How is CISM different from the other security certifications?
CISM differs from the many other security certifications by virtue of its experience requirements and focus on the job performed by an information security manager. Other security certifications are characterized by a focus on technical skills or platform- or product-specific knowledge, or they are aimed at the practitioner in the earlier years of their career. Only CISM targets the information security manager-the individual who has progressed beyond the practitioner focus, whose emphasis is no longer technical or specialist skills, and who has moved on to the management of an enterprise’s information security program. CISM is for the individual who must manage and oversee the enterprise’s information security effort, including the practitioners, many of whom may hold other certifications the field offers. The focus on management that makes CISM unique is demonstrated in its experience requirement, which calls for a minimum of three years in information security management, and in its