chairs the curriculum advisory board for the CISOs Academy.
Each recognition program is judged by a standing panel of working CISOs and security executives. The 2026 boards include members from financial services, healthcare, federal civilian, defense industrial base, and global technology firms — including international judges starting with the 2026 C100.
Guided by executive leadership, strengthened by a global community. The Executive Leadership Council is composed of distinguished cybersecurity executives who help guide the continued evolution of CISOs Connect™ — providing strategic guidance, contributing to executive programming and research, mentoring fellow leaders, and helping ensure the community continues to reflect the realities facing today's Chief Information Security Officers.
Representative members include:
As the community continues to grow, additional executive leaders from around the world will join the Council, further expanding the breadth of expertise and global perspective represented within CISOs Connect™.
The Global Ambassador Program extends the reach of CISOs Connect™ through respected executive leaders representing North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Australia. Ambassadors strengthen regional relationships, encourage collaboration, identify emerging trends, and help expand opportunities for cybersecurity leaders around the world.
The integrity of the C100, A100, Deputy C100, and APAC C25™ Awards is founded on an independent peer review process led by accomplished CISOs and senior cybersecurity executives — representing Fortune 500 companies, Global 2000 organizations, government, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, technology, retail, and critical infrastructure. These volunteer judges ensure every recognition reflects professional excellence, measurable impact, and meaningful contribution to the profession.
Throughout the year, executive leaders also contribute as speakers, moderators, mentors, executive coaches, researchers, authors, working group leaders, and innovation advisors — their willingness to share experience and invest in the next generation is one of the defining strengths of the community.
CISOs Connect™ brings together executive leaders through a portfolio of programs designed to educate, recognize, connect, mentor, and advance the profession — each built around a common objective: creating meaningful opportunities for executive leaders to learn from one another.
Highly interactive, Chatham House Rule discussions among practicing CISOs — no presentations, no pitches.
Candid, discussion-based conversations where executives question, challenge, and validate — not traditional product demos.
Cybersecurity, AI, governance, and business leaders separating hype from reality on the technologies shaping the enterprise.
C100, APAC C25™, A100, Deputy C100, and CISO Choice Awards — every honoree independently peer-reviewed.
CISOs Investigate™ and CISO-led surveys, roundtables, and working groups — explore the research library.
Executive mentoring, coaching, faculty, and speaking opportunities that prepare the next generation of CISOs — see the Academy.
Education-first engagement for technology companies, professional services firms, investors, and academic institutions — see Partner With Us.
Working groups, executive roundtables, mentoring, and global membership across five regions — explore the community.
Research topics originate from members, not from analyst desks or vendor briefings. A topic enters the production queue once a working panel of CISOs has validated the question is worth a publication-length answer.
Primary research is conducted by members of the editorial team and named CISO contributors. Anonymized CISO perspectives are permitted; analyst-survey pass-through is not what we publish.
Before a report is finalized, it is reviewed by at least three working CISOs in the relevant practice area. Their substantive comments are addressed in writing. Reviewers are credited.
Full reports are published to members ahead of any external release. Public abstracts follow on a defined cadence. Sponsored research carries the sponsorship disclosure on the cover and in the foreword.
Security Current® is the news and content platform editorially aligned with CISOs Connect™. CISO-driven journalism, interviews, and the regular feature columns that complement the long-form research.
Synthetic Insights provides the agentic content production pipeline, web infrastructure (this site), and AI-assisted research tooling for CISOs Connect™. Editorial independence is preserved; the partnership is operational, not editorial.
Official announcements from CISOs Connect™ — recognition program cohorts, nomination openings, leadership appointments, and community news.
Nominations open for the 2026 A100, recognizing CISOs driving meaningful impact as AI fundamentally alters the security and business landscape.
For the first time, a global panel of practicing CISOs — North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific — selected the year's C100 honorees.
The 2026 C100 marks a milestone with the inclusion of international judges, reflecting that security leadership transcends borders.
View all news → · Media inquiries to press@cisosconnect.com.
We believe exceptional communities are built through exceptional members. Our goal isn’t to create barriers to joining — it’s to ensure every member shares a commitment to collaboration, professionalism, and helping fellow cybersecurity leaders succeed. The application is intentionally brief: a CISOs Connect™ member of the curation team follows up.