Tampa., Florida, March 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — EC-Council, creator of the world-renowned Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) credential, and the global leader in cybersecurity education and training, today announced the formation of the Global CISO Council , an independent professional body organized under Section 501(c)(6) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.
Established as a dedicated global forum for Chief Information Security Officers and cybersecurity leaders, the Council will address rapidly evolving security challenges driven by artificial intelligence and emerging technologies while strengthening the role of the CISO as a strategic leader at the highest levels of enterprise decision-making.
Its charter includes advancing AI governance, emerging technology security, and global regulatory alignment while strengthening enterprise resilience as organizations adopt generative AI, cloud infrastructure, automation, and quantum technologies. Through global collaboration and regional chapters, the Council will foster thought leadership, influence policy, expand the cybersecurity talent pipeline, and deepen ecosystem engagement. This network will connect CISOs to drive secure innovation and protect the digital economy.
As cyber threats grow more sophisticated and automated, the role of the Chief Information Security Officer has evolved into a strategic leadership position responsible for protecting enterprise assets, guiding risk management, and ensuring secure innovation across organizations.
The launch comes at a critical inflection point for the cybersecurity profession. Artificial intelligence has expanded the CISO’s remit well beyond traditional network defense into areas of model governance, algorithmic risk, and enterprise-wide AI oversight responsibilities that most organizational structures have not yet caught up with. At the same time, regulators in the United States, the European Union, and across the Asia-Pacific region are accelerating enforcement of AI and data governance standards, placing CISOs at the center of compliance obligations that span multiple jurisdictions.
Despite this escalating mandate, no global professional body has existed exclusively for CISOs with the exclusive purpose of equipping their members with the skills to mitigate such emerging risks. The Council aims to close that gap by providing a structured, peer-driven environment for collective problem-solving at the executive level, independent of any commercial agenda.
Mission
The mission of the Global CISO Council is to empower cybersecurity leader worldwide through collaboration, education, and innovation; securing the digital world together.
Vision
The Council envisions a united global community of ethical cyber leaders driving positive change and advancing cybersecurity leadership.
“Cybersecurity leadership is entering a defining era,” said Jay Bavisi, Group President, EC-Council, and Strategic Advisor to the Global CISO Council. “Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are transforming the way businesses operate, but they are also reshaping the threat landscape. CISOs must lead from the front, ensuring innovation is secure, resilience is built into every system, and organizations remain prepared for the next generation of cyber threats.”
By bringing together CISOs, security experts, and industry leaders, the Global CISO Council seeks to strengthen collaboration across industries and regions while enabling organizations to build resilient, future-ready security strategies.
Independent Structure, Global Chapters
The Global CISO Council operates with its own governance structure and member-led direction, independent of EC-Council’s commercial operations. EC-Council, which has certified more than 350,000 cybersecurity professionals across 174 countries over the past two decades, provides mentorship and organizational infrastructure but does not direct the Council’s agenda or activities.
Under the Global CISO Council, a growing network of regional chapters will bring together senior security executives from finance, healthcare, government, energy, manufacturing, technology, and critical infrastructure sectors. Members will collaborate through working groups, policy forums, and intelligence-sharing initiatives addressing operational challenges such as threat landscape analysis, incident response coordination, and enterprise resilience strategy.
Membership
Membership in the Global CISO Council is open to qualified Chief Information Security Officers and senior cybersecurity executives who hold enterprise-level security responsibility. The Council seeks leaders committed to advancing principled governance, cross-industry collaboration, and the elevation of cybersecurity leadership as a strategic discipline.
Further information about the Global CISO Council and membership inquiries can be found at: https://globalcisocouncil.org/#home-form
About EC-Council
EC-Council is the creator of the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) program and a global leader in cybersecurity education, training, and certification. Founded in 2001, the organization has certified over 350,000 professionals across 174 countries and is trusted by government agencies, defense organizations, and Fortune 100 companies worldwide. An ISO/IEC 17024 accredited body, EC-Council’s certifications are recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense under DoD Directive 8140 and are used by the Army, Navy, Air Force, and leading enterprises globally. EC-Council operates across four divisions: Education, University, Services, and Technology. For more information, visit www.eccouncil.org.
About Global CISO Council
The Global CISO Council is a 501(c)(6) member led organization founded by EC Council to unite cybersecurity leaders in the collective defense against evolving cyber threats. Created by the world’s leading cybersecurity certification body with over 400,000 certified professionals across 194 countries, the CISO Council provides an independent safe space where Chief Information Security Officers and executive security leaders can connect, collaborate, and share critical intelligence without commercial bias or vendor influence.
Governed by its members through global chapters and guided by EC Council’s commitment to building the cybersecurity workforce since its founding in 2001, the CISO Council exists to strengthen the cybersecurity community through peer driven knowledge sharing, executive leadership development, and the collective wisdom of security leaders who understand that defending our digital world requires trusted collaboration, not isolation.
This is where CISOs come together not as competitors but as allies in the fight to protect what matters most.
Learn more at: https://globalcisocouncil.org/
- EC-Council Announces the Global CISO Council